LOS PADRES PREGUNTAN ALLIANCE
Los Padres Preguntan Alliance Parents Ask Alliance Proposed Collaboration with Head Start I. Introduction Who is Los Padres Preguntan Alliance / Parents Ask (LPPA)? Los Padres Preguntan Alliance / Parents Ask (LPPA) works to improve the lives of children with disabilities by providing guidance and support to families of disabled children through workshops, webinars, face to face assistance and print in Spanish and English. LPPA focuses on informing parents and educators on current investigation and demonstration of models and strategies that improve special education and transitional services in Spanish and English to families of children with disabilities. Services are provided with no cost to
Head Start or Parents. Through the dissemination via partners and advocacy for early school readiness programs and higher education transitional programs, our goal is to inform and train parents on how to become life time advocates for their children. LPPA strongly supports parent involvement components which increase the academic success for infants, toddlers and teens with disabilities and their families.
II.How does LPPA Support Head Start? LPPA will provide bilingual workshops, webinars, one on one training and toolkits for Parents, Staff and Faculty related to special education in support of Head Start Performance Standards. We can assist with the following performance standard indicators. INDICATORS RELATED HEAD START PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The Indicators below are offered via workshops, in-service training, webinars and print •1304.20 (e) Involving Parents •1304.21 (a)(1-4),(b-c) Child Development and education approach for all children •1304.24 (a)(1) Child Mental health services •1304.40 (a), (e-g) Family partnerships Page 1 of 7
LOS PADRES PREGUNTAN ALLIANCE •1304.51 (a) Program planning
Collaborative Decision-making •1304.20 (e) Involving Parents •1304.21 (a)(2)(i) Child Development and education approach for all children •1304.40 (d, g) Parent involvement – general and Parent involvement in community advocacy •1304.41 (a, b) Partnerships and Advisory Committees
III. What workshops are available? WORKSHOPS GIVEN IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH FOR PARENTS ______________________________
Understanding the Special Education Maze This workshop outlines the basic principles of special education with materials to help parents organize their child’s special education records. Topics include free appropriate public education, evaluation, resolving disagreements, and the Individualized Education Program. ___________________________
IFSP Workshop The development and implementation of the individualized family service plan is the key to each family’s involvement in early intervention supports and services. This workshop goes beyond the basics of the IFSP process to focus on how to create a document which reflects the family’s priorities and concerns. How the IFSP supports families through the transition process out of early intervention is examined as a means of helping families become successful advocates for themselves and their children ___________________________ Page 2 of 7
LOS PADRES PREGUNTAN ALLIANCE
IEP Workshop This is a hands-on workshop that is designed for parents who have attended the BASIC Rights workshop and are ready for the “Next Step”–fine tuning the IEP document to reflect all of your child’s unique needs to lead toward positive educational outcomes ___________________________
Special Education Basic Rights This workshop is designed for parents of children in special education or that might need special education. Come and gain a working knowledge of special education laws, including your role in the development of an appropriate education program (IEP) and how to be an effective partner with the school team in the process. ___________________________
504 Workshop The workshop will cover the special supports a child with a disability is entitled to so that they can be successful in school. It will also cover the protections available to children to protect them from acts of discrimination and exclusion ___________________________
Parents as Leaders Groups of parents are coming together across Texas who want to make their schools and communities a better place for students with disabilities. Los Padres Preguntan will support these grass roots efforts by providing Leadership Training to small groups of parents who would like to be Special Education Advocates in their community. ___________________________
Transition from High School to College Workshop Page 3 of 7
LOS PADRES PREGUNTAN ALLIANCE Learning Objectives include:
Increasing awareness of college transition planning while still in high school system. Enhance knowledge of in-school and post-school supports and services. Activities to practice Person Centered Thinking and Planning
Los Padres Preguntan Alliance Parents Ask Alliance Vision and Objectives Vision of the Alliance To become a nationally-recognized Center of Excellence by informing parents in Spanish and training parents in Spanish on how to become advocates for their children through quality research, workshops, parent toolkits, webinars and community engagement. Mission The mission of Los Padres Preguntan is to inform and empower families on becoming advocates for the education of their children by providing guidance and support to families of disabled children through workshops, webinars, and print in Spanish.
Objective 1: Improve parent engagement and communication with school through consistent parent workshops and webinars in Spanish.
Significance
1. Parent engagement and service is an integral part of the mission of Los Padres Preguntan. 2. Los Padres Preguntan has already established extensive partnerships with a significant number of community leaders and stakeholders. Page 4 of 7
LOS PADRES PREGUNTAN ALLIANCE 3. A strong parent engagement component will place the Center at an advantageous position when applying for foundation funds.
Major Outcome Measures
1. 2. 3. 4.
Improve parents trained as advocates in Special Education Improved parent engagement at child’s school. Improve parent and school communication. Improve effectiveness of transitions for disabled children from one education milestone to the next.
Strategic plan and Milestones to Success
1. Increase of parent engagement in community-based advocacy programs. 2. Establish a LPP Community Advisory Board and host regular meetings to improve the quality of the community outreach programs and workshops. 3. Engage stakeholders including parents, school systems in the community to create synergies that benefit both sides.
Objective 2: Development and dissemination of special education parent toolkit in Spanish.
Significance
1. This toolkit is organized by the key transition points that a child with a disability experiences in their education; from entry into elementary school, elementary to middle school, middle to high school and high school to college. 2. The toolkit will prioritize needed actions and plans that need to occur between parents and educators. 3. The toolkit will prioritize needed actions and plans that need to occur between parents and community based providers.
Major Outcome Measures
1. Improve parent and educator engagement and persistence. Page 5 of 7
LOS PADRES PREGUNTAN ALLIANCE 2. Improved communication between parent and educator. 3. Improved parent self-confidence related to special education. 4. Improve effectiveness of transitions for disabled children from one education milestone to the next.
Strategic plan and Milestones to Success *
1. Increase in number of parent and educator involvement and persistence. 2. Communication between parent and educators will increase. 3. Parent self-confidence related to special education will increase. 4. Effectiveness of transitions for disabled children from one education milestone to the next will increase. * Increase will be measured by a pre and post survey.
Objective 3: Develop Community Membership and Partnerships.
Significance
1. Parent engagement and service is an integral part of the mission of Los Padres Preguntan. 2. Los Padres Preguntan has already established extensive partnerships with a significant number of community leaders and stakeholders. 3. A strong parent engagement component will place the Alliance at an advantageous position when applying for foundation funds.
Major Outcome Measures
1. 2. 3. 4.
Improve parents engagement as advocates of their children in the community Improve parents engagement as advocates of their children at child’s school Improve parent and school communication and understanding of child’s education plan Improve effectiveness of transitions for disabled children from one education milestone to the next.
Strategic plan and Milestones to Success
1. Increase parents engagement as advocates of their children in the community Page 6 of 7
LOS PADRES PREGUNTAN ALLIANCE 2. Increase parents engagement as advocates of their children at child’s school 3. Increase parent and school communication and understanding of child’s education plan 4. Increase effectiveness of transitions for disabled children from one education milestone to the next.* Increase will be measured by a pre and post survey.
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