Every one is Different. Every one is Spectacular!                           Dilworth Middle School Rocks Home Visits

   "They know Zuly's family and I feel comfortable that they're coming in to see us," said Elsa Valles, Zuly's mother. 

For seventh grader Esmeralda Velez and her single-mom, Maria, these visits only make her education that much better.

"It means my daughter will do something big," said Maria. "She will have success in her education."

"My goal is to graduate college," said Esmeralda. "I want to be an engineer in science and technology."

Even though the teachers and parents met as strangers at the beginning of the visit, they always leave as family. 

"They shared something with us today," said Mitchell. "They shared their home life, their past, and secrets of their families. It just strengthens everything."

  KTVN TV 2 shows what this Parent Teacher was like. For more info see their story here:

http://www.ktvn.com/story/30269129/dilworth-teachers-visit-homes

New Study Shows Parent Teacher Home Visit Success

Reading and Attendance Improvements

   Students whose teachers visited them at home to build relationships with their families were less likely to miss school, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University.

   Researchers also found that students who took part in a home visiting program were more likely to read on grade level and that their teachers received higher marks on some parts of their teacher evaluations.

   Link to an article that explores this research more fully here: http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2015/10/home-visiting-linked-to-lower-school.html

Bias-Busting Home Visits

     Carrie Rose, Director of Parent Teacher Home Visits Speaks Out

     Kudos to Education Week and Education Week Teacher for the latest thinking on how teacher bias impacts learning ("Four Principles for Bias-Busting in the Classroom," Education Week Teacher; "Under Pressure, Colo. Schools Forge New Path; and "'Racial Mismatch' Changes Teacher Expectations for Students, Study Finds," Inside School Research blog).

     Teachers need tools to help them connect with the cultures of their students in ways that affect the bottom line: student learning. Our organization, the Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project, offers professional development training to public school teachers in how to create meaningful relationships with the families of their students, starting with a voluntary home visit. Building cultural competency and connection is a vital part of this process.

     Bias-busting requires genuine engagement, I would argue. In order to build trust, our visits are scheduled in advance, in a setting where teachers do not have the institutional advantage.

    A relationship-building approach such as this will lead to communication, trust, and accountability. Using what they learn from this relationship, both teachers and parents can become better educators and advocates for young people.

     This approach helps teachers question their own biases. And that can only makes their classrooms more relevant to all of their students.

Carrie Rose

Executive Director

Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project

Sacramento, Calif.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/10/07/build-teachers-cultural-competency-through-bias-busting-home.html