PARTNERSHIPS THEN 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, Ireland June 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 Others Other 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 leadership for 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 by Action Team for Partnerships RESPONSIBILITY

Action Team Structure Pasco High School Pasco, Washington, 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 School Florence, 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 Team or School Council ACTION TEAM for PARTNERSHIPS Improve Reading PRACTICES from SIX TYPES to meet this goal Create a Climate for Partnerships PRACTICES from SIX TYPES to meet this goal Improve Student Behavior PRACTICES from SIX TYPES to meet this goal Improve Math PRACTICES from SIX TYPES to meet this goal Academic goal Non-Academic goalPartnership 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

13 Keys to School, Family, and Community Partnerships EPSTEIN’s FRAMEWORK OF SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT PARENTING Understand child development. Educators know families. COMMUNICATING Two-way. On school programmes and children’s progress. VOLUNTEERING At school, in class, at home, and as audiences. LEARNING AT HOME Connections on homework, course choices, other talents. DECISION MAKING All major groups represented on school committees. COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY Resources and volunteers from many groups, agencies. Type 1 Type 2 Type 6 Type 5 Type 4 Type 3

Solve Challenges to Involve ALL Families

CHALLENGES NOW “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

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 PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME 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 EXAMPLE for a One-Year Action Plan to IMPROVE READING ACHIEVEMENT TYPE 1 Workshops for parents on ways to read aloud with young children TYPE 2 Parent-teacher-student conferences on reading goals and 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 activities TYPE 5 Donations from business partners of books for classrooms, for the school library, or for children to take home TYPE 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 or Optional 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 Communicate in languages parents understand EQUITY ISSUES

BUDGETS for PARTNERSHIPS THEN $$ Not well allocated Fragmented spending NOW $$ For goal-linked activities in schools’ annual plans to engage all families Capacity building and programme development

PAIR-SHARE ACTIVITY Tell your “elbow” partner: WHICH CHANGE from THEN to NOW is most important for improving YOUR school’s programme of family and community involvement? and WHY? EQUITY— Engage ALL Families All Grade Levels Framework- 6 Types ACTION TEAM PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP LINK to SCH GOALS EVALUATION Networking Budgeting RESULTS for STUDENTS Definition DISTRICT LEADERSHIP

Which components are needed for excellent SCHOOL-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 Eye on Education TEXT for Teacher Preparation Westview Press-2011 Eye on Education

31 FROM NNPS 2012 FROM NNPS NEW 2012 MORE NNPS PUBLICATIONS FROM NNPS TIPS SAMPLERS Research 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-5 Middle 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 Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland © 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 – Primary Others ?? 4.