Family Involvement Project

Project Description:
I believe that it truly does take a village to raise a child. With that
being said, in order for a child to fully excel in his academics he must
receive guidance not only in a classroom setting but at home as well.
Family involvement is a major factor in the development of an
adolescent especially for those in middle grades. Middle school
students are expected to develop skills that are challenging to teach in
high school and must be met in middle grades. The purpose of this
project is to develop communication skills and testing strategies for a
student who excels academically but shows anxiety when testing and
has behavioral issues because of his/her anxiety. This project involves
the student and his/her guardian taking full responsibility of the
students testing strategies and behavioral rate before and after
testing. Before the assignment was given, students were to have a
mini conference with the guidance counselor, teachers, their
parents/guardians; and myself to further develop an understanding of
what was expected of them. This project definitely challenged all
participants involved. Students were required to meet with me three
times each week. Their parents would meet with me twice a week (the
first and last meeting of the week). The student was told to have
his/her agenda and papers, which he/she received less than a 70%
signed.
School and Student Information:
Marrington Middle School of the Arts is located in Goose Creek, South
Carolina. Most students are from families living on the Naval Base. The
mission of the Marrington Middle School is to excel academically while
collaborating with the communities and families of life-long learners to
form a positive learning environment that embraces diversity. The
population of the middle school is about 400 students.
Teacher: James Vickers
Subject/Grade: English, 6th grade
Race/Ethnicity/Gender: Caucasian/Male
Disabilities: Autistic, ADHD
Learning Style: Kinesthetic

Testing: Student had no records of testing because of military

background. Instead I based his performance on his final grades on his
report card.

Reporting Term
Percentage Grade
P1
100%
Q1
99%
P2
98%
Q2
98%
P3
98%
Q3
95%
th
Final Grades for English, 6 grade
Based on the information provided, it is apparent that the student
shows above average performance in English. The student did not
seem to need additional support but his/her guardian seemed to think
so based on the students disabilities. The concept of meeting with
student and guardian is to challenge the student to show his/her
testing strategies and how he/she understands the material with the
help of guardians. With myself involved, I can insure that the student
does not test his/herself to the extreme especially because the student
excels academically already.
Collaboration:
The student showed true anxiety when there was some sort of quiz or
test in the future and would react not only at home but in the
classroom. The student, teacher, and parent/guardians will collaborate
with extreme emphasis on the responsibility of the students behavior
and parent/guardians aid. The teacher and parent/guardian will
encourage the student to study at home and also whenever there is
free time in school to balance out his/her stress before testing. The
student will work with both the teacher and parent/guardian to
complete any assignments and study guides. It is the students
responsibility to explain to their parents/guardians what they do not

understand. While the student is receiving help, the parent will fill out a
behavior chart to see how he/she reacts at home. If there was a
problem or situation when the child became too anxious, the student
would fill out a problem solving sheet. The student must report each
time he receives help in his/her agenda. Parents will sign the agenda
next to the students note. The teacher will meet the student each
morning to discuss assignments and answer any questions the
students may have after working with their parents/guardians from the
previous night.
Standards Link For Students:
English Standards for Unit:
RL.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.2: Determine the theme or central idea of a text and how it is
conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text
distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RL.3: Describe how a particular storys or dramas plot unfolds in a
series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as
the plot moves toward a resolution.
RL.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the
impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
RL.6: Determine an authors point of view or purpose in a text and
explain how it is conveyed in the text.
W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using
strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and
cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and examples.
L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Application to Young Adolescent Theory:
For many adolescents, coming from elementary to middle school
can be a time of change. From a military background, the student has
never had settled in one location to really get to know him/herself or
the people surrounding him/her. There are plenty factors such as peers,

teachers, new school and home that the student must be able to adjust
to as a middle grade student. This family involvement project is one in
which students work together with their parents/guardians, and
teachers to identify and understand ways in their own home and
strategies of the classroom. Students of this age begin to think
logically about ideas and event to which they have direct exposure. A
child with a disability such as autism and ADHD is challenged even
more than the normal child. He/she must make sure his behavior is
appropriate for a classroom setting or even interacting with others
he/she has never worked with. It is the teachers duty to provide a
structured and predictable environment that will reduce the stress of
the student and encourage appropriate social interaction.
Communication:
Communcation is key in any healthy relationship but especially
for this family involvement project. Students were encouraged to relay
information being taught in the classroom with their parents/guardians.
Not only did they speak to their parents/guardians, but they would also
communicate back to the teacher of what was said at home as well.
This project help build a stronger relationship between student and
parents/guardians. Communication was arranged in multiple ways:
agenda with assignments, emails from parent to teacher, work folder,
and progress charts.
Support Documentation:
See attached documents. (Parent Letter, Behavior Chart, Problem
Solving Sheet)
Family Understanding:
Family involved continuously throughout this project. The student
was guided in the classroom on behavior and testing strategies and
then took that knowledge home to his/her parents/guardians to
reinsure the knowledge provided. This would help students emphasize
on the knowledge gained from the classroom and build a partnership
with the student, parent/guardians and teacher.