Shape goals and strategies around parent and student concerns<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Bridge to Success encourages communities to look beyond whole-populations results to see the story underneath. \u201cYes, we\u2019ve moved the needle \u2014 graduation rates are getting better as a whole, but what do these number mean for diverse groups of students? How does that number look in comparison to Black or Latino students? The whole number is not enough to tell us if we are equitably meeting the needs of children and their parents,\u201d Morales-James says. Although uncomfortable, the true equity work begins when onion layers are peeled back and the data underneath reveals inequities in performance among various racial groups.<\/p>\n

Once the data is brought to light, collaborative action goals and strategies should be redefined. \u201cPeeling the onion back on the data means our strategies and interventions will be different in our community, it will be different from group to group; then we can be clear about what our target goals are for those parents and students,\u201d Brooks says.<\/p>\n

The saying \u201ca rising tide lifts all boats,\u201d or broad interventions and strategies work for everyone, doesn\u2019t fare in Bridge to Success\u2019 plans for 2018. These plans start with student-level, quantitative data and qualitative data gleaned from students and parents during earlier focus groups and surveys, where they voiced concern over unwelcoming school communities and biased attitudes toward them as parents of color. Now, Bridge to Success is starting its targeted intervention and strategies with parents instead of teachers. \u201cThe heart of our work needs to center around parents and families, and we are putting them first,\u201d Morales-James says.<\/p>\n

Putting racial equity and parent engagement at the forefront changes the direction of an organization. Parents and students who feel the brunt of inequity the most are ready to be active participants. They\u2019re asked to voice their concerns and are supported by a community as they navigate the Waterbury education system and advocate for their children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Often, educators and education services leave parents out, expecting families to feed, clothe and shelter students but remain separate from the education process. While directors, educators and administrators are heard, parent voices are often ignored or silenced. Bridge to Success in Waterbury, Connecticut, strives to uphold those voices, believing that family engagement is essential to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":10080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-10075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity","tag-blog","category-222","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\n