New & Next: Helping Every Child Succeed

Engaging families in the future of Denver Public Schools (DPS) is a critical component of the Denver Plan 2020. This is often publicly seen on the change management level -- engaging families and communities around issues up for a DPS Board of Education vote.

This engagement and capacity building is critical. Particularly for families who feel as though they don't have the social capital to raise concerns and to participate fully. We engage the community by providing information and opportunities for community collaboration during the school improvement and development processes, and provide venues for constructive dialogue around DPS initiatives.

But how does this social capital get built? What is the DPS investment for families to elevate their voices? What's special about our approach?

A bit more behind the scenes, the Family and Community Engagement Office (FACE) at DPS hosts a robust team of players to work together to educate, engage and empower to create a better, brighter future for our students and our entire community. Our work is data-driven, and supported by partners who believe in our collective impact.

Our Empowerment Division hosts training and leadership development to empower parents to be more engaged in their children's education by providing training, workshops and classes in a variety of subjects from communication to summer learning to leadership. You may have heard of the Parent Teacher Home Visit Program -- a thriving program in DPS to bring families and teachers closer for the benefit of our students. This week is our first Academic Partnership Week, where students are receiving their second home visit of the year. This visit focuses on strategies and tools that families can use to support their student academically. The approach varies depending on the age/grade of the student, but it could range from providing parents with a list of questions to ask their student regarding their homework to guiding a parent through the school choice process or even learning games to build reading fluency and comprehension.
        
Our Family Constituency Services Department creates strong, positive family-school relationships by guiding families through the Denver Public Schools system. They also provide coaching and training to school staff and parents on conflict management. When you call with a complaint to DPS as a parent, our team takes your call and follows your issue through to completion.

Our School Based Services Department -- our largest department -- provides opportunities for students, parents and families by partnering with community organizations. Through these partnerships, we increase student support in literacy, math, attendance, college and career preparedness, workforce and job skills training, and provide opportunities for families to become independent and self-sufficient. The Center for Family Opportunity is a tremendous hub of activity and partnership where families can access free classes and coaching on everything from financial coaching to job seeking skills. This department also has a strong Americorps presence, doing critical work with our students and families towards student success.

Together, we facilitate our work through a two-generation approach that provides opportunities for and meet the needs of vulnerable children and their parents together. We work to build education, economic supports, social capital and health and well-being to create a legacy of economic security that passes from one generation to the next.

Fragmented approaches that address the needs of children and their parents separately leave either the child or parent behind. Two-generation approaches -- in programs, policy and research -- put the entire family on a path to permanent economic security.

FACE's work includes programs and support for students as well as families, which yields a greater impact and positive results. These include:

• In-School Support: Increasing academic achievement is a high priority for our department. FACE continues to make a tangible difference in the academic achievement of students through targeted intervention strategies in the areas of attendance, math, literacy and workforce investment.  
• Extended Learning Opportunities: Learning shouldn't stop at school. Families benefit from access to academic opportunities outside of school hours and during the school year to address those most affected by the opportunity gap.
• Home Learning Support: Parents and families can be partners in their children's education. By providing opportunities for education and engagement, we empower our families to be advocates for themselves and for their students.
• Opportunities for Family Involvement: Research shows that students with engaged families are more likely to be successful. Families are able to learn more about their student's education and the district, involving them at critical levels to support continued success.
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Many of our families may be new to the country or were unable to complete their education. Our programs share services that can support our families in their path to self-sufficiency and achieving their own life goals.

DPS is committed to our families and our communities as full partners in ensuring that every child succeeds. Join us. Learn about our work. Support us. As we get even stronger in our two-generation approach, families are more strongly aligned with us -- pushing us in our work to ensure we have great schools in every neighborhood.

Amber Giauque Callender is raising two budding leaders in Denver Public Schools, making them the fourth generation of the Giauque family educated in the DPS system. She currently serves as the director of school community development and change management of family and community engagement.