1. Goal-Linked Partnerships
Connecting Family and Community Involvement to
Goals for Student Learning and Success in School
Goal-Linked Partnerships
Virginia Department of Education
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Beach, September 19, 2016
Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D., Director
Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Working Together for Student Success
© 2016

2. How Can Educators and Parents
Strengthen and Sustain Healthy Schools
for Successful Students?
Let’s Review!
What do we mean by a HEALTHY SCHOOL?
We mean a safe and nurturing PLACE.
A welcoming school environment for ALL
A Partnership School
2. We mean a place that produces positive RESULTS
for students:
Academic Results
Physical Health
Emotional Growth
We must think in new ways about leadership
for partnerships at all policy levels.

3. EXCELLENT and SUCCESSFUL
Everyone wants
EXCELLENT and SUCCESSFUL
SCHOOLS and STUDENTS.
How will we reach these goals?
Excellent
Schools
Strong
Families
Healthy
Communities

4. School, family, and community partnerships
DEFINITION
THEN
Parent
involvement
NOW
School, family, and community partnerships

5. Organized by one person or just a few NOW
RESPONSIBILITY
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

6. Action Team for Partnerships (ATP)
2-3 teachers
2-3 parents/family members
Principal
Others (nurse, counselor, secretary,
parent liaison, community partners,
representative of PTA/PTO, others)
1-2 students at
high school level
Delmae Elementary School, SC
Park Middle School, WA
Wolcott Technical H.S., CT

7. What does an Action Team for Partnerships do?
ATP MEMBERS work together to . . .
Review school goals. Select 2 academic goals;
1 non-academic goal; and 1 goal for 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 for student learning and development.
Implement and evaluate the quality of the activities – outreach to families, responses, and results.
Continually improve partnership plans, program, and practices.

8. Incidental or accidental Part of comprehensive school Improvement
PROGRAM DESIGN
THEN
Incidental or accidental
Off to the side
NOW
Framework of
6 types of involvement
Goal-oriented
Part of comprehensive school Improvement

9. PARENTING COMMUNICATING VOLUNTEERING
Keys to School, Family, and Community Partnerships
FRAMEWORK OF SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT
Share ONE successful activity for one of these types
of involvement that YOU have seen in schools.
We will guess the type of involvement.
Type 1
PARENTING
Type 2
COMMUNICATING
Type 3
VOLUNTEERING 9

10. Keys to School, Family, and Community Partnerships
FRAMEWORK OF SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT
Share ONE successful activity for one of these types
of involvement that YOU have seen in schools.
We will guess the type of involvement.
Type 4
LEARNING AT HOME
Type 5
DECISION MAKING
Type 6
COLLABORATING
WITH THE COMMUNITY

11. Reach Results A Welcoming School Parents as Partners
Results for Students

12. Write an Annual Action Plan School Improvement Plan
for Partnerships
Linked to Goals for
Student Success
in the
School Improvement Plan

13. …AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXAMPLES
for a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships
to IMPROVE READING ACHIEVEMENT
READING GOAL
TYPE 1
Workshops for parents on various 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, ongoing read-with-me activities
TYPE 4
Family Reading Night to demonstrate reading strategies for parents and grade-specific activities to conduct with students at home
TYPE 5
PTA/PTO support for a family room or parent center to provide information on children’s reading, and to conduct book swaps,
make book bags for read-at-home programs, and sponsor other reading activities
TYPE 6
Donations from business partners of books for classrooms, for the school library, and for children to take home
…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT

14. TYPE 1 TYPE 2 TYPE 3 TYPE 4 TYPE 5 TYPE 6 MATH GOAL
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXAMPLES
for a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships
to IMPROVE MATH SKILLS
MATH GOAL
TYPE 1
Workshops for parents to explain new math standards and tests, and to demonstrate and discuss how math skills are taught to students
TYPE 2
Articles for parents in school or class newsletters or posted on the school Web site by students and math teachers on interesting math topics and skills
TYPE 3
Volunteer math tutors to assist students who need one-on-one tutoring and extra help with specific math skills
TYPE 4
Weekly interactive homework assignments for students to demonstrate mastery of a math skill for family partners and to discuss how each skill is used in everyday situations
TYPE 5
PTA/PTO-sponsored Family Math Night for fun and learning
TYPE 6
After-school programs funded by business and community partners to provide students with extra help and enrichment activities in math
…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT

15. TYPE 1 TYPE 2 TYPE 3 TYPE 4 TYPE 5 TYPE 6 ATTENDANCE GOAL
MIDDLE SCHOOL EXAMPLES
for a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships
to IMPROVE ATTENDANCE
ATTENDANCE GOAL
TYPE 1
“Attendance Summit” for parents on the importance of student attendance. Speakers may include school administrators, counselors, legal experts, teachers, health service providers, students, and family members
TYPE 2
Recognition postcards for good or improved attendance
TYPE 3
Family volunteers as attendance monitors
TYPE 4
Interactive homework for students and family partners to create a poster about why good attendance is important
TYPE 5
PTA/PTO communications, translated as needed, for all families on requirements for student attendance and on-time arrival, and steps
to take when students return to school after illness
TYPE 6
Agreement with local businesses to post signs that students are welcome only during nonschool hours
…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT

