Core Message Area

SCHOOL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Resources and Web sites

Revised: May 2011

Revised by: Dr. Joyce Epstein, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

Resources:

Develop a Partnership Program
“There is no topic in education on which there is greater agreement than the need for family and community involvement. Yet, most districts and schools still struggle in developing research-based partnership programs that engage all families in ways that contribute to student success in school. Now, research and fieldwork have shown how to organize effective partnership programs that help improve student attendance, behavior, achievement, and other indicators of success in school.” (Epstein, et al., 2009)

Family Engagement Framework, a Tool for California School Districts http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/cpei/family-engagement-framework.pdf
California Department of Education and the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd, (2011). Family Engagement Framework, a Tool for California School Districts. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education (CDE).

This document, developed by the California Department of Education and partners, helps school districts engage families in their children's education. The Framework describes 18 principles that are essential for family and community involvement with the school district. These principles are grouped into five action areas to: (1) help school districts build the skills and confidence of parents, (2) demonstrate leadership, (3) use resources, (4) monitor progress, and (5) ensure access and equity for everyone. Specific actions to engage families and the community are described for each principle, ranging from basic to progressive to innovative. The Framework is outlined in a way to help school districts evaluate their progress and plan for improvements.

SFCP: Handbook for Action
http://www.corwin.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book229896&_requestid=399419
Epstein, J. L., et al., (2009). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook For Action, Third edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students' education, they have positive effects on student achievement and other indicators of success in school. Based on 25 years of research, the new edition presents a framework that enables school, district, and state leaders to develop more effective programs of family and community involvement. With the guidance and tools in this handbook, educators and parents—working together in preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools—can organize, implement, evaluate, and continually improve goal-linked partnership programs. The book is the manual for the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University (see NNPS Web site below).

Books, Chapters, and Articles on Program Development
(listed alphabetically by author)
http://store.tcpress.com/0807750778.shtml
Allen, J. (2010). Literacy in the Welcoming Classroom: Creating Family School Partnerships That Support Student Learning. NY: Teachers College Press.

Allen provides pages of research-based, useful ideas on how schools can work with all families in ways that support student learning, attitudes, and achievement in reading and other subjects. Starting with a welcoming environment, teachers and administrators can engage families in activities that support students’ literacy skills, including parents with diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds.

Healthy Child Development and Academic Success
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book226764
Comer, J. P, Joyner, E. T., and Ben-Avie, M. (2004). Six Pathways to Healthy Child Development and Academic Success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

This book discusses six paths for education and action that promote the health, well being, and academic achievement of children and adolescents. Comer and his colleagues help schools organize programs that ensure greater equity in access to programs and services that promote students’ healthy development and learning. In particular, they focus on distressed communities and traditionally under-resourced schools that serve families with low incomes. They draw from their work with many schools using the School Development Program to provide a clear framework for school improvement.

International Perspectives on Family-School-Community Partnerships
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780203875667/
Deslandes, R., Ed. (2009). International Perspectives on Contexts, Communities and Evaluated Innovative Practices: Family-School-Community Partnerships. Routledge Press.

Across countries, schools have set ambitious goals for student learning and face major educational problems that require educators, parents, and community groups to work better together. And, across countries, there are important similarities and interesting contrasts in family and community involvement. Authors from Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Spain, UK, and the U.S. discuss national policies and present research on the nature and results of programs and practices of family and community involvement.

Guide to Family-School Partnerships
http://www.thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_catalog&task=author&author_id=P36889
Henderson, A. T., Mapp, K. L., Johnson, V. R., & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond The Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships. New York: The New Press.

The authors call for more effective partnership programs that involve families in ways that support student achievement and success in school. The book provides hundreds of examples, reviews, checklists, and resources to help improve programs and practices of family and community involvement.

Promising Practices
http://www.infoagepub.com/index.php
Hiatt-Michael, D. (Ed.). (2001 to 2010/Series). Promising Practices in School, Family and Community Partnerships. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishers.

This edited series presents the work of many authors in each book on various topics for improving policies and programs of family and community involvement in schools at all levels and for students with special needs. The books include:

Parental Involvement
http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1086/499194
Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Walker, J. Sandler, H. M., Whetsel, D., Green, C. L., Wilkins, A. S. & Closson, K. (2005). "Why Do Parents Become Involved? Research Findings and Implications". Elementary School Journal, 102, 105 - 130. Lueder, D. (2011). Involving Hard-to-Reach Parents: Creating Family/School Partnerships. (Second edition). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education.

This book helps readers understand the challenges that educators face in organizing effective programs that engage all parents, including those who, traditionally, have been uninvolved, excluded, or ignored. Lueder offers many useful ideas to help educators at all grade levels connect, communicate, and collaborate with all families and community groups.

Web Sites: Develop a Partnership Program

The following Web sites contain sections—large and small—for strengthening programs and practices of School, Family, and Community Partnerships. Some are targeted for educators, others for parents and the public. All contain information, ideas, and resources for all partners in children’s education.

National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University.
http://www.partnershipschools.org

Most educators want to build strong School-Family-Community Partnerships, but most have not reached this goal. NNPS, a major project of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, was founded by director, Dr. Joyce L. Epstein. NNPS guides leaders in schools, districts, states, and organizations to use research-based approaches to develop, implement, and evaluate their programs of school, family, and community partnerships. School programs of family and community involvement not only improve the school climate, but also help students improve attendance, behavior, and skills in specific subjects (e.g., reading, writing, math, science) and other important outcomes. In NNPS, district and state leaders are helped to organize leadership activities to assist all schools to conduct effective partnership programs and practices. See the Web site for information, publications, professional development conferences, best practices, other benefits and services, and how to join NNPS.

School Development Program (SDP):
http://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/comer/index.aspx

Developed by child psychiatrist Dr. James P. Comer at the Yale Child Study Center, SDP works with educators to improve schools and outcomes for students using structures and processes based on principles of child and adolescent development. Three teams—School Planning and Management Team (SPMT), the Student and Staff Support Team (SSST), and the Parent Team—work together to create a Comprehensive School Plan (CSP). The teams are guided by three principles: decision making by consensus, no-fault problem solving, and collaboration. The processes, including staff development, are designed to improve the curriculum, instruction, communications, family involvement, and student learning and development.

Solid Foundation
http://www.adi.org/solidfoundation/

Solid Foundation is a school-based program designed to strengthen family and school connections, engage parents in children’s education, and improve student academic and behavioral outcomes. Each school works with an external partner and elects one of three paths: a needs assessment to develop a plan for improving partnerships; a School Community Index, survey, and report of opinions of parents, teachers, and students, and available resources; and the development of a data system for tracking progress of family and community involvement. Other tools and materials are provided.

