Student Encouragement/Parental Involvement (SE/PI)

P.U.S.H. Workshop Training in Weldon with Facilitators –September 2006

The SE/PI component of NC-PIMS is an integral part of the overall strategy to improve mathematics achievement while simultaneously decreasing current achievement gaps. Community-based programs target PK-8 students and their parents/guardians in each district. Although these activities will be targeted toward students and their parents, school personnel are invited and encouraged to attend.

The NC-PIMS initiative supports a two-pronged approach to encourage students to continue their mathematics studies through: (1) an after-school and summer program component (Adventures with SAM) and (2) a parental involvement component (Parents Utilizing Standards at Home [P.U.S.H.]).  To date, more than 4380 parents and caregivers of K-8 children have participated in at least one P.U.S.H. workshop, which teaches parents about curriculum standards for mathematics learning and introduces them to mathematics activities that are designed for their involvement with student learning.  The P.U.S.H. also includes a Spanish version to meet the immediate language needs for the growing Hispanic population in eastern North Carolina.  Within the same time frame, 514 community leaders and school personnel have been trained through 6-hour workshops to deliver community-based P.U.S.H. workshops.  In addition, 482 summer- and after-school program providers have participated in 10 hours of training to deliver Adventures with SAM activities to 15,900 students in the partner districts.  Feedback from participants and schools/school districts has been extremely positive and supports the project’s next steps that are focused on enhancing this component.  The latest parents’/caregivers’ evaluation results show that 97% found the workshops to be useful; 95% found them to be worthy of their time; 95% plan to attend future workshops; 97% will recommend workshops to other parents; 97% understand activities’ mathematics concepts; and 97% will do at-home activities with children.

Student Encouragement Workshops and Implementation Year by Year Through May 2007

Parental Involvement Workshops and Implementation through May 2007

Number of Participants in SE/PI Activities from Year 1 Through May 2007

*Not Applicable

Dissemination of Student Encouragement and Parental Involvement Program

In addition to the day-to-day, word-of-mouth communication about the P.U.S.H. workshops and Adventures with SAM activities, the SE/PI staff had the opportunity to disseminate this project component more broadly at the following state, regional and national association conferences during Year 5:

• North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference, October 6, 2006, Greensboro, NC
• 21st Century Learning Communities Fall Institute, Eastern Region, October 18, 2006, Wilmington, NC
• 21st Century Learning Communities Fall Institute, Piedmont Region, October 20, 2006, Raleigh, NC
• 21st Century Learning Communities Fall Institute, Western Region, October 27, 2006, Morganton, NC
• NC College Access Conference, February 14, 2007, Asheville, NC
• South Carolina and North Carolina Mathematics Association for Two-Year Colleges, March 8, 2007, Charlotte, NC
• NC Department of Public Instruction—Closing Gaps and Raising Achievement Conference, March 26, 2007, Greensboro, NC
• National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Conference, March 21, 2007, Atlanta, GA