Background and Resources for Our Chat
about Working with Parents, Families and Communities



School-family expert Anne Henderson joined us for a conversation about schools, parents, families and communities on July 31-August 1, 2003. Read a transcript of the conversation here.

These are the resources provided in preparation for the chat.

Click here to read a sample of the parent/school conversation we had in late April. I shared this sample with Anne. It's rich with good questions.

Try This Family and Community Engagement Self-Assessment (PDF file)
This one-page assessment is based on the research review by Anne, titled A New Wave of Evidence.

Peruse some of these resources from the National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools.

"What Do We Mean by Family and Community Connections with Schools," a research brief from the National Center, offers a concise summary of NCFCCS's "take" on school/family partnerships.

Read key findings from Anne's review of research on parent/family/school connections


Resources suggested by Chris Kingsbury

Parent Power at the Middle Level

This article offers concise tips for principals and schools on engaging middle-level parents. At NAESP's Middle Matters online website. By Margaret Sagarese and Charlene C. Giannetti, authors of The Roller Coaster Years: Raising Your Child Through the Maddening Yet Magical Middle School Years.

The PASS Project: Engaging Middle-Grades Parents in San Diego, CA by Ruth Galm, Program Associate: Program for Student Achievement, The Edna McDonnell Clark Foundation (Jan 2003)

This report documents the history of the Parents Alliance for School Standards (PASS), a community organization created to help parents of middle grades students in the San Diego public schools support the academic success of their children, as well as details several lessons that can be gained from the experience of PASS. (190k PDF file)

Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence

One of a series of pamplets for parents, prepared by the U.S. Department of Education. Available in Word format or in a colorful PDF file. Go to this page to download, or read on the Web in HTML.

A Lot Easier Said Than Done: Parents talk about raising children in today's America

This report by Public Agenda, the non-profit polling/research company, shares the views of parents about raising children in contemporary American society. Valuable insights for educators.

Background about Anne Henderson


Anne Henderson is an Education Policy Consultant and an expert in parent and family engagement. Anne consults to school districts, state and national organizations, and research associations on projects and studies relating to federal, state, and local education policy, especially in parent and community involvement.

Anne has written numerous articles, reports and books, including A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement (1994) and, with various co-authors, Learning From Others: Good Programs and Successful Campaigns (1996) and Beyond the Bake Sale: An Educator's Guide to Working with Parents (1986) and Urgent Message: Families Crucial to School Reform (1999), and well as her recent reports for the National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools. She has worked with the Center for Law and Education, The Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (KY), the National Committee for Citizens in Education, the International Meditation Society, the New Jersey Department of Education, the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Anne has a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and master's degree in Political Science from the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University.

Articles of interest on the Web:

Unlocking Parent Potential, by Beverly N. Raimondo and Anne Henderson, Principal Leadership (September 2001).

The Power of Parent Partnership (includes a rubric for parent involvement projects), by By Anne T. Henderson, Karen Jones, and Beverly Raimondo, Our Children: The National PTA Magazine (April 1999).

Parents Are Powerful is a 16-page guide for parents who want to become more active in their child's education. Available in English and Spanish for $2. A single copy can be downloaded from the Web at the Disney parent resources page.

What do we mean by
"family and community connections with schools?"



Research Brief
November 2002
National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools

When some people think of family involvement, they think of parents volunteering in their child's classroom and attending parent-teacher conferences. The reality is that schools, families, and communities can connect in many different ways to support students. Connections can take place at the school, in the family's home, and out in the community. School-community connections can include school events sponsored by local businesses, immunizations provided on school campuses by a local health department, or a retired citizen who volunteers as a reading tutor. In addition, schools can play a crucial role in the community, serving as an important partner to improve the lives of children and their families.

Many people have good intentions in trying to make connections between the school, families, and the community. They are disappointed when their efforts don't always result in the kinds of positive outcomes they are hoping for. One of the challenges about understanding school, family, community connections is that different kinds of connections can have very different results (Fan & Chen, 1999). Many forms of "at-school" connections, such as attending school meetings and student performances, don't necessarily have a strong impact on student achievement. However, they can be valuable in other ways, as they increase communication and understanding among school staff, family members, and community partners.

Understanding that connections have many dimensions can also help explain why some of the research seems to contradict itself about what difference these connections can make. As we create partnerships and programs, it is important to understand what kinds of connections make what kinds of impact. Then we can be deliberate about making connections that will support the specific results we want to achieve.

We should also make sure that the connections we make will meet the goals of all of the partners involved. Research has shown that educators, community partners, and parents often have very different ideas of what role parents should play in their child's education. Connections that meet the school's needs, such as a booster club fundraiser, may not be important to parents who want to learn ways to help their children prepare for college. Meeting the goals of all partners requires an understanding that one definition of parent involvement does not fit all.

Related Research

Below are some examples of research studies related to the topic of defining "school, family, community connections"

Abrams and Gibbs (2000) found that school staff and community members (including parents) had very different views about the reasons for low student performance, the appropriate role for parents in the school, and the role of the principal. They also found that developing a mutual understanding of roles, clarifying how power would be shared, and setting specific goals created potential for improvement.