Vanderbilt University/Peabody College of Education Family-School Partnership Lab
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Peabody/family-school/

Family-School Partnership Lab, led by Dr. Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey, conducts scientific investigations of the relationships among families, schools, and children. The researchers and graduate students develop and test a theoretical model of parental involvement to better understand parents’ motivations for becoming involved in students’ education and the impact of involvement on student achievement.

Council of Directors of Education of Ontario
http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/Parent_Engagement/Parent_Engagement.html

The Council of Directors of Education (CODE) released two useful publications. One, titled Planning Parent Engagement Guidebook, aims to help schools and district (board) leaders understand the importance of well-planned partnership programs. The other, titled Parent Tool Kit is a clear and simple guide for parents to support their children as students. It includes easy to read tips for good conversations with students about their work and ideas in school and positive ways to discuss and support students on homework.

Planning Parent Engagement: A Guidebook For Parents and Schools and Parent Tool Kit. Education World
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/parent_involvement.shtml

Called the “Educators Best Friend,” this site has many resources for teachers (e.g., lesson plans, professional development, clip art), and a helpful section for educators on family and community involvement. Some information draws from activities in the NNPS annual books of Promising Partnership Practices. The site also gives scores of Web sites with resources, ideas, and learning activities for parents to conduct with their children.

Resources:

Community Connections
Programs of School, Family, and Community Partnerships are enriched by connections with community partners. School teams and district leaders may reach out to businesses, senior citizens, faith-based organizations, sports franchises, health care organizations, cultural and recreation groups, and other community services and individuals to improve the school curriculum, increase services to families, and extend students’ opportunities to learn. Excellent partnership programs not only obtain community resources, but also enable students to contribute to their communities in service learning and other special projects.

This document, developed by the California Department of Education and partners, helps school districts engage families in their children's education. The Framework describes 18 principles that are essential for family and community involvement with the school district. These principles are grouped into five action areas to: (1) help school districts build the skills and confidence of parents, (2) demonstrate leadership, (3) use resources, (4) monitor progress, and (5) ensure access and equity for everyone. Specific actions to engage families and the community are described for each principle, ranging from basic to progressive to innovative. The Framework is outlined in a way to help school districts evaluate their progress and plan for improvements.

Improving Schools Through Community Engagement
http://www.corwin.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book225711&_requestid=400764
Chadwick, K. G. (2004). Improving Schools Through Community Engagement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Chadwick offers educators a framework and ideas for engaging parents and the public in school programs for student learning. She discusses community roles and activities, how to listen to representatives from diverse constituencies, and how to integrate different groups’ perspectives in a clear plan for action.

Full-service Community Schools
http://www.corwin.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book219902&_requestid=400033
Dryfoos, J. & Maguire, S. (2002). Inside Full-Service Community Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

The authors describe steps for educators, parents, and community partners to develop “full-service” schools in urban, suburban, and rural communities. These schools, which remain open for longer-than-average hours, serve students, families, and others in the community with health and social services, after-school programs, and other educational and enrichment programs.

Supplementary Education
http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com/
Gordon, E. W., B. L. Bridglall, and A. S. Meroe. (2004). Supplementary Education: The Hidden Curriculum of High Academic Achievement. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.

Schools, alone, cannot ensure high levels of student achievement and success. Supplementary education provides students with out-of-school experiences that improve school skills, develop new interests, and build individual talents. This book discusses supplementary education in afterschool programs and in community-based youth development programs. High quality supplementary programs should help close the achievement gaps between racial and ethnic groups of students.

Community Organizing for Stronger Schools
http://www.hepg.org/hep/book/109/CommunityOrganizingForStrongerSchools
Mediratta, K., Shah, S., and McAlister, S. (2009). Community organizing for stronger schools: Strategies and successes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Community organizations, policy makers, foundations, and other groups and individuals have important roles to play in improving schools. This six-year study identified organizational characteristics and community roles that contributed to successful school reform and student outcomes. The authors discuss several challenges that are difficult to solve.

Building School-Community Partnerships
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book228068
Sanders, M. G. (2005). Building school-community partnerships: Collaborating for student success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

Community involvement contributes to effective schools, support for students, and community health and development. Sanders provides a framework for educators to integrate the community in their programs of School, Family, and Community Partnerships. Schools in every community have many community partners with resources and services to improve school programs, extend teachers’ curricula, strengthen families, and enrich students’ experiences and learning.

A Case Study in School-Community Collaboration
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book228068
Sanders, M. G., & Harvey, A. (2002). Beyond the School Walls: A Case Study of Principal Leadership for School-Community Collaboration. Teachers College Record, 104(7), 1345-1368.

This case study describes how one urban elementary school in a high-reform district and state has been able to develop strong connections with community businesses and organizations as part of its program of school, family, and community partnerships.

Web sites: Community Connections

Coalition for Community Schools
http://www.communityschools.org/

The Coalition for Community Schools at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) includes national, state, and local education and community organizations that support the development of “community schools” to increase connections of educators, parents, and community partners in order to improve school programs and student learning. See the book, above, by Mediratta, Shah, and McAlister (2009) with studies by the Coalition for Community Schools to improve school climate, community vitality, family engagement, and student learning.

Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP)
http://www.hfrp.org/

HFRP conducts projects and summarizes advances in complementary learning, family involvement, out of school time, education evaluation, and pre-service education on partnerships. HFRP, led by Dr. Heather Weiss, believes that children need multiple sources of support—in and out of school—for their education and development. Some complementary learning, which supplements and supports school programs, includes early childhood programs, after school programs, libraries, and other community-based institutions.

The Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE)
http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/fine-family-involvement-network-of-educators

The Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) is an HFRP project provides information, publications, and teaching cases on family and community involvement for educators, policy makers, and researchers.

HIPPY USA
http://www.hippyusa.org/

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a parent involvement and school readiness program that helps parents prepare their three, four, and five year old children for success in preschool and for entering elementary school. Community-based home visitors work directly with parents on activities to boost children’s academic and social readiness for school. HIPPY also makes referrals to community programs and services to meet children’s and families’ needs. The program stresses developmentally appropriate curriculum, role-play to teach parents new skills, personal attention in home visits, and group meetings in the community to help parents connect with each other and with their children’s preschools.

Resources:

Diverse Families
Some families have always been involved in their children’s education. The goal for excellent partnership programs is to engage all families—including those who would not become involved on their own. This includes improving the clarity of communications with families in languages that parents can understand. Once called “barriers” to involvement, the diversity of families’ backgrounds, languages, and cultures now are understood as “riches” that can be tapped by schools to enable all families to become involved in productive ways with the schools and with their children at all grade levels.

