bto success story: ECHO MOUNTAIN PRIMARY

Involving parents as partners in student academic achievement is a challenge for schools with large populations of low-income, minority and English language learner students. It also can be especially fruitful, as evidenced by Echo Mountain Primary in the Paradise Valley Unified School District. It is one of 84 schools that participated in the Beat the Odds program during the 2009-2010 academic year.

School Overview

Echo Mountain Primary serves a predominantly minority population of 670 students in pre-K through third grade. The majority of students (84 percent) qualify for the federal free and reduced price lunch program, an indicator of poverty. Nearly half of the students who enter Echo Mountain Primary in pre-K will move away before the end of the third grade.

The families' mobility and language barriers make it especially challenging for the Echo Mountain staff to involve parents as active participants in their children's education. Hiring a strong, caring parent liaison and offering programs and services that parents truly value has played an important role in moving the school from "underperforming" to "performing-plus."

BTO Parents as Partners Program

"After my first year as principal, I hired Marycruz Ruiz as the school's parent liaison to work collaboratively with all factions of the campus: parents, teachers, students, even the community," said Principal Cindy Daniels. "She was my turnaround."

Ruiz's duties include helping parents understand their children's report card, and explaining the AIMS test (Arizona's high stakes exam) and its importance. In addition, she explains what students are expected to learn at each grade level so parents better understand how their children are performing. She also involves them in activities that help parents become an extension of the teaching staff.

Principal Daniels attributes the school's success with parents in part to her decision to send her parent liaison to the Beat the Odds "Parents as Partners" training program. Ruiz was one of 25 school representatives during the 2009-2010 academic year who developed the knowledge and skills needed to actively engage parents in improving their children's academic performance.

"Marycruz has grown and grown, in terms of becoming increasingly more competent and effective in working with me," Principal Daniels said. "She has become my right hand in working with parents. I would encourage schools that don't have a parent liaison to fund a position, even if it is one-quarter or half-time. At a Title 1 school, it makes all the difference in the world in the families' comfort level and the educational climate."

 

Parent/Child Programs

The school offers several programs and services that create a spirit of inclusiveness and collaboration between parents and teachers. One of everyone's favorites is the Reading Restaurant program.

On literacy nights, parents and their children gather to read a book and enjoy a tasty snack related to the story. Past titles and treats have included "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (meatballs and garlic bread); "Thunder Cake" (mini-brownies); and a book about vegetables called "Tops & Bottoms" (veggies and dip).

In addition, Echo Mountain Primary hosts math nights where parents and students travel from station to station, doing fun things. These include estimating and measuring how far they can do a standing long jump, working with 50-sided dice and other math-based activities.

"We used to have 20 to 30 percent participation," Principal Daniels said. "Now we have about 50 percent participation."

At the school's weekly SED de Saber (Thirst for Knowledge) classes, Ruiz teaches parents how to work with their children at home, learning initial sounds, letters and spelling words. The school loans them magnetic letters and LeapPad computers.

"We had 20 parents to start," commented Principal Daniels. "This year, that has grown to 40 parents–two groups. They hardly miss a class."

The school also offers evening English and Spanish classes for teachers and parents, allows parents to check out books on parenting, and provides on-campus computer access to parents who wish to look at their children's grades online or read the school newsletter. (Only 13 percent of the school's families have computers at home.)

During the 2010-11 school year, Principal Daniels plans to meet each month with parents at an informal coffee and conversation gathering.