PARTNERSHIPSTHEN and NOW

From Expectations to Action:

Improving Programmes of School, Family, and Community Partnerships for Student Success

Great Expectations: Parental Involvement—the Key to a Child’s Success

Dublin, IrelandJune 15, 2013

Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D., Director© Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Working Together for Student Success

How Can Educators and Parents STRENGTHEN and SUSTAIN

HEALTHY SCHOOLS?

What do we mean by a HEALTHY SCHOOL?

1. We mean a safe and nurturing PLACE.

• A welcoming school environment for ALL• A Partnership School• A “family-like” school and “school-like” families• An EXCELLENT school that students, teachers, parents, and others WANT to attend and support

• Other ideas. . .?

What do we mean by a Healthy School?2. We mean a place that produces positive RESULTS and helps students develop to their full potential.

Academic Results Intellectual Development Curricular and Other AchievementS Commitment to Role of Student High Graduation Rate/Low

Dropout College and Career Plans

Physical Health Good Nutrition, Exercise Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco,

and Drug Use/Abuse Good Attendance

Emotional Growth Positive Attitudes about School Self Concept, Behavior,

Good Relationships with Friends, Family, Teachers

Appreciation of OthersOther RESULTS for students?

Everyone wants EXCELLENT and SUCCESSFUL

SCHOOLS and STUDENTS.

How will we reach these goals?

Not only THAT partnerships contribute to good schools and successful students

But also WHAT is needed in an excellent partnership programme?

and… HOW to organize and sustain high-quality and effective programmes of family and

community involvement.

What is important to know about school, family, and community partnerships?

We must think in new ways about leadershipfor school-based partnership programmes?

THEN

Parent

involvement

NOW

School, family, and community

partnerships

DEFINITION

THEN

Up to parents

Organized by one person or

just a few

NOW

Part of school and classroom

organization

Organized byAction Team for

Partnerships

RESPONSIBILITY

Action Team Structure

Pasco High School Pasco, Washington, 2011

2-3 teachers 2-3 parents/family members Principal Others (nurse, counselor, community partners)

1-2 students at high school level

9

What does an Action Team for Partnerships do?

Delmae Elementary SchoolFlorence, SC 2012

ATP MEMBERS work together to . . . • Review school goals. Select 2 academic goals; 1 non-academic

goal; and goal to ensure a welcoming school climate.

• Write a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships to involve families and the community in ways that contribute to the selected goals and student learning and development.

• Implement and evaluate the quality of the activities – outreach to families, responses, and results.

• Continually improve partnership plans and practices.

Action Team for Partnerships

School Improvement Teamor School Council

ACTION TEAM forPARTNERSHIPS

Improve Reading

PRACTICES from SIX TYPESto meet this goal

Create a Climatefor Partnerships

PRACTICES from SIX TYPESto meet this goal

Improve Student

Behavior

PRACTICES from SIX TYPESto meet this goal

Improve Math

PRACTICES from SIX TYPESto meet this goal

Academic goal Academic goal Non-Academic goal Partnership goal

THEN

Incidental or accidental

Off to the side

NOW

Framework of 6 types of

involvement

Goal-oriented

Part of comprehensive

school Improvement

PROGRAMME DESIGN

Framework of Six Types of Involvement

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Keys to School, Family, and Community PartnershipsEPSTEIN’s FRAMEWORK OF SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT

PARENTINGUnderstand child development. Educators know families.

COMMUNICATINGTwo-way. On school programmes and children’s progress.

VOLUNTEERINGAt school, in class, at home, and as audiences.

LEARNING AT HOMEConnections on homework, course choices, other talents.

DECISION MAKINGAll major groups represented on school committees.

COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITYResources and volunteers from many groups, agencies.

Type 1

Type 2

Type 6

Type 5

Type 4

Type 3

Solve Challenges to Involve ALL

Families

CHALLENGESNOW

“Realities” Solutions sought

Solutions found Solutions shared

Strengths model and prevention programmes

THEN “Barriers” Diverse family structures, racial, economic, linguistic, cultural backgrounds

Mobile, migratory, or homeless families.

Deficit model and treatment programs

THEN

PreK-K

Separate groups of parents

Isolated activities

NOW

All grades, PreK-12

Integrate all groups,Including Special

Education, Language Learners, and others

Sense of community

IMPLEMENTATION

IMPLEMENTATION

THEN

School by school

decisions

NOW

Multi-level leaders: School,

District or Region Organization,and National

Implement official policies

on family involvement

“Nested” networks

LEADERSHIP to guide or “shepherd” school teams

Leadership-LEVEL ACTIVITIES

FACILITATION of SCHOOL TEAMS

PARTNERSHIPPROGRAMME

GOALS

A Leader or “Shepherd” for Partnerships conducts. . .