This document, developed by the California Department of Education and partners, helps school districts engage families in their children's education. The Framework describes 18 principles that are essential for family and community involvement with the school district. These principles are grouped into five action areas to: (1) help school districts build the skills and confidence of parents, (2) demonstrate leadership, (3) use resources, (4) monitor progress, and (5) ensure access and equity for everyone. Specific actions to engage families and the community are described for each principle, ranging from basic to progressive to innovative. The Framework is outlined in a way to help school districts evaluate their progress and plan for improvements.

Home-School Partnerships with Diverse Families
http://store.tcpress.com/0807747890.shtml
Allen, J. (2007) Creating Welcoming Schools: A Practical Guide to Home-School Partnerships with Diverse Families. NY: Teachers College Press.

Allen discusses how schools can develop effective partnerships with diverse families to create a welcoming school environment and increase student learning. Written for teachers, administrators, and parent leaders, the book includes many good ideas that can be adapted to match the needs of multiracial, multiethnic, multilingual, and multicultural schools.

Diverse Partnerships for Student Success
http://chapters.scarecrowpress.com/15/788/1578865387ch1.pdf
Decker, L., Decker, V., & Brown, P. (2007). Diverse Partnerships for Student Success: Strategies and Tools to Help School Leaders. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

This book offers educators tools and strategies to develop effective partnership programs and practices in communities serving demographically diverse students and families. There are many good ideas for community connections to make the most of available resources for improving schools and for increasing student success. The book also refers to useful Web sites for additional resources and ideas.

Culturally Responsive Classrooms
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book228391
Delgado-Gaitan, C. (2006). Building Culturally Responsive Classrooms: A Guide for K-6 Teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Educators face major challenges in schools that serve students and families with diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. This book guides teachers to recognize and use the richness in diversity to improve their classroom contexts and curriculum content so that more students will succeed in school. By learning about student and family cultures, teachers can improve the classroom climate, involve more families, and improve student behavior and achievement.

Involving Latino Families in Schools
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book226309
Delgado-Gaitan, C. (2004). Involving Latino families in Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Latino parents have high aspirations for their children. Delgado-Gaitan provides strategies and examples for teachers to engage Latino parents in ways that support students’ learning in school. She points to three actions that schools must take to improve school and family partnerships: connect to and communicate with families; share information with parents on how to help their students’ at home; and continually improve and sustain involvement activities.

Funds of Knowledge
http://isbndb.com/d/book/funds_of_knowledge_a01.html
Gonzalez, N., L. C. Moll, and C. Amanti, Eds. (2005). Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum

"Funds of Knowledge" refers to the many things that parents and children know from their backgrounds and experiences. Teachers can learn about parents’ funds of knowledge and build on these skills and talents to help students learn new school skills. When educators draw upon family and community knowledge and abilities, parents and others see that, regardless of their socioeconomic status or circumstances in their communities, they have important strengths and resources that support student learning and development.

Bridging Cultures Between Home and School
http://isbndb.com/d/book/bridging_cultures_between_home_and_school.html
Trumbell, E., Rothstein-Fisch, C., Greenfield, P. & Quiroz, B. (2001). Bridging Cultures Between Home and School: A Guide for Teachers. Mahwah, N.J.: LEA.

This book contains many practical ideas on how to connect and communicate with Latino and other immigrant parents to increase their involvement at the school and in their children’s education. The authors provide a framework for understanding differences, similarities, and potential conflicts among diverse families within schools. They offer specific strategies to learn about family cultures; create two-way communications with families who do not speak English as a home language; conduct effective parent-teacher conferences; and engage all families in ways that will support their children’s learning.

Web sites: Diverse Families

Brown University – Teaching Diverse Learners (TDL)
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/

The Teaching Diverse Learners (TDL) Web site at Brown University is dedicated to helping educators work effectively and equitably with English Language Learners (ELLs) and their families. The site includes publications, materials, and other information to promote the academic achievement of ELL students and to engage their families in productive ways.

¡Colorin Colorado!
http://colorincolorado.org

Colorin Colorado is a bilingual site for parents and educators to help students read more and enjoy reading. It is a free service with activities that engage Spanish-speaking families of English Language Learners (ELLs) in their children’s education. Colorín Colorado is an initiative of WETA, a public television and radio station in Washington, DC. It also is supported by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the U.S. Department of Education-Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The name Colorin Colorado is said to mean something like “ . . .and that’s the end of the story.”

Recommended Children’s Books
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/38575?theme=print

On this site, see, for example, lists of recommended children’s books in Spanish and English, and see Han, Y-C. (2010). Lessons learned from immigrant families.

Resources:

Homework
Of all topics of family involvement, parents most want to know how to guide and assist their children at home—mainly on homework. It is important for schools to focus on improving the homework process so that families are informed and involved in appropriate ways across the grades. This requires every teacher to provide useful information to parents about the homework policy and good ideas about how to make homework a positive part of learning at home. Research has increased and improved on the purposes, designs, and results of homework. Programs have been developed to help teachers design “interactive” assignments that require students to show, share, and discuss their ideas and their work with family partners.

Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents
http://www.corwin.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book228931
Cooper, H. (2007) The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers and Parents (3rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

This comprehensive book discusses common questions about homework: What is the right amount? What roles should parents play? What is the connection between homework and student achievement? Cooper presents important definitions, summarizes many research studies, and offers policy guidelines on homework.

Student Outcomes and Homework
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415479509
Deslandes, R., Ed. (2009). International Perspectives on Student Outcomes and Homework: Family-School-Community Partnerships. Routledge Press.

This collection of many chapters provides research and policy analyses on homework across countries. The authors discuss the political and cultural contexts of homework, school practices, parental involvement, children’s attitudes, and the results of homework for student achievement. Taken together, the work shows the importance of school and family communications about homework, and the need for better homework designs to increase student interests in learning.

Homework Programs/Interventions:

How to Implement “Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork” (TIPS)
Epstein, J. L., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2009). "How to Implement 'Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork' (TIPS) Processes". Pp. 277-297 in School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, third edition, by Epstein et al. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students' education, they have positive effects on student achievement and other indicators of success in school. Based on 25 years of research, the new edition presents a framework that enables school, district, and state leaders to develop more effective programs of family and community involvement. With the guidance and tools in this handbook, educators and parents—working together in preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools—can organize, implement, evaluate, and continually improve goal-linked partnership programs. The book is the manual for the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University.

Manuals for “Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork” (TIPS)
Epstein, J. L., Salinas, K. C., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (Revised 2001).

"Manuals for 'Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork' (TIPS)" highlights elementary math and science; middle grades language arts, science, and math, grades 6-8, and prototype interactive homework assignments. Baltimore: Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Johns Hopkins University.