16. TYPE 1 TYPE 2 TYPE 3 TYPE 4 TYPE 5 TYPE 6 HIGH SCHOOL EXAMPLES
for a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships
to IMPROVE POSTSECONDARY PLANNING
COLLEGE & CAREER GOAL
TYPE 1
Workshops for parents and students on course credits and requirements for high school graduation, college financial aid, college entry tests, and career planning
TYPE 2
Series of videos for families to learn about high school graduation requirements and postsecondary planning
TYPE 3
Field trips for students and parents to local colleges and universities
TYPE 4
Interactive homework that requires students to discuss their academic goals and career plans with a family partner and to
outline strategies for reaching these goals
TYPE 5
A postsecondary planning committee of parents, teachers, and students to implement a series of activities on college awareness
and career options from 9th to 12th grade
TYPE 6
“College and Careers” club linking students and families with alumni from the school to increase knowledge and actions on postsecondary paths and opportunities
…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT

17. TYPE 1 TYPE 2 TYPE 3 TYPE 4 TYPE 5 TYPE 6
EXAMPLES—Tailor to All Grades
for a One-Year Action Plan
to IMPROVE STUDENT HEALTH
TYPE 1
Workshops and parent support groups to discuss questions
and best practices for student health, nutrition, and safety
TYPE 2
Articles for parents in the school newsletter or on the school
website by students and teachers on health tips and topics
TYPE 3
Volunteers to offer dance, aerobics, Tae Kwon Do, karate, yoga,
walk-a-thons, team sports, and other activities before school,
at lunch, after school, and/or on weekends
TYPE 4
Interactive homework assignments for students to discuss health topics with a family partner (e.g., linked to science units on bodily systems, disease prevention, physical education, and other topics
TYPE 5
PTA- or PTO- sponsored activities and information for health
and safety
TYPE 6
Community Fair with health professionals from organizations and
agencies to help families and students learn about health services
in the community, conduct health screenings, address questions
…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT
See NNPS books, Promising Partnership Practices and SAMPLERS.

18. MAKE THE CONNECTION Pair-Share Activity ______________________
Work with a partner.
IDENTIFY a GOAL for improving student achievement or behavior.
THEN, list one FAMILY or COMMUNITY engagement activity
that might help students attain THIS GOAL.
Teachers work on THIS goal
for student attendance,
achievement, or behavior:
______________________
One family or community engagement
activity to help students reach
THIS goal is:
_____________________________
WHY might this involvement activity help students reach THIS goal
for attendance, achievement, or behavior?
___________________________________________
Epstein, J. L. (2016). Workshop Activity: Goal-Linked Engagement Activities.
Baltimore, MD: National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.

20. Goal-Oriented PLAN for Partnerships Action Team for Partnerships
School Improvement Team or Council
Writes or Approves School Improvement Plan
with Specific Goals and Objectives for Student Success
Action Team for
Partnerships
Writes a One-Year Action Plan for family and community involvement linked to the goals in the School Improvement Plan
Academic Goal READING
Page 1 of Plan
Academic Goal MATH
Page 2 of Plan
Behavioral Goal ATTENDANCE
Page 3 of Plan
Partnership Goal
Welcoming Climate
Page 4 of Plan
Family & Community Involvement Activities 1. 2. 3. 4.
Family & Community Involvement Activities 1. 2. 3. 4.
Family & Community Involvement Activities 1. 2. 3. 4.
Family & Community Involvement Activities 1. 2. 3. 4.

21. Establish an Action Team for Partnerships (ATP).
LET’S REVIEW
Which components are needed for a strong and sustainable SCHOOL program of family and community engagement?
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 partnership program each year.
District, state, and organization leaders for partnerships
guide schools in this work.

22. Help is available from NNPS at Johns Hopkins University
A network can help!
Research-based tools, training, publications, and on-going studies.
On-going technical assistance from NNPS Facilitators by phone, , monthly e-briefs, website, newsletters.
Coordinated planning and evaluation tools to meet Title I requirements for family involvement.
Networking opportunities to share best practices with hundreds of schools, districts, states, and organizations across the country.

23. NNPS PUBLICATIONS From Corwin Press From Corwin Press 2009
From Eye on Education
2012
3rd Edition 2009
From Eye on Education
2nd Edition, 2015
TEXT, SECOND EDITION Westview Press-2011

24. MORE NNPS PUBLICATIONS SAMPLERS
FROM NNPS 2016
FROM NNPS 2013
FROM NNPS TIPS
Interactive Homework
Elem Math K-5
Middle Grades
Language Arts 6-8
Science 6-8
See TIPS RESOURCES
on the
NNPS website
SAMPLERS
Research and
Involvement Activities
READING, MATH
SCIENCE, WRITING
ARTS, HEALTH,
ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOR, HOMEWORK, TRANSITIONS, FATHERS
COLLEGE and CAREERS,
PRESCHOOLS,
MIDDLE SCHOOLS,
HIGH SCHOOLS

25. Q & A? What questions do you have about . . .
. . . linking family and community engagement activities to specific school improvement goals?

26. Baltimore, Maryland jepstein@jhu.edu
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. (2016). Baltimore, MD: National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS)
at Johns Hopkins University.