Reach Results

THEN

Parent outcomes

Public relations

Focus on a few parent leaders

NOW

Student achievement and success in school

Link practices to results for all

students, parents, teachers, and

community

RESULTS

Annual, Written Action Plans

for Partnerships

Linked to Goals for Student

Success

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXAMPLEfor a One-Year Action Planto IMPROVE READING ACHIEVEMENTTYPE 1 Workshops for parents on ways to read aloud

with young children

TYPE 2 Parent-teacher-student conferences on reading goalsand reading progress

TYPE 3 Reading-partner volunteers, guest readers of favorite stories, and other organized read-with-me activities

TYPE 4 Weekly interactive reading homework for students to read aloud with a family partner, show links of reading and writing. Family Reading Night at school for ideas to use at home. Parent Organization conducts book swaps, makes book bags for read-at-home books, and sponsors other reading activitiesTYPE 5

Donations from business partners of books for classrooms,for the school library, or for children to take homeTYPE 6

…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT

Apply six types to improve outcomes: ACHIEVEMENT (in SPECIFIC subjects). ATTENDANCE, ATTITUDES, BEHAVIOR, COLLEGE/CAREER

PLANNING.

Evaluate Results

THEN

Minimal orOptional

Focus on parents

NOW

Essential

Evaluate quality, results, and progress of

programs and practices

Focus on student achievement and success in school

EVALUATION

THEN

Success stories shared locally,

if at all

NOW

Success stories shared

nationally and internationally

to benefit all

“Networking”to improve

programmes

NETWORKING

THEN

Labels for HAVE and

HAVE NOTs,

“Blame game”

Finger-pointing

NOW

ACTIONS to involve ALL

families

Communicatein languages

parentsunderstand

EQUITY ISSUES

BUDGETS for PARTNERSHIPS

THEN

$$ Not well allocated

Fragmentedspending

NOW

$$ For goal-linked

activities inschools’ annual plans to engage

all families

Capacity building and programme

development

PAIR-SHARE ACTIVITYTell your “elbow” partner:

WHICH CHANGE from THEN to NOW is most important for improvingYOUR school’s programme of

family and community involvement? and WHY?

EQUITY—

Engage

ALL

Families

All Grade

LevelsFramework- 6

Types

ACTION TEAMPRINCIPAL

LEADERSHIP

LINK to SCH

GOALS

EVALUATION

Networking

Budgeting

RESULTS

for

STUDENT

S

Definition

DISTRICT

LEADERSHIP

Which components are needed for excellentSCHOOL-BASED programmes of partnership?

Establish an Action Team for Partnerships (ATP). Write an Action Plan for Partnerships

each year linked to school improvement goals. Use the Framework of Six Types of Involvement

so that parents become involved in varied ways. Allocate a budget for planned activities.

Allocate time for monthly meetings of the ATP.

Evaluate and improve the quality of the partnership programme each year.

LET’S REVIEW

30

NNPS PUBLICATIONS

THIRD EDITION! Corwin Press Corwin Press Eye on Education

TEXT for Teacher Preparation Westview Press-2011

Eye on Education

31

FROM NNPS2012

FROM NNPS NEW 2012

MORE NNPS PUBLICATIONS

FROM NNPS TIPS

SAMPLERSResearch and Involvement Activities in

READING, MATH SCIENCE,

ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOR

COLLEGE and CAREER and guides for PRESCHOOL MIDDLE SCH HIGH SCHOOL

Interactive Homework

Elem Math K-5Middle Grades

Language Arts 6-8 Science 6-8

See TIPS RESOOURCES

on the NNPS website

2012

Q & A?

What questions do YOU have about . . .

. . . using research-based approaches to strengthen programmes of school, family, and community partnerships?

. . . YOUR next steps for taking new directions in organizing goal-linked programmes of family and community involvement?

For more information visit NNPS at

www.partnershipschools.org

Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland

jepstein@jhu.edu

© Epstein, J. L. (2013). Baltimore, MD: National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.

To go from

GREAT EXPECTATIONS to ACTION ...

expert leaders must guide and encourage schools to IMPROVE, EVALUATE, and SUSTAIN

goal-linked partnership programmes.

Who will guide, assist, and encourage schools in IRELAND to form teams, plan programs, and engage all families in children’s education?

1. NPC – National Parents Council – Primary2.3. Others ??4.