" Interactive Homework CD for 'Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork' (TIPS)"
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/tips/index.htm
Van Voorhis, F. L. & Epstein, J. L. (2002). Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork: Interactive Homework CD. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships. Includes over 500 prototype assignments in math (grades k-5 and middle grades review), and language arts, and science (grades 6-8).

These three resources provide information and guidelines for educators to organize and implement the tested partnership process called Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) Interactive Homework in Math, Science, and Language Arts for the Elementary and Middle Grades. TIPS activities require students to talk to someone at home about something interesting that they are learning in class. Like all homework, TIPS activities are the students’ responsibility, but they are designed to engage all families in positive ways. Teachers communicate with parents through the homework activities and parents may comment or request information on the TIPS activities in a section for home-to-school communications. Also see the TIPS section on the NNPS Web site listed above.

Articles:

Theory Into Practice

Corno, L., and J. Xu. (2004). Homework as the Job of Childhood. Theory Into Practice 43: 227-233.

This article suggests that viewing homework as the job of the child casts new light on its potential to help develop a work ethic and important job management skills that are highly valued in the workplace. It also emphasizes homework's potential to further children's school advancement both individually and as part of the collective when the experience is positive.

Parental Involvement in Homework

Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., A. C. Battiato, J. M. Walker, R. P. Reed, J. M. Dejong, and K. P. Jones. (2001). "Parental Involvement in Homework". Educational Psychologist 36: 195-209.

Research on why parents become involved in their children’s homework, what strategies they employ, and how involvement contributes to student learning.

A Longitudinal Study of Mathematics Achievement

Van Voorhis, F. L. (in press/2011). "Adding Families to the Homework Equation: A Longitudinal Study of Mathematics Achievement."
This article takes a closer look at the relationship between families, homework and the impact on mathematics achievement. Education and Urban Society.

Family Help and Homework Management

Xu, J., and L. Corno. (2003) " Family Help and Homework Management Reported by Middle School Students." The Elementary School Journal 103: 503-537

The article discusses the findings of a study of rural middle school students, and it suggests directions for future research and practice related to homework management.

Resources:

Leadership on Partnerships
Leadership on partnerships is neither top down nor bottom up – but side by side. Top down mandates often are unpopular and punitive. Bottom-up decisions are often inequitable and unmanageable over the long term. Side-by-side—or shared—leadership at the district and school levels helps all participants learn from one another. Studies show, for example, that district leaders for partnership program development help schools improve the quality of their outreach to all families over and above what schools can do on their own. Partnership programs improve when principals, counselors, teachers, parents, and district and state leaders work together to plan, implement, and evaluate their efforts to engage all families in ways that support student success in school.

This document, developed by the California Department of Education and partners, helps school districts engage families in their children's education. The Framework describes 18 principles that are essential for family and community involvement with the school district. These principles are grouped into five action areas to: (1) help school districts build the skills and confidence of parents, (2) demonstrate leadership, (3) use resources, (4) monitor progress, and (5) ensure access and equity for everyone. Specific actions to engage families and the community are described for each principle, ranging from basic to progressive to innovative. The Framework is outlined in a way to help school districts evaluate their progress and plan for improvements.

District Leadership
http://www.corwin.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book229896&_requestid=399419
Epstein, J. L., et al., (2009). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Third edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

This handbook provides a framework for school, district, and state leaders to develop goal-linked partnership programs that contribute to student success in school (see the section on Develop a Partnership Program). District leaders for partnerships should read chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and the CD to build their expertise in guiding all elementary, middle, and high schools to strengthen and sustain their programs of family and community involvement.

Articles:

Addressing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Requirements for Parental Involvement

Epstein, J. L. (2008). "Research Meets Policy and Practice: How Are School Districts Addressing NCLB Requirements for Parental Involvement" ? Pp. 267-279 in A. R.
The article discuses seven principles in which school districts are addressing the NCLB requirements for parental involvement, by focusing on school, family, and community involvement.

NCLB and the Reduction of the Achievement Gap

Sadovnik et al. (eds.) (2007) No Child Left Behind and the Reduction of the Achievement Gap: Sociological Perspectives on Federal Educational Policy. NY: Routledge.

The book provides a sociological analysis of the NCLB and its effects on children, teachers, parents, and schools. It looks at a number of policy areas affected by the law - including accountability and assessment, curriculum and instruction, teacher quality, parental involvement, school choice, and urban education.

Levels of Leadership

Epstein, J. L., Galindo, C., & Sheldon, S. B. (In press/2011). "Levels of Leadership: Effects of District and School Leaders on the Quality of School Programs of Family and Community Involvement. "Educational Administration Quarterly.

This article discusses the importance of sociocultural and organizational theories in studying school improvement, and the implications for improving district and school policy and practice.

District Central Offices as Learning Organizations

Honig, M. I. (2008). "District Central Offices as Learning Organizations: How Sociocultural and Organizational Learning Theories Elaborate District Central Office Administrators’ Participation in Teaching and Learning Improvement Efforts." American Journal of Education, 114, 627-664.

This article discusses urban district central offices as “learning organizations”. Discussion of what activities are needed to create the “learning organizations”, along with conditions that help or hinder these activities, and raises questions for practitioners to consider in the context of their own work.

Unpacking the Challenges of Leadership

Leithwood, K., & Prestine, N. (2002). "Unpacking the Challenges of Leadership at the School and District Level." In J. Murphy (Ed.), " The Educational Leadership Challenge: Redefining Leadership for the 21st Century" (pp. 42-64). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

The article discusses the role that leadership plays in the accountability of school reform.

Using Diverse Data to Develop and Sustain School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Sanders, M. G. (2008). "Using Diverse Data to Develop and Sustain School, Family, and Community Partnerships: A District Case Study. Education Management, Administration, and Leadership," 36. 530-545.

This article discusses findings from a case study of district leadership for school, family, and community partnerships in a suburban district. It focuses on the role the district's family and community involvement specialist has in using different kinds of data to achieve a variety of goals that are linked to program growth, improvement, and sustainability.

Principals’ Roles
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book232145
Sanders, M. G., and S. B. Sheldon. (2009). Principals Matter: A Guide to School, Family, and Community Partnerships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Research shows that strong principal leadership is crucial for developing effective school partnerships that include diverse school, family, and community members. This book provides administrators with a clear road map for initiating partnership programs that are goal-focused, equitable, and sustainable.

Counselors’ Roles in Family and Community Involvement
http://schoolcounselor.metapress.com/content/m43p3776558h6216/fulltext.pdf

A special issue of Professional School Counseling (2010), the journal of the American School Counselor Association, includes several articles on "The Roles of School Counselors in Improving School, Family, and Community Partnerships".

