Learning Outcomes

* Define leadership and its importance for family engagement

* Describe how styles of leadership support family engagement
* Examine leadership in family education
* Explain how to conduct a needs assessment for effective school-family
partnerships and how to work with groups in family trainings or meetings
* Examine how effective leaders guide the process for successful meetings
Defining Leadership and Its Effect on Family Engagement
* Perceptions of a Leader – Someone who can take control of a group. Take
charge. Someone who followers can rally around.

The Five Leadership Styles

* Servant Leadership: Involves sharing the leadership between the leader and
others.
* Strategic Leadership: consists of preparing others for future change.
* Visionary Leadership:Involves the creation of vision to challenge the status quo.
* Autocratic Leadership: Seeks to have complete power or control of an
organization.
* Transformational Leadership:Occurs when the leader inspires others to accomplish
and achieve goals through positive energy.
* What is TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP? Transformational leaders are
focused on making tomorrow better. 1. Vision: create a vision that inspires others.
2. Authenticity 3. Growth mindset 4. Creativity. ENcourage to develop ideas, work
with flare, and embrace originality.
 Leadership in Family Education
Continuum of Leaders in Parent Education
Different levels of parent leaders:
* Parent leader with no training
* Parent leader with leadership training
* Parent leaders with a structured curriculum
* Parent leader with professional support
* Professional leader with parent participation
* Professional

Leadership Training
Needs Assessment
* Interest Finders: Members may use a number of informal methods to indicate their
interests.
* Brainstorming. :Choose a recorder and encourage all members to contribute ideas
for programs.
* Open-Ended Questions: The leader asks parents to respond to topics listed.
* Questionnaires: Create a questionnaire for parents.
* Question Box: For parents who are hesitant, they might feel more comfortable
dropping questions and comments in a box that is available throughout the year.
 Needs Assessment
* Development of Objectives
* Leaders Facilitating Learning Experiences for Families
Needs Assessment
* Group Discussions
* The Informal Discussion Plan: A. Stems from interests or needs of group. B.
Establishes goals and objectives C. Provides for informal group meetings. D.
Selects and analyzes relevant information that emerges during the
discussion. E. Outlines a plan for action, if the group desires.
* The Problem-Solving Format: A. Recognition of the problem--state the
hypothesis. B. Understanding the problem--discuss the nature of the
problem. C. Data Collection--gather a wide range of ideas and determine
which are relevant. D. Analysis of the problem. E. Conclusion and summary.
F. Appropriate action.
* Using Technology
* E-mail: E-mail may be used to communicate and provides an opportunity for
an immediate response.
* Websites: Schools can develop Websites that inform parents about
happenings at school.
* Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and twitter can notify parents about the
latest new or just everyday routines.

Needs Assessment
* Establishing a Positive Climate
* Icebreakers.
* While Members Gather
* Signature Sheets
* Bingo Card
* Who Am I
* Scrambled Name Tags
* Favorite Personal Item
* After Members Are Seated
* Dyad Introductions
* I’ve Got a Secret

Needs Assessment
* Group Roles: Roles emerge within groups and influence the interactive process.
* Dynamics of Roles Within Groups: Observation of interaction within groups shows
that role behavior influences the cohesiveness and productivity of the group.
* Task Roles: The roles related to group building or maintenance are attributed to
members of the group who support and maintain the cohesiveness.
* Dysfunctional or Individual Roles: These individual goals are not functional or
productive to group achievement, but is such members are brought into the group
process, they can become contributing participants.
* Role Descriptions – I just left these for you, so you don’t have to do #8
* Task-Oriented
* Initiator–leader—Initiates the discussion, guides but does not
dominate, contributes ideas or suggestions that help move the group
forward.
* Facilitator—Helps the group stay on track and encourages member
participation.
* Information giver—Contributes information and facts that are from
authoritative sources and are relevant to the ongoing discussion.
* Information seeker—Asks for clarification or expansion of an issue
from additional relevant, authoritative information.
* Clarifier—Restates the discussion of an issue so that points are made
clear to the group and relationships between ideas are clear.
* Orientator—Takes a look at the group’s position in relation to the
objectives of the meetings and where the discussion is going and as a result
may refocus the group discussion.
* Questioner—Asks questions about issues, requests clarification, or
offers constructive criticism.
* Asserter—States a position in a positive manner; may take a different
point of view and disagree with opinions or suggestions without attacking
them.
* Energizer—Stimulates and facilitates the group to action and increased
output and problem solving.
* Elaborator—Expands an idea or concept; brings out details, points, and
alternatives that may have been overlooked.
* Opinion giver—States own opinion on the situation, basing the
contribution on personal experiences.
* Opinion seeker—Requests suggestions from others according to their
life experiences and value orientation.
* Summarizer—Brings out facts, ideas, and suggestions made by the
group in an attempt to clarify the group’s position during the meeting and at
the conclusion.
* Group-Building and Maintenance Roles
∙ Encourager—Supports, praises, and recognizes other members of the
group; builds self- confidence and self-concept of others.
∙ Harmonizer—Mediates misunderstandings and clarifies conflicting
statements and disagreements; adds to the discussion in a calming and
tension-reducing manner.
∙ Listener—Is involved in the discussion through quiet attention to the
group process; gives support through body language and eye contact.
∙ Follower—Serves as a supportive member of the discussion by accepting
the ideas and suggestions of others.
∙ Tension breaker—Uses humor or clarifying statements to relieve tension
within the group.
∙ Compromiser—Views both sides of the question and offers solutions or
suggestions that move the group to a position that fits conflicting
viewpoints.
The following four roles are appointed or elected positions:

∙ Standard setter—Sets standards for group performance; may apply

standards as an evaluative technique for the meeting.
∙ Observer—Charts the group process throughout the meeting and uses the
data for evaluation of group interaction.
∙ Recorder—Records decisions and ideas for group use throughout the
meeting.
∙ Gatekeeper—Regulates time spent and membership participation during
various parts of the program; keeps communication open and the
meeting on schedule.
* Dysfunctional Roles
* Dominator—Monopolizes the meeting and asserts superiority by
attempting to manipulate the group.
* Aggressor—Shows aggression toward the group in a variety of forms;
for example, attacks ideas, criticizes others, denigrates others’ contributions,
and disapproves of solutions.
* Challenger—Challenges other group members’ ideas and suggestions.
* Negativist—Demonstrates pessimism and disapproval of suggestions
that emerge within the group; sees the negative side of the issue and rejects
new insights.
* Flirtatious—Spends time mostly getting the attention of the opposite
sex.
* Blocker—Opposes decision making and attempts to block actions by
introducing alternatives that have already been rejected.
* Competitor—Competes with other members of the discussion group by
challenging their ideas and expressing and defending his or her own
suggestions.
* Recognition seeker—Needs recognition and focus on himself or herself.
* Deserter—Leaves the group in spirit and mind but not in body;
doodles, looks around the room, appears uninterested, and stays aloof and
indifferent to the group process.
* Productive Groups
* Role-Playing Group Roles
* Observer
* End-of-Meeting Evaluations

Role Interaction
Arrangements for Meetings
* Check room for climate control
* Greet members
* Refreshments
* Informal discussions at the beginning of meeting

Arrangements for Meetings

1. Check room for climate control
2. Greet members
3. Refreshments
4. Informal discussions at the beginning of meeting
5. Ice breakers or questions for larger groups
6. Open discussion (panels, buzz sessions, etc.)
7. Thank presenters
8. Announce instructions for next meeting.
Positive Leadership for Meaningful Meetings
* Informal
* Roundtable: is a true open discussion, the mainstay of group interaction.
* Concentric circles: is a variation of the open discussion or roundtable meeting.
* Buzz sessions: are an excellent means of eliciting participation from all members
of the goru.
* Brainstorming: is a nunique method of active intearction by all members of the
group.
* Workshops and centers: is a superb means of achieving involvment by members.
* Observations and Field Trips: can be quite different from their objectivers, they are
simliar in theory and procedure.
* Dyad interaction and feedback: STEP and PET
* Role playing: is the dramatization of a situation where group members put
themselves into designated roles.
* Dramatization: or short plays, written by group members or selected
* Panels
* Formal
* Colloquy: Is a panel discussion by an informed or expert panel where members of
the audience are encouraged by the chairperson to interject questions or
comments during the presentation.
* Debates: A debate is an effective means of presenting both sides.
* Book review: Brings out stimulating new ideas or acknowledges expertise.
* Audiovisual Presentations: Visual stimuli, programmed material and fil
presentations can be catalysts for a good open discussion.
* Symposium: is a formal presentation by several speakers on various aspects of a
topic.
* Lecture: is a talk prepared by an expert or lay presenter.