Session Descriptions - Tuesday

This presentation aims to help parents of students with IEP's and 504 Plans to understand the benefits of inclusion in school settings, as well the IDEA law that supports inclusion. Upon completion participants will be able to:

• Identify how IDEA supports inclusive education
• Discuss the benefits of inclusive education
• Explain the importance of Supplementary Aids and Services
• Discuss the importance of presuming competence in inclusive education
• Describe your family's vision of inclusion for your child
• List the most important things you will share with your child's IEP team at the next meeting

Join Dr. Sheila Jackson, in this interactive and strategy-filled session based on her 30+ years of daily family-facing work in PGCPS, Maryland. She will demonstrate and provide tools that highlight how she and her team have spearheaded and led the development, coaching and support of these powerful data driven "Servant Leaders" who skillfully, compassionately and with an eye towards equity do this work everyday!

Differentiated Family Engagement (DFE) is an EPIC copyrighted framework intended to help afterschool/agency staff, school and district leaders, teachers, and parent leaders understand the goals and strategies for family engagement. Participants will learn to take into account a family's ability and motivation to be involved in supporting their child's success. DFE helps participants understand that a one size fits all approach to engaging

In this session, stakeholders will learn how to access school-wide data for their child's school and gain insights into making data understandable and parent-friendly. Participants will explore practical strategies for sharing data in ways that engage families and discover how parents can partner with schools to use this information to support student success. This session is designed to bridge the gap between educators and families, ensuring a collaborative approach to data-driven student growth.

The importance of male role models in the lives of our children is profound. During this session, you will learn the background research that proves male engagement is influential in the academic and emotional well-being of children. Methods of creating a male friendly atmosphere in the school setting and types of family engagement events which are more inclusive to the men in our children's lives will be shared. Many of the strategies will be experience through hands-on participation. School staff and family members will find this presentation beneficial to their schools and programs.

We build HOPE when we promote equitable access to Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) that help children grow into resilient adults and can lessen the effects Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Explore research, learn how to promote equitable access to the Four Building Blocks of HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences): Relationships, Environment, Engagement and Emotional Growth, and connect this approach to other frameworks like the Strengthening Families Protective Factors.

Family Engagement starts with creating a welcoming environment, but how do we truly do that? This workshop explores how creating a welcoming environment for students and families starts with us, the school staff. We will explore the concept of mental models/implicit bias, what this means, and how it impacts our engagement with families from the moment we meet them. We will also learn how to recognize our own implicit bias and learn the difference between responding vs. reacting. Finally, we will discuss resources for compassion fatigue and promoting resilience. By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the difference between engagement and involvement
• Understand how family engagement is a key component of student success
• Understand the concept of mental models and how this impacts engagement
• Review the Hierarchy of Needs in relation to meeting families where they are.
• Understand the Ladder of Inference as it relates to decision making;
• Discuss the difference between Reacting vs. Responding.
• Receive resources to combat compassion fatigue and promote resilience.

Recent research regarding types of Family Engagement, factors that impact Family Engagement, and practical strategies for administrators and teachers to increase Family Engagement opportunities will be presented. A focus on families from low socio-economic backgrounds and how different family structures impact engagement will highlight the importance of understanding potential barriers faced by many families.