School Counselors’ Roles
http://schoolcounselor.metapress.com/content/m6070358408g9227/fulltext.pdf

Epstein, J. L., and F. L. Van Voorhis. (2011). " School Counselors’ Roles in Developing Partnerships with Families and Communities for Student Success. " Professional School Counseling, 14, 1-14.

This article discusses a theoretical perspective, research results, and practical examples that support new roles for school counselors in strengthening school programs of family and community involvement.

Parent Liaisons’ Roles

Lewis, K. C. (2004). "Colleagues or Cultural Brokers: Instructional Aides’ Relationships with Teachers and Parents." School Community Journal , 14, 91–111.

This study looks at the role instructional aides have in the school community, by asking them about their relationships with teachers and parents; and about their status in schools. As well, suggestions are made on how to create stronger bonds among these partners in education.

Sanders, M. (2008). "How Parent Liaisons Can Help Bridge Home and School". Journal of Educational Research 101: 287-297.
The article discusses practical recommendations for districts seeking to establish or improve liaison programs to build stronger ties between schools and the families of all students.

Web sites: Improve Leadership on Partnerships

Families and Schools Together (FAST)
http://familiesandschools.org/

Founded by Dr. Lynn McDonald at the University of Wisconsin, FAST uses principles of social work to bring educators and parents together to improve the child’s well being, parental involvement in school, and the social connections among parents and with teachers. It starts with a series of monthly meetings that parents and children attend together focused on what parents can do to support their children’s learning (parenting skills) and to help students succeed in school (parent-teacher connections).

National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS)
http://www.partnershipschools.org

See this Web site (discussed in the section Develop A Partnership Program) for publications, professional development conferences, best practices, and other information.

NNPS Model for School, District, and State Leadership
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/type2/issue24/researchbrief-24.htm

See the section NNPS Model for school, district, and state leadership structures and processes. Also, see the following on Parent Liaisons’ Roles.
Parent Liaisons on Action Teams Help Bridge Home and School. (Research Brief, Type 2, #24, 2008).

The Role of Parent Liaisons
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/type2/issue22/Type2-Issue22-2.htm

"Parent Liaisons: What IS Their Role in Developing Partnership Programs?" (Issues and Insights, Type 2, #22, 2007)
The article discusses the ways in which schools can change the roles of parent liaisons for the better of the school community.

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools College of Education & Human Sciences (CEHS)
http://cyfs.unl.edu/index.shtml

The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS) conducts interdisciplinary research on the intellectual, behavioral, and social-emotional development of children and youth across contexts of home and school. Studies examine how learning and development are affected by the design, content, and interactions of the complex systems of the family, educators, and their interactions. Presently, studies are being conducted to understand and improve early childhood education, the health and well being of youth, rural education, and the effects of academic interventions and programs.

School Mental Health Project (SMHP) at UCLA
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu

SMHP conducts research and disseminates information on policies, programs, and practices that improve student learning and mental health. SMPH studies and advances policies and strategies that will reduce the fragmentation of school programs, support the mental health of students, and increase collaborations of educators, parents, and community leaders. In monthly e-newsletters, SMHP updates lists of published research, conferences, Web sites, and resources for educators and others working on school improvement, students’ achievement, family and community involvement, and mental health.

Resources:

Middle and High Schools
Family involvement changes as students proceed through the grades. Early studies focused on preschools and elementary schools. In the past ten years or so, more research has been conducted at the middle and high school levels. The studies indicate that age-appropriate and goal-linked programs and practices of family and community involvement contribute to students’ success through twelfth grade. There also are clear examples of activities that enable families to remain important influences in their teens’ education on important outcomes, such as attendance, homework completed, credits earned, on-time high school graduation, and plans for postsecondary education for college or careers.

Articles and Book Chapters:

School, Family, and Community Partnerships in the Middle Grades

Epstein, J. L. (2005). School, Family, and Community Partnerships in the Middle Grades. Pp. 77-96 in T. O. Erb, (Ed.). "This We Believe in Action: Implementing Successful Middle Level Schools." Westerville, OH: National Middle School Association.

Nicky Martinez, a South Carolina literacy coach, reviews this National Middle School Association book with sections from twenty-five authors prominent in middle-school education, outlining fourteen characteristics of successful middle schools.

Family and Community Involvement

Epstein, J. L. (2007). "Family and Community Involvement." Pp. 165-173 in K. Borman, S. Cahill, & B. Cotner (Eds.). The Praeger Handbook of American High Schools. Westport, CT: Praeger.

The article is about a five-year, multi-cohort, longitudinal study of the effects of the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) intervention model to increase and improve family and community involvement to support student achievement in reading, math, and science.

Parent Academic Involvement

Hill, N. E., Castellino, D. R., Lansford, J. E., Nowlin, P., Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., and Pettit, G. S. (2004). "Parent Academic Involvement as Related to School Behavior, Achievement, and Aspirations: Demographic Variations Across Adolescence." Child Development, 75, 1491-1509.
The article discusses a study on a longitudinal model of parent academic involvement, behavioral problems, achievement, and aspirations following students from 7th through 12th grade.

Family Involvement in Middle and High School

Kreider, H., Caspe, M., Kennedy, S., Weiss, H., (2007). "Family Involvement in Middle and High School Students’ Education." Research Brief, #3. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project.
The article discusses research that demonstrates how family involvement contributes to adolescents' learning and development.

Community Involvement in High Schools

Sanders, M. G. & Lewis, K. (2005) "Building Bridges Toward Excellence: Community Involvement in High Schools". High School Journal, 88 (3): 1-9.

The article discusses community partnership development in high schools. It provides information about the types of motivations for community partnerships at the high school level, and advice from school leaders about building these community connections.

High School Outreach and Family Involvement

Simon, Beth S. 2004. "High School Outreach and Family Involvement." Social Psychology of Education, 7, 185-209.
This article discusses a study that analyzed individual-level reports from parents about their perceptions of school outreach and of their own involvement. And that high schools' outreach positively and significantly predicted parents' involvement in a range of parenting, volunteering, and learning at home activities.

Interactive Homework in Middle School

Van Voorhis, F. L. (2003). "Interactive Homework in Middle School: Effects on Family Involvement and Students' Science Achievement." Journal of Educational Research, 96, 323-339.
The article discusses a study on teachers' use of interactive and non-interactive science homework assignments on family involvement in student achievement.

The Longitudinal Effects of Math and Language Arts Interventions

Van Voorhis, F. L. (2009). "Does Family Involvement in Homework Make a Difference? Investigating the Longitudinal Effects of Math and Language Arts Interventions." In the Journal of Advanced Academies.