Keith and Keith (1993) found a significant link between parent involvement and student achievement. They also found that the different components that made up "parent involvement"- parent's educational aspirations, parent-child communication, home structure, and parental participation in school activities-were not strongly connected to one another. In other words, although parents may communicate with their child about school, they might not necessarily participate in school activities.

Lopez (2001) found that although parents of successful migrant students did not regularly attend school functions, they strongly perceived themselves as being highly involved in their children's education. These families saw the transmission of a work ethic as their way of helping their children succeed in school.

Putting it into Practice

1. Think about the ways that schools, parents, and community groups are working to connect in your school community. Create a list of the connections, grouping similar efforts together into categories (such as school-home communication and help with schoolwork).

2. Ask the people involved in these efforts what kinds of outcomes they are hoping will result from the connections. Try to get a variety of perspectives-from school personnel, parents, and community partners- since each partner may have different goals for the connection.

3. After you have compiled a list of the connections and their intended purposes, search the Connection Collection at http://www.sedl.org/ connections/resources to find out what the research has shown are possible results of these connections.

4. Based on the research you find, think about these questions: Do you have a mismatch between the connections you are working to create and the kinds of outcomes you are hoping to produce? Are you missing any connections that would help your school community accomplish its goals?

5. Share the results of your research with your local school, family, and community partners. Discuss how you can work together to make sure that your connections are effective and meet the goals of all of the partners involved.

Resources

Schools and Community Organizations -- The Institute for Educational Leadership has produced a publication "Education and community building: Connecting two worlds." The authors offer information about the differences in philosophies, organizational cultures, operating styles that influence how schools and community-based organizations work together. They also suggest "rules of engagement," to guide and strengthen school-community partnerships. For more information, call IEL at (202) 822-8405 or download the publication (PDF file)

Johns Hopkins research -- The National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University brings together schools, districts, and states that are committed to developing and maintaining school-family-community partnerships. Their Web site has a list of six kinds of partnerships, and the results that can be expected from each kind. The Network offices can also be reached at 410-516-8800. ALSO SEE: Joyce Epstein's Six Kinds of Involvement with Families.

References

Abrams, L., & Gibbs, J.T. (2000). Planning for change: School-community collaboration in a full-service elementary school. Urban Education, 35(1), 79-103. EJ602753.

Fan, X., & Chen, M. (1999, April). Parental involvement and students' academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada. ED430048.

Keith,T. Z., & Keith, P. B. (1993). Does parental involvement affect eighth-grade student achievement? Structural analysis of national data. School Psychology Review, 22(3), 474-496. EJ486048.

Lopez, G. R. (2001, April). On whose terms? Understanding involvement through the eyes of migrant parents. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA.



KEY FINDINGS FROM

A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement


Leading family-school researcher Anne Henderson presents a research review that examines growing evidence that family and community connections with schools make a difference in student success. "A New Wave of Evidence" is a synthesis of 51 studies about the impact of family and community involvement on student achievement, and includes effective strategies to connect schools, families and community. Published by the National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. (See second publication from the top at this publications page. Download the 1.2mg file or order a paper copy.).

Key Findings from the "New Wave" Study:

The evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: many forms of family and community involvement influence student achievement at all ages.

Programs and interventions that engage families in supporting their children's learning at home are linked to improved student achievement. Epstein, Simon & Salinas (1997), Jordan, Snow & Porche (2000), Starkey & Klein (2000)

The more families support their children's learning and educational progress, both in quantity and over time, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education. Miedel & Reynolds (1999), Sanders & Herting (2000), Marcon (1999)

Families of all cultural backgrounds, education, and income levels can, and often do, have a positive influence on their children's learning. Ho Sui-Chu & Willms (1996), Shaver & Walls (1998), Clark (1993)

Family and community involvement that is linked to student learning has a greater effect on achievement than more general forms of involvement. Invernizzi, Rosemary, Richards & Richards (1997), Dryfoos (2000), Clark (2002)

Key Findings about Making Connections:

When programs and initiatives focus on building respectful and trusting relationships among school staff, families, and community members, they are more effective in creating and sustaining connections that support student achievement.

Programs that successfully connect with families and community invite involvement, are welcoming, and address specific parental and community needs. Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler (1997), Sanders & Harvey (2000), Peña (2000)

Parent involvement programs that are effective in engaging diverse families recognize cultural and class differences, address needs and build on strengths. Scribner, Young & Pedroza (1999), Chrispeels & Rivero (2000), López (2001)

Effective connections embrace a philosophy of partnership where power is shared-the responsibility for children's educational development is a collaborative enterprise among parents, school staff, and community members. Wang, Oates & Weishew (1997), Smrekar et al (2001), Moore (1998)

Organized initiatives to build parent and community leadership aimed at improving low-performing schools are growing and leading to promising results in low-income urban areas and the rural South. Mediratta, Fruchter & Lewis (2002), Jacobs & Hirota (2002), Wilson & Corbett (2000)

A New Wave of Evidence is available at as full-text PDF at www.sedl.org/connections/resources. This 28k PDF file includes all the references for the studies cited. A summary of each study can be found in the full report.