Part 1
More Than Baking Cupcakes

The concept of parent and school partnerships has evolved over the past decade--family involvement is now considered foundational to school improvement efforts under PL221 and NCLB. Joyce Epstein defines involvement in terms of a framework of six key components:

1. Parenting
2. Learning at Home
3. Communication
4. Decision Making
5. Volunteering
6. Collaboration with Community

This section provides more information about these components and links to a rubric that assesses progress in each of the six areas.

Part 2
Not Just a Good Idea: Legal Requirements, State and Local Guidelines

Quick links to regulations and requirements under NCLB, PL221, and Title I can be found in this section. Quality indicators, tools for data collection, and sample student/teacher/parent compacts are available through the link to the Indiana Department of Education’s School-Parent-Community Partnerships Resource Book. An additional resource provides policy guidelines for LEA family involvement policies.
 

Part 3
Potential Benefits: What Does the Research Say?

Included is a concise synthesis of research findings on school, family, and community connections from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. An assessment checklist provides a means for exploring school climate relative to parent involvement.

Part 4
Shared Leadership: Whose Responsibility?

Consider the benefits and challenges of shared leadership and the need to build leadership capacity in parents. Are your parents prepared to take the lead? Is your school prepared to embrace parents as leaders? Use the resources in this section to guide your efforts in this area.

Part 5
Embracing Diversity: Build on Your Strengths

Diversity brings both strengths and challenges to your school community. Inclusive schools merge community and school resources to support parents and teachers in a manner that reflects the character of the school and the surrounding community. This section provides links to practical ideas and resources for creating integrated community partnerships that will benefit all students.

Part 6
Resources: A Wealth of Assistance

The links in this section provide a great deal of background information and offer a wealth of resources to further your efforts. The section targets two broad areas: 1) integrated, multi-dimensional support systems, and 2) resources specific to diverse populations.

Part 7 Take Action: From Vision to Reality

A Sourcebook from the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs highlights promising practices for promoting family-school-community partnerships. An additional hands-on resource from the State of New York focuses on academics and family involvement. Use the Action Plan Template and accompanying rubric to develop a Family and School Partnerships Action Plan integral to your PL221 school improvement efforts.