The article discusses the schools need for interventions and programs to address and correct many of the homework problems that impact students, families, and teachers.

International Perspectives on Student Outcomes and Homework

Deslandes, R. (Ed.), "International Perspectives on Student Outcomes and Homework: Family-School-Community Partnerships." (pp. 141-156). New York, NY: Routledge.

This book provides a synthesis of the latest knowledge on homework. It approaches the topic of homework from several perspectives, including its political and cultural contexts, aspects of parental involvement and parent-child relationships, school contexts and practices, and observable impacts. It highlights homework-specific concerns and considers two principal solutions.

Resources:

Policy
Federal, state, district, and school policies clearly call for effective programs of family and community involvement. The challenge is to turn good policies into good practices. Educators at all policy levels want to know: How can all partners in children’s education help develop or revise and improve policies for family and community involvement? How can state, district, and school policies be well implemented and customized to meet the needs of different communities and diverse student and family populations? New guidelines and examples of clear and effective policies in states and districts are helping to address these questions.

Transforming Education in the Wake of the No Child Left Behind Act
http://www.appleseednetwork.org/Portals/0/Documents/
Publications/TransfomEduNoChildLeft.pdf
Appleseed. (2006). "It Takes a Parent: Transforming Education in the Wake of the No Child Left Behind Act." Washington, DC. Author.

This report explains how educators in six states and 18 school districts addressed NCLB recommendations and other state and local policies to engage parents as partners in education. To date, strong policies across locations tend to be weakly implemented. The report calls for more and swifter action to develop programs that fulfill policies to involve parents and the community in ways that increase students’ academic achievement and other school outcomes.

District and State Leadership for School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Epstein, J. L. (2009). "District and State Leadership for School, Family, and Community Partnerships." Pp. 235-273 in School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Third edition, by J. L. Epstein et al. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students' education, they have positive effects on student achievement and other indicators of success in school. Based on 25 years of research, the new edition presents a framework that enables school, district, and state leaders to develop more effective programs of family and community involvement. With the guidance and tools in this handbook, educators and parents—working together in preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools—can organize, implement, evaluate, and continually improve goal-linked partnership programs. The book is the manual for the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University.

Policy Implications

Epstein, J. L. (2011). "Applying research on School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Policy Implications." Pp. 299-386 in School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
This section examines how teachers and administrators can be prepared to create partnerships with families and communities through improved teacher education, administrative training, and other education of school professionals.

Developing and Sustaining School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Sanders, M. G. (2008). "Using Diverse Data to Develop and Sustain School, Family, and Community Partnerships: A District Case Study. Education Management, Administration, and Leadership" 36: 530-545.
This article discusses findings from a case study of district leadership for school, family, and community partnerships in a suburban district. It focuses on the role the district's family and community involvement specialist has in using different kinds of data to achieve a variety of goals that are linked to program growth, improvement, and sustainability.

Web sites: Develop Policies on Partnerships

The following states and districts have written clear and useful policies to encourage the development of effective partnership programs that involve all families in ways that support student success in school (Epstein, 2011).

See these Web sites for samples of state policies on parent/family and community involvement:

California
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/

Information resources for parents, family, and the community.

Connecticut
http://www.sde.ct.gov

Follow the path from "Parent and Community to Family and Community Involvement and Youth Development", to "School-Family-Community Partnerships." See newsletters called Schools and Families and related documents. Or, use the search box to find "School-Family-Community Partnerships".

Ohio
http://www.ode.state.oh.us

Use the search box to find "Family and Community Engagement". See the state’s collection of "Promising Practices" on the Web site.

West Virginia
http://wvde.state.wv.us

Follow links to "State Board and Policies" and to Policy 2200: "Parent, Family, and Community Involvement in Education".

Wisconsin
http://dpi.wi.gov

Select the "Divisions" option, then "Teams", and follow links to "Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning". Select "Community Learning" and "Partnerships" and then "Family-School-Community Partnerships".

See these Web sites for samples of district policies on parent/family and community involvement:

Anoka-Hennepin School District, MN
http://www.anoka.k12.mn.us

Select the "Parents" option and then, "Parent Involvement".

Buffalo Public Schools, NY
http://www.buffaloschools.org

Choose "Community Relations" and then "Family and Community Involvement".

Howard County Public Schools, MD
http://www.hcpss.org

Use the Search Box to find "Parent, Family, and Community Involvement".

Middletown Public Schools, CT
http://www.middletownschools.org

Select the "Board of Education" option and follow links to "Policies and By-Laws", then "Community Relations", and Policy #1110.1, and see the section on "Parent Resources".

Naperville Community School District 203, IL
http://www.naperville203.org/

Choose the "Parents and Students" option and then, "School, Family, Community Partnerships".

Pasco School District, WA
http://www.psd1.org

Choose "Families, and School and Family Partnerships".

Saint Paul Public Schools, MN
http://www.spps.org

Select the "Community" option, and then follow the links to "Office of Community Relations", and to "Family and Community Involvement".

You may find the policies for your state/district on the Internet.

National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE)
http://www.ncpie.org/

NCPIE, in Washington, DC, is an organization of parent, education, and advocacy organizations that work to improve family and community involvement in students’ education. The coalition meets monthly to discuss important issues, review policies and programs, monitor legislation, share information and ideas, and conduct collaborative projects to strengthen relationships of home, school, and community, and to increase the achievement and success of students at all grade levels.

National Network of Partnership Schools
http://www.partnershipschools.org

See this Web site for publications, professional development conferences, best practices, and other information. See the section NNPS Model for sample policies from schools, districts, and states in the network.

Resources:

Results for Students
The most important reason for developing more effective, more equitable, and more goal-linked programs of family and community involvement is to increase student learning and success in school. In the “old days,” schools thought only about the parents’ involvement. Now, because schools are accountable for students’ academic achievement, good behavior, and other indicators of success in school, the focus of family and community involvement is on results for students. This important new direction makes family and community involvement central for the success of all school reform efforts. The focus on results means that districts and schools have the responsibility for developing excellent partnership programs and for engaging parents and community partners in ways that support student learning and development.

This document, developed by the California Department of Education and partners, helps school districts engage families in their children's education. The Framework describes 18 principles that are essential for family and community involvement with the school district. These principles are grouped into five action areas to: (1) help school districts build the skills and confidence of parents, (2) demonstrate leadership, (3) use resources, (4) monitor progress, and (5) ensure access and equity for everyone. Specific actions to engage families and the community are described for each principle, ranging from basic to progressive to innovative. The Framework is outlined in a way to help school districts evaluate their progress and plan for improvements.

