PARTNERS IN LEARNING:
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR ASSESSMENT
When you conduct a family involvement assessment,
do it intentionally and use what you learn. The following suggestions should
keep you on track.
 Keep the bigger picture in mind. Don't conduct your assessment
in a vacuum. It is not an end in itself, but a part of a larger whole. At
the very least, it is the fact-finding segment of a planning and implementation
process. An assessment works best when the results can be integrated into
comprehensive school improvement plans.
Take a team approach. Assessments are most successful when they
have "buy-in" from all the constituencies of a school community-administrators,
teachers, families, other staff. Put together a diverse team to conduct
an assessment. Better yet, work with a PBA or other committee that is already
focused on family involvement.
Choose a method that works for you. There are multiple ways
to gather information about what and how you are doing. Some may be more
appropriate than others, depending on why you want the information, how
you are going to use it, and what you need to find out from whom.
Surveys. When conducted well, a survey is a powerful tool to
help you understand how you are really doing. While surveys may be threatening
to some, the real risk lies not in discovering weaknesses, but in not being
willing to address them. Because surveys invite the perspectives of others,
they keep you from assuming more than you should.
Check lists/inventories. Lists usually incorporate "best
practices" or best case scenarios in concrete, observable terms, i.e.
"Staff members send home positive messages about students on a regular
basis." A checklist not only helps you clarify what you are currently
doing, but offers guidance on where you could be going in the future.
Focus groups. When you want to understand barriers, discuss issues,
brainstorm possibilities, or determine what to ask in a survey, a focus
group can be helpful. Use your parent organization as a sounding board;
hold a parents' breakfast; get out into the neighborhood to meet with parents
in homes or community centers.
Record keeping. Don't overlook something as simple as record
keeping as a method of assessment. It can be very helpful to track attendance
at school events, know how many class-room newsletters go home to families,
or be able to refer to the number of volunteers who work in the school.
Getting a handle on your numbers may not tell you why something is or isn't
working, but knowing the bottom-line data is essential to realistic planning
and goal-setting.
View findings from a positive perspective. The purpose of an
assessment is to bring people together, not to divide them. While it might
be easy to point fingers at negative results, a more constructive attitude
keeps the focus on learning. One of the most positive things about an assessment
is that it opens up possibilities for improvement. Being able to pinpoint
weaknesses in a program or discover gaps in services offer real opportunities
for positive change.
Provide feedback on results, plans. When people participate
in a survey or focus group, they want to know that they were heard-and that
what they had to say might really make a difference. Put out a summary of
findings and let participants know how you plan to act on the results.
Make sure you act. An assessment without follow-up action is
a worthless venture, wasting the time of everyone involved. Pick an area
to improve, set realistic goals and timetables, and make sure everyone follows
through.
Reassess: Are you there yet?
Written by The Family Connection of St.
Joseph County, Inc. for Partners in Learning [Vol 2:1, 1998] a newsletter
of the Indiana Center for Family, School & Community Partnerships. If
you would like more information about using technology to involve families,
contact the Center at 317-205-2595 or email: fscp@indy.net
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