Trainings and Workshops

Governor’s Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (GCIPL)  *** APPLY NOW! ***

GCIPL is our flagship parent leadership training for parents and other adults who support students in Kentucky’s public schools. We are now accepting applications for  the 2013 GCIPL institutes in Eastern KY, Louisville, and Northern KY!
Click here  to apply and find out more information. Application deadline is June 1, 2013.

Parent Leadership 101 (two full days plus an optional follow-up meeting)

The Prichard Committee’s signature event for parents in your district or school combines many of our key workshop components and focuses on the creation of parent leaders to impact achievement. This training, for up to 30 parent participants, covers such topics as understanding school and district data, understanding the new common core standards, how to ask the right questions of your school or district, reaching and motivating other parents, impacting student achievement and effecting positive change and climate.

The Parent Leadership Institute (6 full days of training)

Modeled after the Prichard Committee’s Governor’s Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (GCIPL), the Parent Leadership Institute is a training developed for your community, that prepares parents to be productive, successful education partners.

Based on the themes of parent engagement and student achievement, parents assume leadership roles in education and become strong partners in their schools.

We believe: Parents love their children, want positive education experiences for them and can make a difference. When parents are given achievement information, they will hold schools accountable to high standards. The institute is the vehicle which provides parents the skills and information needed to be informed, prepared education stakeholders.

Missing Piece of the Proficiency Puzzle

The Missing Piece of the Proficiency Puzzle (MP3) is a training for school teams, based on a report by the same name. Originally commissioned by then-Kentucky Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit, the Commissioner’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) of KY, the report and training were created to advise school districts on ways to improve school culture and meaningful parent engagement. Many members of CPAC were graduates or fellows of the Prichard Committee’s Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (CIPL), and in creation of this document, have demonstrated what a group of informed parent leaders can really accomplish.

The Missing Piece of the Proficiency Puzzle training is a tool that can be used by educators and parents working as teams to evaluate their current parent involvement practices specifically as it relates to improving student achievement. Participants are guided to delve deep using the parent involvement inventory tool along with the Missing Piece of the Proficiency Puzzle rubric to assess the school’s efforts. An action plan is created during the workshop, that integrates with the school improvement process. Results of the action plan lead to building a diverse, involved, and well trained cadre of parents at their school. Follow up implementation of the plan is reported in 3-6 months.

Parents and Teachers Talking Together (1.5 or .5 days)

Learn how to facilitate—or engage in—a dialogue between the two groups who know what’s best for students: parents and teachers.  Together, we will discuss what we want for students and develop an action plan to make it happen. This can be a train-the-trainer workshop or a facilitated event.  This training promotes wonderful discussion between parents and educators, and helps everyone involved work together for the good of students.

Authentic Parent Engagement (full day)

Research shows parents will be involved when they a) know they should be b) understand they are capable and c) feel welcome.  A training-of-trainers event for school or district teams which include, but are not limited to:  district/school parent liaisons, administrators, front office staff, school FRYSC directors, program coordinators, and anyone working directly to engage parents/families or have interaction with parents.  This full day of training comes with a comprehensive manual full of information to use to engage parents, and covers the following:  parent involvement research and law, how to make parents welcome, understanding social assumptions and making families aware of what they can offer the school, and building home/school relationships.

Calling all Parents: Successful Recruiting Strategies for Parent Involvement (full day)

Learn how to embrace diversity, acknowledge differences and develop strategies to overcome the obstacles to engaging under-involved parents. This workshop will open your eyes to the barriers different groups experience.

Powerful Alliance: Educators and Parents (full day)

This hands-on workshop lets educators and parents explore roles for parents to take at school. Research-based information and activities will lead participants to examine their school’s parent involvement efforts and enable them to develop strategies to improve policies, relationships—and student achievement.

What’s the Bottom Line? Focus on Achievement Gaps

Get to the bottom of the test-score story by disaggregating data and identifying which student groups are best served and which are least served. Understand the inequity and decide how to address it.

How to Get Along with Yourself and Other Difficult People

We’re all different…or are we? Each of us has our own personal behavioral style. Learn how to recognize others’ styles and identify ways to work together effectively.

You’ve Got Style! Recognizing different learning styles

Remember the teacher who made learning fun? He or she probably used instructional strategies closely related to your personal learning style. Learn how to determine your child’s learning style—and yours— and discover strategies you can use to help with the learning process.

“Parent on Line One!”

School office staff members fill a number of roles, from telephone operator to triage nurse and from gate-keeper to public relations officer. In this workshop, secretaries and other school personnel can learn how to break down tension and build up rapport when parents call up or walk in.