******* School, Family, and Community Partnerships Federal Programs

*******

School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Federal Programs

SMART, SAFE Schools

• Safe and Nurturing PLACE– Welcoming school environment for ALL– Partnership School– “Family-like” school and “school-like”

families– SMART,SAFE school that students,

teachers, parents, and others WANT to attend and support

SMART, SAFE Schools

• Place where students develop to their full potential and produce positive RESULTS– Academic

• Intellectual Development• Curricular and other achievements• Commitment to role of student

– Physical• Good nutrition and exercise• Prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug use• Good attendance

– Emotional• Positive attitudes about school• Positive self concept, behavior, relationships• Appreciation of others

SMART, SAFE Schools and Students

Schools

CommunitiesFamilies

Families

Communities

School , Family, and Community Partnerships

• Comprehensive school improvement• Goal-oriented• Customized, comprehensive, and continually

improved• “Realities” solutions sought, found, shared• All grade levels• Mothers, fathers, grandparents, foster parents,

family community groups, business partners, volunteers, mentors, external partners

• Results for ALL students, parents, teachers, and community

Joyce Epstein Model

Framework of

Six Types of School, Family, and Community Involvement

Epstein’s Six Types of Involvement

Framework expands/redefines/reframes parental involvement

CollaboratingWith

Community

DecisionMaking

LearningAt

Home

Volunteering

Communicating

Parenting

Successful Partnerships

Workshop is not only a meeting at the school building, but also the content of a topic to be

viewed, heard, or read at convenient times and varied locations

Reprinted with permission: Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2002). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action (Second Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Parenting

Assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding

child and adolescent development, and setting home conditions that support

children as students at each age and grade level

Assist schools in understanding families

Type 1

Communicating not only from school to home but also includes two-way, three-way, and many-way channels that connect schools,

families, students, and the community


Communicating

Communicate with families about school programs and student progress through

effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications

Type 2

Volunteer not only those who come to schoolduring the day, but also those who support

school goals and children’s learning in any way, at any place, and at any time


Volunteering

Improve recruitment, training, work, and schedules to involve families

as volunteers and audiences at school or in other locations to support students and school programs

Type 3

Homework not only means work students do alone, but also interactive activities students

share with others at home or in the community, linking schoolwork to real life

Help at home means how families encourage, listen, react, praise, guide, monitor, and discuss

schoolwork with their children, not how they “teach” children school subjects


Learning at Home

Involve families with their children in learning activities at home,

including homework and other curriculum-related

activities and decisions

Type 4

Decision making means a process ofpartnership—sharing views, solving problems,

and taking action toward shared goals, not a power struggle of conflicting ideas

Parent leader means a representative who sharesinformation with and obtains ideas from other

families and community members, not just a parent who attends school meetings


Decision Making

Include families as participants in school decisions, governance, and advocacy

through PTA/PTO, school councils, committees, action teams,

and other parent organizations

Type 5

Community not only low/high social or economic qualities, but also strengths/talents available

to support students, families, and schools

Community not only families with children in the schools, but also all who are interested in

and affected by the quality of education Community not only neighborhoods where

students’ homes/schools are located, but also allneighborhoods or locations influencing student

learning and development


Collaborating with Community

Coordinate resources and services for students, families,

and the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups,

and provide services to the community

Type 6

Current Implementation

• School Improvement Plans

• School Policy and Home School Compact

Action Team for Partnerships Focus on Goals

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM

ACTION TEAM for SCHOOL, FAMILY,

and COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Strategic Plan

Goal 2


Draw from the six types of involvement to meet these goals

Strategic Plan

Goal 3

Strategic Plan

Goal 1

Strategic Plan

Goal 4

Strategic Plan

Goal 5

Elementary School ExampleGoal—IMPROVE READING

Parenting Workshops for parents on various ways to read aloud with young children

Communicating Parent-teacher-student conferences on reading goals at the start of the school year and on reading progress midyear

Volunteering Reading-partner volunteers, guest readers of favorite stories, and other organized, ongoing read-with-me activities

Learning at Home

Weekly interactive reading homework activities for all students to read aloud for a family partner, show links of reading and writing, go over vocabulary and spelling words, and other reading activities

PTA/PTO support for a family room or parent center to provide information on children’s reading, and to conduct book swaps, make book bags for read-at-home programs, create family books, and sponsor other reading activities

Decision Making

Donations from business partners of books for classrooms, for the school library, or for children to take home

Collaborating w/Community


Type Activity

Middle School ExampleGoal—IMPROVE MATH

Continuing education classes for family members only or for family members and students together (e.g., computer classes or GED/ABE classes)

Student recognition page in the school newsletter highlighting students who improve and excel in math

Parents as audience members for “math bowl” or other math competitions

Information for parents on students’ math requirements to prepare for entry to postsecondary education

PTA/PTO support for math with the purchase of manipulatives, calculators, computers, and other materials

After-school program with local college students as math tutors


Parenting

Communicating

Volunteering

Learning at Home

Decision Making


Type Activity

Workshops for parents and students on course credits and requirements for high school graduation, college financial aid, college entry tests, and career planning

Series of videotapes for families to borrow to learn about high school requirements and postsecondary, vocational planning

Field trips for students and parents to local technical institutes, colleges and universities

Interactive homework that requires students to discuss and document their academic goals and career plans with a family partner and to outline strategies for reaching these goals

A postsecondary planning committee of parents, teachers, and students to implement a series of activities on college and vocational awareness and career options from 9th to 12th grade

Career club for linking students and families with alumni to foster knowledge and actions on postsecondary opportunities; information on dual enrollment


High School ExampleGoal—IMPROVE GRADUATION RATES

Parenting

Communicating

Volunteering

Learning at Home

Decision Making


Type Activity

Type

(1-6)

Activity (continuing

or new)

Date of Activity

Grade Level(s)

What needs to be done for activity &

when?

Persons in charge and

helping

What results and how

measured?

Parenting

Communicating

Volunteering

Learning At Home

Decision-Making

Collaboration w/Community

One Year Action Plan Document

GOAL 1: Improve academic achievement for ALL students while closing achievement gaps

What Will School, Family, and Community Partnerships Really DO for My School?

RESULTS OF RESEARCH

For Students• Higher grades and test scores• Increased enrollment in more challenging

academic programs• More classes passed and credits earned• Better attendance• Improved behavior at home and at school• Better social skills and adaptation to school


RESULTS OF RESEARCH

For Parents• Increased feeling of support from school and

other parents• More interactions with other families in

school and community activities• More effective responses to student

problems• Increased awareness of student progress

and how to help student do better• Increased feeling of ownership of school


RESULTS OF RESEARCH

For Teachers• Increased respect for families’ strengths and

efforts• Greater readiness to involve ALL families in new

ways• Increased satisfaction with family involvement

and support• More likely to report ALL parents can help their

children; less likely to stereotype single parents, poor parents, or those with less education as unable to help

Next Steps?

• Training by Dr. Epstein– Administrators– School Improvement Teams– Parents

• Membership in National Network of Partnership Schools

Success stories of Promising Partnership Practices from schoolsResearch studies on effective strategiesTIPS—Teachers Involving Parents in SchoolworkTools to evaluate partnership effortsPublications and products—books, surveys, Power Point CDs to conduct workshops, incentives

Questions

Documents

******* School, Family, and Community Partnerships Federal Programs