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School, Family, and Community Partnerships
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School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Your Handbook for Action

Third Edition


376 pages | Corwin

"It's all here—everything you need to start, sustain, and grow an effective, research-based partnership program. With the addition of a CD-ROM, the essential tools are even more accessible, portable, and adaptable to the challenges and opportunities facing our schools."
—Joe Munnich, Family and Community Involvement Coordinator
Saint Paul Public Schools, MN

"Useful for state leaders as well as districts and schools for organizing sustainable partnership programs to support student learning. We use the Handbook to provide training to school teams, parent leaders, school boards, superintendents, and their cabinets across California."
—Jeana Preston, Director, California Parent Center
San Diego State University Research Foundation

Build partnerships with families and the community to promote equity and student success!

When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students' education, they can make a positive impact on student achievement. Based on 25 years of research, this updated edition of a bestseller details a framework that enables school, district, and state leaders to develop more effective programs for family and community involvement.

A team of well-known experts shows how to create Action Teams for Partnerships and train team members in planning and implementing partnership activities to reach school goals. Educational leaders will also learn how teams can mobilize community resources, resolve challenges to reach all families, evaluate program results, and continue to improve plans and practices over time. This practical handbook includes:

  • New examples of successful partnership activities
  • Increased attention to connecting family/community involvement to goals for student success
  • New inventories that define leadership roles
  • A CD-ROM with forms and a PowerPoint presentation for workshops, with Spanish translations of selected reproducibles

The comprehensive third edition of School, Family, and Community Partnerships demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-oriented programs.

 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Introduction
 
1. A Comprehensive Framework
1.1 School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Caring for the Children We Share

 
1.2 Community Involvement in School Improvement: The Little Extra That Makes a Big Difference

 
1.3 Improving Student Outcomes With School, Family, and Community Partnerships: A Research Review

 
 
2. Use the Framework to Reach School Goals: Stories From the Field
Type 1- Parenting

 
Type 2- Communicating

 
Type 3- Volunteering

 
Type 4- Learning at Home

 
Type 5- Decision Making

 
Type 6- Collaborating With the Community

 
 
3. Take an Action Team Approach
Organizing an Effective Action Team for Partnerships: Questions and Answers

 
Ten Steps to Success in School, Family, and Community Partnerships

 
Checklist: Are You Ready?

 
Who Are the Members of the Action Team for Partnerships?

 
First ATP Meeting of the Year

 
Communication Ground Rules

 
What Do Successful Action Teams for Partnerships Do?

 
Annual Review of Team Processes

 
 
4. Conduct Workshops
One-Day Team Training Workshop

 
End-of-Year Celebration Workshop

 
 
5. Select Materials for Presentations and Workshops
Charts: Program Components for Workshops: What Do We Know From U.S. and International Studies of Family and Community Involvement?

 
Theoretical Model of Overlapping Spheres of Influence

 
Keys Successful Partnerships

 
Summary Charts for Six Types of Involvement: Practices, Challenges, and Results

 
Reach Results for Students in Elementary Schools

 
Action Teams for Partnerships Structures

 
Members of the Action Team for Partneships

 
How Does an ATP Differ From the School Improvement Team or School Council?

 
Small Group Activities for Workshops

 
Workshop Warm-Ups

 
Starting Points: An Inventory of Present Practices

 
Jumping Hurdles

 
Reach a Goal for Student Success Using the Six Types of Involvement

 
School Goals and Results of Partnerships

 
Get Ready for Action

 
How to Organize Your Action Team for Partnerships

 
One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships: Form G-Goals or Form T-Types

 
Workshop Evaluations

 
 
6. Strengthen Partnership Programs in Middle and High Schools
6.1 Improving School, Family, and Community Partnerships in Middle and High Schools

 
6.2 Predictors and Effects of Family Involvement in High School

 
6.3 A Goal-Oriented Approach to Partnership Programs in Middle and High Schools

 
Reach Middle and High School Goals Through Partnerships

 
Why Partnerships Are Important in Middle and High Schools

 
Special Considerations for Middle and High Schools

 
 
7. Develop District and State Leadership for Partnerships
District and State Leadership for School, Family,and Community Partnerships

 
Funding Levels and Sources of Funds

 
Resources for District Leaders: Lead and Succeed: An Inventory of District Leadership and Facilitation Strategies

 
District Leadership Roles

 
District Leadership Checklist

 
Sample: District Leadership Action Plan for Partnerships

 
What Do Facilitators Do?

