NATIONAL NETWORK OF PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS

Creating Partnerships Among the University, P-12 Classroom, and Parents

Tracy Meetze, Ph.D.Francis Marion University

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Everyone wants EXCELLENT and SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS and STUDENTS.

Can educators do this work alone?

2006 National Network of Partnership Schools, Johns Hopkins University

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THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFULSCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPSEPSTEIN’S SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT

PARENTING: Assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding child and adolescent development, and settinghome conditions that support children as students at each age and grade level. Assist schools in understanding families.

COMMUNICATING: Communicate with families about school programs and student progress through effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications.

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.

LEARNING AT HOME: Involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including homework and other curriculum-related activities and decisions

DECISION MAKING: Include families as participants in school decisions, governance, and advocacy through PTA/PTO, school councils, committees, action teams, and other parent organizations.

COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY: Coordinate resourcesand services for students, families, and the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups, and provide services to the community.

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.

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Type 1

Type 2

Type 6

Type 5

Type 4

Type 3

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Use the Six Types of Involvement to Reach School Goals for Students How might a comprehensive goal-oriented partnership program benefit students at your school? Choose one major goal that your school has set for students. Then, identify specific partnership practices to support that goal.

GOAL FOR STUDENT LEARNING or BEHAVIOR:

Create a Welcoming School Climate

TYPE 6: COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY

TYPE 1: PARENTING

TYPE 5: DECISION MAKING

TYPE 4: LEARNING AT HOME

TYPE 3: VOLUNTEERING

TYPE 2: COMMUNICATING

Steps in the Partnership Process

1. EDUC 621 students are trained in the NNPS model.2. EDUC 621 students write NNPS plans as a requirement of

the course. 3. EDUC 621 professor is approved for Center of Excellence

to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty outreach funds.

4. EDUC 621 professor reviews NNPS student plans for quality.

5. Quality plans are funded.6. EDUC 621 students and professor enter a contract that

NNPS welcoming climate survey will be adminsitered (Steve Sheldon) before and after plan implementation.

7. EDUC 621 students administer plans in their respective P-12 classrooms.

8. EDUC 621 professor analyzes surveys for significant increases in parental attitudes/beliefs about the school’s climate.

9. EDUC 621 students and professor present at conference.

Sample NNPS Plan

“Dinner with Peers, Parents, and Poetry”– Distribute a pamphlet at the dinner that aids in

helping students with Exit Exam

– Promise at the dinner to contact parents at least once per month, and encourage them to contact the school as well.

– Solicit parents to help plan a celebration for those who meet graduation requirements in May

– Distribute a pamphlet to offer tips on reading a book at home with their high school aged child

“Welcome All”

– Hold a parent workshop on reading and serve dinner

– Send out a newsletter inviting parents to the dinner.

– Bring a list of the child’s favorite book as well as 5-10 books that they feel are needed in the classroom. (at least one book from each list will be purchased)

– Community members will come in and read a book related to their field and discuss their occupation with students.

Sample NNPS Plan

Welcoming School Climate Survey(Steve Sheldon)

• There was no significant increase in attitudes and beliefs from the pre-test to the post-test. The highest level of significance p≤.320 with a 95% confidence interval.

• Thoughts on this: Several of the schools involved were already NNPS schools, so the mean responses on the pre-test were elevated; therefore, there was not room for significant increases in attitudes and beliefs.

• The bottom line: Although no significant increases in attitudes and beliefs about the welcoming school climate were found with this sample, the COE helped fund NNPS activities and keep already existent partnerships strong!

Significant?