PEF has been working to increase community engagement in public education since 1997. From 1999 to 2003, Community Campaign for Student Success (CCSS) worked with eight urban school communities to increase family involvement in school and improve student achievement. CCSS achieved significant improvement in the percentage of parents attending parent-teacher conferences at several schools.

Community focus groups gave direction in 2000 to PEF’s research into effective teaching. A series of forums held in 2003 asked more than 200 citizens from all walks of life, “What must our community do to have a quality teacher in every classroom?” Their answers formed the basis of a strategic plan for recruiting, training and supporting quality teachers.

Community input led to PEF’s spring 2004 publication of a school-by-school report on teacher quality, including certification, experience, and effectiveness.

In partnership with the school system, the Urban League and Community Impact Inc., PEF has pioneered the design of a new Family Partnership Specialist position to work intensively to engage parents in their children’s academic progress. In seven elementary schools and five middle schools where Family Partnership Specialists have been hired, 523 students each received 200 additional hours of intensive literacy support totalling 104,600 hours because of this work.

Community Forums on Teacher Quality

During April 2003, the Public Education Foundation and the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga co-sponsored community forums throughout the county to discuss the importance of teacher quality to student achievement and to develop a strategic plan to improve current policies and practices concerning teacher recruitment, placement and retention. This initiative was supported by a grant from the Public Education Network.

Over 200 parents, business leaders, students, educators, and concerned citizens from all walks of life participated in the forums and were asked to address the question: ‘What must our community do to have a quality teacher in every classroom?’

The meetings started with a 10-minute video in which local teachers, parents, principals, students, and business leaders talk about the importance of quality teaching. Participants moved on to breakout sessions to discuss what our community must do to have a quality teacher in every classroom. Trained facilitators used the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) process, which gives every voice equal weight, to guide these discussions.

Meeting results were used in conjunction with PEF’s extensive research on highly effective teaching to formulate a new strategic plan for enhancing teacher quality. The strategic plan identified the changes to policies and practices that our community must implement and sustain to improve the way we recruit, train and support quality teachers.

For more information on Highly Effective Teaching, contact:
Debra Vaughan
423.668.2421