Our Work
Student Academic Support
According to Grace Chen, Public School Review: Parental Involvement is Key to Student Success. April 30, 2018. Research shows that students’ Academic Achievement increases when parents and caregivers are involved in their children’s education. The more intensively involved the parents and caregivers are, the greater the positive impact on academic achievement. Research also shows that parental involvement not only enhances academic performance, but it also has a positive influence on student attitude and behavior. A parent’s interest and encouragement in a child’s education can affect the child’s attitude toward school, classroom conduct, self-esteem, absenteeism, and motivation.
We are committed to supporting our parents and caregivers trough trainings and collaborations so that they can meaningfully impact their students’ academic success.
Please refer to this document for a full description of this program.If you have any question or concern regarding the Student Academic Support Focus Area, please contact Stephanie Valentine-Forbes.
Parent Leadership & Advocacy Training
The Parent Leadership & Advocacy focus area provides DCSD parents and caregivers access to knowledge relating to student achievement, the workings of our school system, and skills in advocacy and educational support. We provide opportunities for parents with training and resources to grow, achieve, and empower greater levels of advocacy for children, schools, and community.
If you have any question or concern regarding the Parents Leadership & Advocacy Training Focus Area, please contact Latonya Winters-Buford.
Family Friendly Schools Initiative
The Family Friendly School initiative has been developed by the DeKalb County School District’s Department of Parent and Family Engagement to help schools create and maintain a positive learning climate. This initiative will engage families and build a positive relationship between our families and the school. This initiative will improve student academic achievement and strengthen the family-school partnership. It is our goal that all schools communicate “Welcome!” to students and families by creating an environment that is friendly, inviting, and culturally sensitive.
Volunteerism
Volunteering provides opportunities for family members and communities to become partners in education with DeKalb County School District (DCSD) by helping our students and schools. Volunteers can strengthen school-community relations and support student achievement. DeKalb County School District welcomes parent and community volunteers.
Please refer to this document for a full description of this program.Parent’s Personal & Professional Growth & Development
Parents’ Personal and Professional Growth & Development is designed to support and enhance parents’ education, post- secondary opportunities, and career advancement. Programs and resources provide parents the support needed to develop into lifelong learners as well as productive citizens. Parents will have an opportunity to participate in the district’s GED Support Program. This FREE program provides resources and GED test prep classes, tutorials, online practice skills, study guides, and practice tests in language arts and mathematics. Post-Secondary Education as well as Career Advancement opportunities offer support to parents and help enhance their professional growth & development.
- Enroll in postsecondary educational programs.
- Obtain job training skills | certifications.
- Earn workforce development | advancement.
- Maintain and/or establish financial stability.
- Receive community collaborators’ resources.
- Gain knowledge that will help assist children with schoolwork.
The GED tests include the reading, writing, thinking, and problem-solving skills needed for success in postsecondary educational programs and for the world of work. Parents are encouraged to open the program’s door and take advantage of the various opportunities that are a springboard to higher education, to better paying jobs, and to rewarding career paths. Realizing that “It Takes a Village to Support our Families”, we are a community that inspires adults to be lifelong learners, empowers adults to achieve their educational goals, and celebrates adults’ accomplishments as they excel personally and professionally.
If you have any question or concern regarding the Parents’ Personal and Professional Growth & Development Focus Area, please contact Narva Dunlap.
Parent & Family Wrap Around Services
Our parent and family wrap-around services focus on supporting the mental, social, and emotional health & wellness of the entire family by strengthening parents’ capacity to overcome socioeconomic bearers and in-home challenges that negatively affect their children’s academic achievement.
We offer parents and guardians a direct line to resources, supports, and services to address their needs. In addition, we offer several interactive workshops, seminars, and town hall meetings to assist parents in building their capacity to better support their children.
The theory behind wrap around services is rooted in three (3) major principles:
- Students whose health & wellness needs are attended to will be healthier, more focused, and better able to learn.
- Families engaged with schools and supportive services will have increased capacity to support child learning.
- Schools, having additional systems for confronting social challenges that impede learning, will allow teachers and administrators to focus on instruction.
Our parent and family wrap-around services focus on supporting the mental, social, and emotional health & wellness of the entire family by strengthening parents’ capacity to overcome socioeconomic bearers and in-home challenges that negatively affect their children’s academic achievement. We offer parents and guardians a direct line to resources, supports, and services to address their needs. In addition, we offer several interactive workshops, seminars, and town hall meetings to assist parents in building their capacity to better support their children.
Please refer to this document for a full description of this program.Initiative Collaborators: DCSD Student Support & Intervention, DCSD Title IV Prevention, Wellroot Wellness Services, WellRefugee Center, CHRIS 180, Legal Aid, Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Kaiser Permanente, DeKalb Community Service Board and DeKalb County Department of Family and Children Services.
To receive assistance through the C.A.R.E. initiative please complete the C.A.R.E. initiative entry form.
- monthly peer-led Family Support Groups that are facilitated by professional counselors and liaisons via the Regroup class in Microsoft Teams,
- live and prerecorded mental, social, and emotional wellness workshops available via the Regroup class in Microsoft Teams, and
- live large scale forums and townhall meetings offered once or twice quarterly via Zoom.
The four (4) main goals are:
- Provide parents with opportunities to learn and adapt holistic approaches that increase their children’s confidence and capability;
- Equip parents with skills, approaches and knowledge that enable them to help their children effectively navigate life choices;
- Coordinate a supportive cultural network of parents that promotes bullying awareness and community responsibility; and
- Create collaborations with local agencies that develop and implement youth & family-centered policies and practices.
If you have any question or concern regarding the Parent & Family Wrap Around Services Focus Area, please contact Richard Stephens II.
Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy
Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy addresses the challenge of achieving a strong connection between the district’s international and culturally diverse families. We recognize families of English Language Learners as a valuable part of school communities and the overall success of the schools. It is our goal to bridge communication gaps with our non-english-speaking communities and diverse cultures, by offering resources and information through several outreach platforms, communicate in their spoken languages and advocate on their behalf. We will accomplish this by ensuring that the following actions are taken:
- Strengthen home-school partnerships on behalf of ELL students
- Recognize and build upon our ELL parents’ strengths
- Harness the energy and ideas of staff, ELL parents, and students in shaping partnerships
- Engage school-wide staff members beyond the ELL/ bilingual departments
- Advocate for and allocate resources on behalf of ELL families
Our first step in realizing this goal, is the creation of the Welcome to DCSD: Exploring Our School District, resourceful online program. This workshop series will assist the parents and their child(ren) in making a smooth transition into the school community. Also, it will equip them with the knowledge necessary to navigate new educational experiences and receive additional information regarding the supports available to promote the success of their child(ren).
Please refer to this document for a full description of this program.If you have any question or concern regarding the Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy Focus Area, please contact Anne Ferreira.