RAMP

The following are the responses from participants regarding supporting students from each of our focus areas:

Educators

What can we do to support students from low-economic backgrounds

• Provide access to materials
  • Book drives
  • Technology
  • Summer programs
  • Community outreach (Book Mobile)
• Provide basic needs
• Establish communication and rapport
  • Non-threatening communication
    • Ask a parent to be a member of a team
• Gain an understanding and appreciation
  • Helps create learning experiences
    • Do this through surveys
    • Discussion
• Provide adult literature programs
• Give tips on how to provide routine and stability
• Eliminate the obstacle of transportation and time
  • Direct access
• Create a monitoring/evaluative tool to check effectiveness of initiatives
  • Adjust and grow
• Offer adult ed. on locating resources and how to use them
• Student assistance (community service)
  • Mutual benefit
• Culturally relevant instructional strategies

Non-Profits / Organizations / Churches

How can we Celebrate Academic Achievement?

• Place an article in the Trib/Times Express

• Monroeville Chamber of Commerce
  • Web page
  • Email blast
• Local businesses “We Support Gateway Academics”
  • This could be given to local businesses to post
• ID Discount for students who achieve
• Menu items for Gateway
• Achievement supported by businesses
• Be involved, offer to help
• Citizen’s Night – every month

Parents

How can we advocate for our child?

• Communicate with the teacher
• Follow-up with the teacher
• Get involved with the FTO/PTO
• Attend/request a face-to-face conference to solve problems
• Know your rights and responsibilities
• Contact teacher/school before a problem gets worse
• Value partnerships
• Be receptive
• Monitor homework and teacher/school communications
• Provide a controlled home environment
• Ask questions …all stakeholders
• Support school district
• Celebrate your child’s accomplishments with communities
• Transfer words into actions

What are some parent practices I can use that are consistent with high achievement?

• Parent modeling
• Champion children through nurturing
• Model good habits as adults
• Provide quality time to students
• Role model as parents
• Hold high expectations
• Invest in children
• Communicate with other parents
• Support varied parental situations
• Parent education
• Seek resources to assist with parent education



This Year's Presenters

Tricia Shelton, M.Ed., Gateway teacher and doctoral student, IUP.

Epryl King, M.Ed., Gateway teacher and doctoral student, IUP.

Erin Kane, Circles Initiative, Pitcairn