 
Facilitators’ Tasks at the Start of the School Year

 
Resources for State Leaders: States Lead and Succeed: An Inventory for Leadership on Partnerships

 
State Leadership Roles

 
State Leadership Checklist

 
Sample: State Leadership Action Plan for Partnerships

 
Resources for District and State Leaders: Template for Districts and States: Leadership Action Plan for Partnerships

 
Standards for Excellent Partnership Programs

 
Leadership and Facilitation Strategies for District and State Leaders of Partnerships

 
Sample Pledges, Compacts, or Contracts

 
Standards for Excellent Partnership Programs

 
 
8. Implement Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS)
TIPS Interactive Homework

 
Ten Purposes of Homework

 
Sample TIPS Interactive Homework Activities

 
Volunteers in Social Studies and Art

 
Sample TIPS Social Studies and Art Presentation

 
 
9. Evaluate Your Partnership Program
Evaluate Programs of Partnership: Critical Considerations

 
Built-In Evaluations of Program Quality

 
Simple to Complex Evaluations

 
Measure of School, Family, and Community Partnerships

 
Annual Evaluation of Activities: Form G-Goals and Form T-Types

 
 
10. Network With Others for Best Results on Partnerships
National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS)

 
Network Web Site, www.partnershipschools.org

 
 
Index
 
Ordering Information
 
Handbook CD

"It’s all here—everything you need to start, sustain, and grow an effective, research-based partnership program. With the addition of a CD-ROM, the essential tools are even more accessible, portable, and adaptable to the challenges and opportunities facing our schools."

Joe Munnich, Family and Community Involvement Coordinator
Saint Paul Public Schools, MN

“The link between successful partnership programs and student achievement is supported by research. This book provides the tools you need to establish and sustain partnerships, both on the district and school levels. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to organize an outstanding partnership program to enhance student success.”

Melissa T. McQuarrie, Director of Community Relations
Virginia Beach City Public Schools, VA

"Useful for state leaders as well as districts and schools. It provides a research-based yet practical blueprint for organizing sustainable partnership programs to support student learning. We use the Handbook to provide training to school teams, parent leaders, school boards, superintendents, and their cabinets across California."

Jeana Preston, Director, California Parent Center
San Diego State University Research Foundation

“This practical handbook offers a wealth of resources not only for those who are starting to organize their work, but also for those who are sustaining their programs of school, family, and community partnerships. You can make the guidelines fit your district’s needs.”

Lorraine Landon, Director, Parent Education Center Coordinator
Pasco School District, WA

"This is the ‘bible’ of parent engagement literature. The Handbook gives step-by-step examples of strategic planning for partnership programs and practices that lead to student success.”

Dave Guzman, Director, Parent Engagement
Fort Worth Independent School District, TX

"The third edition is loaded with practical tools, researched-based strategies, and helpful examples for anyone wanting to implement or improve goal-linked programs of family and community involvement. A standout feature is the new CD-ROM, which provides everything needed for successful workshops—a great time-saver!”

Jean West Lewis, Family and Community Outreach Specialist
Howard County Public Schools, MD

This book provided a useful guide for my students to begin conceptualizing and initiating community and school partnerships. It was well received by the students who appreciated it's practicality and resource materials.

Dr Katherine Bertolini
Teacher Education Dept, South Dakota State University
April 21, 2014

Excellent handbook, but did not meet my needs for the class.

Dr Gregory Hicks
Leadership, Policy, and Adult and Higher Education, North Carolina State University
August 25, 2012

Content is directly relevant to the course. It is written at an appropriate level for graduate students.

Professor Cheryl Baker
College of Graduate Studies, Plymouth State University
June 18, 2012

The handbook offers educators a combination of practical ideas and scholarly articles. The CD offered valuable additions to the text.

Dr Anne Seitsinger
School Of Education, University of Rhode Island
December 8, 2010

The Third Edition of this Handbook, like previous editions, draws upon work conducted with thousands of educators and families over the past five years. It includes new and improved research summaries, tools, and guidelines for leaders in schools, districts, states, and organizations to increase their knowledge and skills in developing their partnership programs. This edition includes:

  • New article on how partnership practices help produce specific results for students (Chapter 1)
  • New examples of successful partnership activities in elementary, middle, and high schools. (Chapter 2)
  • Improved workshop agendas and activities, with increased attention to connecting family and community involvement to goals for student success (Chapters 4 and 5)
  • New inventories to guide district leaders and state leaders in developing their leadership roles and actions on partnerships. (Chapter 7)
  • New chapter on how to evaluate school-base partnership programs and updated evaluation forms and guidelines (Chapter 9)
  • Clearer guidelines and updated references in all chapters.
  • A CD (attached) with a PowerPoint presentation for team-training workshops, and electronic copies of all workshop handouts, activities, planning forms, and evaluations. The CD also includes Spanish translations of selected materials for Latino parents who participate in workshops and in other audiences.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Introduction

Chapter 1