Children’s Literacy Development
http://www.allynbaconmerrill.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0205324371

Edwards, P. (2004). Children’s Literacy Development: Making It Happen Through School, Family, and Community Involvement. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

This book features strategies and examples of family involvement to help students in the elementary grades improve their reading skills and attitudes about reading.

The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement
http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/evidence.pdf

Henderson, A., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). "A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement." Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

The authors reviewed 51 studies on family involvement and student achievement conducted in the 1990s in diverse communities and at all grade levels—preschool through high school. They also reviewed research on the importance of school and community connections. The studies included experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational studies with statistical controls and carefully designed case studies. The evidence indicates that family and community connections with schools make a difference in student success. The common conclusions, across studies, set an important agenda for action.

Articles and Book Chapters:

Family, Neighborhood, and School Influences on Eighth Grade Mathematics Achievement

Catsambis, S., & Beveridge, A. A. (2001). "Does neighborhood matter? Family, Neighborhood, and School Influences on Eighth Grade Mathematics Achievement". Sociological Focus, 34, 435-457.

This paper explored ways by which neighborhoods and schools influence mathematics achievement on eighth grade students. Disadvantages at the neighborhood and school level up, affect students at risk, by influencing students and their achievement in mathematics directly and indirectly.

Parental Involvement and Students’ Academic Achievement

Fan, X., & Chen, M. (2001). "Parental involvement and students’ academic achievement: A meta-analysis". Educational Psychology Review, 13, 1–22.
This article is a summary of research on the importance of parental involvement in children's education. The results support the belief that parental involvement has a significant impact across various populations, and not only does voluntary parental involvement have an influence, but parental programs do as well. And teachers, principals, and school counselors should familiarize themselves with the facets of parental involvement that can help the most; so that they can guide parents on what steps they can take to become more involved.

The Relation of Parental Involvement to Urban Elementary School Student Academic Achievement

Jeynes, W. H. (2005). "A Meta-Analysis of the Relation of Parental Involvement to Urban Elementary School Student Academic Achievement." Urban Education, 40, 237-269.
The article discusses a meta-analysis of 41 studies, examining the relationship between parental involvement and the academic achievement of urban elementary school children.

Sheldon, S. B. (2009). "Improving Student Outcomes with School, Family, and Community Partnerships: A Research Review." Pages 40-56 in School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Third edition, by Epstein et al. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
This selection discusses how the methods of research on school, family, and community partnerships must continue to improve so that more detailed analyses can lead to more equitable outreach and involvement.

Web sites Results for Students: National Network of Partnership Schools
http://www.partnershipschools.org

Follow the links on this Web site to "Research and Evaluation". Select the "Publications List" and scroll down to "Results for Students" for research on "The Effects of Family and Community Involvement on Student Outcomes".

Resources:

Special Education
The field of special education led the way in engaging parents on purposeful activities such as working with teachers to plan their children’s educational programs, IEPs, transition plans, and learning activities at the appropriate level of challenge. Now, schools that serve students with special needs must build on past successes by developing comprehensive and integrated programs of family and community involvement that serve the whole school. Families with and without students with special needs create a “school community.” This means ensuring that families of students with special needs are represented on school committees and leadership teams, feel welcome at the school, are accommodated as needed to participate in school events and activities, and are guided on productive involvement at home. There still are some separate schools that serve only students with severe special needs. These schools must develop goal-linked programs of partnerships that support students’ success—just as any school must plan and implement an effective partnership program. The activities in each school’s One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships will be customized to meet students’ needs, interests, and targeted learning goals.

Engaging and Empowering Families in Secondary Transition
http://www.cec.sped.org/ScriptContent/Orders/ProductDetail.cfm?section=CEC_Store&pc=P5943
Wandry, D. & Pleet, A. (2009). Engaging and Empowering Families in Secondary Transition. Arlington VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

This book includes discussions and tools for assessing whether and how well families and educators work together during the school years to help students with disabilities attain positive postschool outcomes. The book explores how parents and teachers work together on the IEP process, on students’ learning and independence, as evaluators and decision makers, and more.

Web sites: Special Education

Beach Center on Disability
http://www.beachcenter.org/pbs/pbs_at_home/working_with_schools.aspx

Beach Center on Disability conducts research, examines policies, and prepares special education teachers and administrators for their work with students with special needs. One product, Family Research Toolkit, shares surveys and other measures for studies of families and students with special needs. The Center’s education and training includes attention to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supoorts (PBIS) programs and family involvement to support children with problem behaviors and strategies to increase teachers’ abilities to educate students with deaf-blindness.

National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
http://www.naset.org

National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) is a membership organization for special education teachers and those preparing for special education teaching. The Web site includes useful examples of handouts for parent-teacher conferences and other topics.

National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS)
www.partnershipschools.org

NNPS guides schools to engage all families, including those whose children have special needs. See this Web site (discussed in the section Develop A Partnership Program) for publications, professional development conferences, best practices, and other information.

Families of Children in Special Education Programs
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/type2/issue27/type2-issue27-4.htm
Sheldon, S. B. (2009). "Develop Partnerships that Support Families of Students with Special Needs." Type 2, #27, page 4.

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) / U.S. Department of Education
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA)

OSEP is the home base for information and resources which serve about 7 million children and youth with disabilities. IDEA includes important school and family connections to support students with special needs, including, but not limited to, the development and conduct of students’ Individual Education Programs (IEP).

Resources Related to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
http://idea.ed.gov

Look on this Web site for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations.

Resources:

Stories from the Field
Educators, parents, media, and the public need to see how strong goal-linked programs and practices are designed and implemented. If one school or district or state puts research to work in practice and describes the work clearly, others are more likely to take similar steps to develop their partnership programs. This section provides case studies and examples of hundreds of school, district, and state-level activities to welcome all families and engage families and community partners in ways that help students improve skills in reading, math, science, behavior, and postsecondary planning for college and careers, and other indicators of success in school.

Promising Partnership Practices
www.partnershipschools.org
Hutchins, D. J., et al. (2010). "Promising Partnership Practices 2010." Baltimore: National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.

Promising Partnership Practices is an annual collection of activities implemented by schools, districts, states, and organizations that are members of the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University. All members are working to implement research-based practices of family and community involvement linked to specific goals for students in reading, math, science, behavior, and postsecondary planning for college and careers. Presently, more than 900 involvement activities have been shared in books from 1998 to the present. Members of NNPS receive a print copy of each new book. See The Annual Collections of Practices online, in the section Success Stories.

How School Districts Promote Family Engagement

Westmoreland, H., Rosenberg, H. M., Lopez, M. E., & Weiss, H. (2009) "Seeing is Believing: Promising Practices for How School Districts Promote Family Engagement." Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project and National PTA.

