Sitting in the Driver’s Seat
Sitting in the Driver’s Seat is a curricular and training program designed to provide school administrators and staff members the background knowledge, framework and instructional material they need to implement successful Hispanic parental involvement programs at their school sites. This exciting program consists of the following four components:
Component # 1: Academy for School Staff Members
This first component of the program is a 5-hour academy that provides teachers, teacher assistants, social workers, school administrators and other school staff member the framework they need to implement a school-wide, structured and successful Hispanic parental involvement program at their school site. This seminar is based on the book Hispanic Parental Involvement: Ten Competencies Schools Must Teach Hispanic Parents, written by Dr. Lourdes Ferrer. During this academy participants discuss the answer to each of the following question:
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What does it mean to be Hispanic?
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What are the main general characteristics of the Hispanic culture?
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What makes the Hispanic immigration so different from any other immigration?
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How are Hispanic students performing in reading and mathematics at the national, state, district and school levels?
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What are the reasons behind the achievement gap between Hispanic students and their peers from the researchers’ perspectives?
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What are the reasons behind the achievement gap between Hispanic students and their peers from the students’ perspectives?
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What are the ten competencies that Hispanic parents must demonstrate what it is to “sit in the driver’s seat” when it comes to their kids’ education?
This academy is very motivational, highly interactive and delivered using strategies supported by the art and science of Andragogy.
Component # 2: Parent Workshop Curricular Materials
(This component necessitates the purchase of component # 1)
This consists of the delivery and copyrights of the following instructional materials:
- 10 motivational videos for the parents in Spanish – A video for each of the 10 competencies, including the video scripts and their translations into English
- 10 Power Point presentations for parents in Spanish – A presentation for each of the 10 competencies
- 10 Word Competency Assessments for parents in Spanish
- The Ten Competencies marketing video in English and Spanish
- The Parent Pledge in Spanish and English
Component # 3: On-site and In-person Parent Workshops
(This component is optional)
This program could also include the delivery of 5 parent workshops in Spanish, after school hours and/or weekends. Each workshop lasts 2 hours and it covers 2 of the 10 competencies in the following manner:
- Workshop # 1: Value Kids’ Education & Meet Kids’ Basic Needs
- Workshop # 2: Overcome Immigrant Challenges & Maintain Family Unity
- Workshop # 3: Understand Their Role & Believe In Their Kids
- Workshop # 4: Connect With Teachers & Make Reading A Lifestyle
- Workshop # 5: Make Homework A Routine & Build Kids’ Character
Component # 4: On-site/In-person Parent Graduation
(This component is optional and available only to schools/districts that purchase component # 2)
This last component is the attendance, delivery of brief speech and participation during the Sitting in the Driver’s Seat parent graduation ceremony.