School districts play important roles in guiding schools to develop programs of family and community involvement. This PTA and HFRP Issue Brief describes how some districts have developed and implemented policies for partnership programs in all schools as part of the district’s core mission. Case studies from districts in many parts of the country are featured that show how school, family, and community connections contribute to student success in school.

RELATED ISSUES:

Resources:

Improve Preservice and Advanced Education on Partnerships
For several decades, research articles on family and community involvement in schools have ended with a plea to improve preservice and advanced education so that teachers and principals enter their professions with knowledge and skills to work productively with students’ parents and with community partners. Courses, texts, supplementary readings, and formal syllabi are increasing the options for professors of education to prepare future teachers and administrators to understand that family and community involvement is an essential part of good school organization.

Preparing Educators and Improving Schools
http://www.westviewpress.com/book.php?isbn=9780813344478
Epstein, J. L. (2011). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools. Second Edition. Boulder, CO: Westview.

This textbook for preservice and advanced college courses includes chapters on theory, research, policy, and practice. The goal is to prepare future teachers and administrators to think about, talk about, and take action to develop comprehensive programs of family and community involvement linked to student success in school. Chapters include readings, discussion topics, activities, and projects help professors guide students in educational administration, methods of teaching, and related courses to understand new directions in research and in practice for developing effective partnership programs.

Preparing Educators to Engage Families
http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book233728?
Weiss, H. B., H. Kreider, M. E. Lopez, and C. M. Chatman-Nelson. (2009).
Preparing Educators to Engage Families: Case Studies Using an Ecological Systems Framework, Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

This book presents case studies on challenging situations in School, Family, and Community Partnerships. Based on child development theory, the cases help teachers consider responses that would support students and their families as they proceed through school. In particular, teachers need knowledge of real-world situations and culturally sensitive solutions to guide diverse families in how to help students succeed in school.

Articles:

Evaluation of a SFCP

Deslandes, R., H. Fourier, and L. Morin. (2008). "Evaluation of a School, Family, and Community Partnerships Program for Preservice Teachers in Quebec, Canada." Journal of Educational Thought 42: 27-52.
This article discusses a study that investigated the impact of the school, family, and community partnerships program. The study focused on Competency 9, one of the twelve professional competencies required of all preservice teachers by the Quebec Ministry of Education. Competency 9 states: "Co-operate with the school team, parents, various social partners, and students with a view to achieving the educational objectives of the school."

Epstein, J. L., and M. G. Sanders. (2006). "Prospects for Change: Preparing Educators for School, Family, and Community Partnerships." Peabody Journal of Education 81: 81–120.
This study explores the preparation of future teachers and administrators to conduct school, family, and community partnerships. The data suggest that leaders must be active change agents and team builders to guide their institutions to prepare future educators to conduct effective family and community involvement programs and practices.
Garcia, D. C. (2004). " Exploring Connections Between the Construct of Teacher Efficacy and Family Involvement Practices." Urban Education [ 39: 290-315.
This study explores the relationship between perceived teacher efficacy and specific practices of family involvement exhibited by 110 elementary school teachers from a large urban school district. The study raised questions related to the effective preparation of teachers in this area and the types of experiences that facilitate the development of teacher efficacy beliefs in the area of home-school and community partnerships.

Surveys for Research and Evaluation on Partnerships
Evaluation has been missing from most programs of family and community involvement. Schools may use “exit evaluations” to collect parents’ reactions to workshops. These serve a purpose, but do not help schools understand how well they have organized the components of their partnership programs or their progress in reaching out to families from year to year. Now, indicators and tested measures are available to enable districts and schools to access the quality and progress of partnership programs.
In addition, surveys for parents, teachers, and students in elementary, middle, and high schools are available with reliable subscales and tested items on attitudes and behaviors of family involvement for research studies, dissertations, and general needs assessments.

This document, developed by the California Department of Education and partners, helps school districts engage families in their children's education. The Framework describes 18 principles that are essential for family and community involvement with the school district. These principles are grouped into five action areas to: (1) help school districts build the skills and confidence of parents, (2) demonstrate leadership, (3) use resources, (4) monitor progress, and (5) ensure access and equity for everyone. Specific actions to engage families and the community are described for each principle, ranging from basic to progressive to innovative. The Framework is outlined in a way to help school districts evaluate their progress and plan for improvements.

Evaluate Programs of Partnership

Epstein, J. L. & Sheldon, S. B. (2009). "Evaluate Programs of Partnership: Critical Considerations." Pp. 309-323 in School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Third Edition, by J. L. Epstein et al. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
This article examines what works and what doesn’t among the different types of School, Family, and Community Partnerships.

Surveys for Research Studies

See the NNPS Web site
http://www.partnershipschools.org, for information on the following surveys and how to obtain them.

Questionnaires for teachers, parents, and students on school, family, and community partnerships were developed by NNPS researchers. The scales and measures have been used by professors, graduate students, and school districts to study current partnership practices in schools and families, attitudes, interests, and needed improvements in programs of family and community involvement, and to explore related research questions.

Surveys for the Elementary and Middle Grades

This packet contains:

Parent Survey on Family and Community Involvement

Sheldon, S. B. & Epstein, J. L. (2007). "Parent Survey on Family and Community Involvement in the Elementary and Middle Grades." Baltimore: Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Johns Hopkins University.

Student Survey on Family and Community Involvement

Sheldon, S. B. & Epstein, J. L. (2007). "Student Survey on Family and Community Involvement in the Elementary and Middle Grades." Baltimore: Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Johns Hopkins University.

Surveys and Summaries: Questionnaires for Teachers and Parents

Epstein, J. L. & Salinas, K. C. (1993) "Surveys and Summaries: Questionnaires for Teachers and Parents in the Elementary and Middle Grades." Baltimore: Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Johns Hopkins University.
Reliability statistics for all scales and summaries of measures.
CD with electronic copies of the 2007 surveys (only).

Parent surveys from 2007 are available in Spanish, on request.

The surveys for elementary and middle grades may be ordered from NNPS. Select the link below:
Survey Order Form

Surveys for High Schools

This packet contains:

Surveys for Teachers, Parents, and Students

Epstein, J. L., Connors-Tadros, L. & Salinas, K. C. (1993). "High School and Family Partnerships: Surveys for Teachers, Parents, and Students in High School." Baltimore: Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Johns Hopkins University.

Reliability statistics for all scales and summaries of measures.

The surveys for high schools may be ordered from NNPS. Select the link below:

Survey Order Form

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For questions regarding the Core Message Area: School, Family, and Community Partnerships, or Technical Assistance requests, please contact CalSTAT Project Assistant Director Lorie Fennell at 707-843-1199, or lorie.fennell@calstat.org.

Last updated: 04/23/2012