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ERIC ED446156: Engaging Families and Communities: Pathways to Educational Success. PDF

121 Pages·2000·1.8 MB·English
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DOCUMENT RESUME UD 033 507 ED 446 156 Decker, Larry E.; Decker, Virginia A. AUTHOR Engaging Families and Communities: Pathways to Educational TITLE Success. Decker (Larry E.) and Associates, Boca Raton, FL. INSTITUTION National Community Education Association, Alexandria, VA.; SPONS AGENCY Florida Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton. ISBN-0-93088-19-4 ISBN 2000-00-00 PUB DATE 124p.; "With Mary Richardson Boo, Gloria A. Gregg and Joanne NOTE Erickson." National Community Education Association, 3929 Old Lee AVAILABLE FROM Highway, Suite 91-A, Fairfax, VA 22030 ($23.95). Tel: 703-359-8973; Fax: 703-359-0972; e-mail: [email protected]. Guides - Non-Classroom (055) PUB TYPE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Academic Achievement; *Community Involvement; Educational DESCRIPTORS Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Family Programs; *Parent Participation; *Partnerships in Education Reform Efforts IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This book is intended to help educators weave some of the best ideas for creating and maintaining family and community engagemeht into their a comprehensive family-school-community involvement program tailored to own communities. The goal of such an initiative must be to help all children succeed academically so that they can live productive lives in health communities. The chapters of this book address various aspects of a comprehensive home-school-community involvement plan. They present a rationale for addressing particular areas; relevant research; suggested considerations, examples, and tips; and a list of references and Web sites (1) "Family and Community for further information. The chapters are: "Understanding Your Community"; Involvement: Principles and Strategies"; (2) "Home and School as Partners"; "The Essential Role of Communities"; (4) (3) "School Public Relations: Bridging (5) "School-Community Collaboration"; (6) "School Safety and "Dealing with Political Realities"; the Gap"; (8) (7) "Planning and Evaluating a Comprehensive Crisis Management"; (9) Home-School-Community Relations Program"; and (10) "Making Friends before You Need Them." Two appendixes list contact information for organizational and associations and Web sites by major focus or content area. Each chapter contains references. (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ENGAGING FAMILIES U 1.IE, & C 4 Yu= U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement INFORMATION ED CATIONAL RESOURCES CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy s to pathwa success educational PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS AVAILABLE BEEN GRANTED BY BEST COPY L. Deal/ Larry E. Decker, Virginia A. Decker & Associates Sponsored by the National Community Education Association in TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES cooperation with Florida Atlantic University INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 J Engaging Families and Communities Pathways to Educational Success By Larry E. Decker and Virginia A. Decker with Mary Richardson Boo, Gloria A. Gregg and Joanne Erickson Sponsored by the National Community Education Association in cooperation with Florida Atlantic University ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many colleagues helped with various phases of this publication, including the field review process, recommendation of materials, and preparation of the manuscript. We would especially like to thank: Michele Acker-Hocevar, Associate Professor, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida Amy Anderson, Family Resource Coordinator, Brooksville, Florida Daniel Cady, Executive Director, National Center for Community Education, Flint, Michigan Ursula Ellis, Director of Communications, National Community Education Association, Fairfax, Virginia Sue Ferguson, Executive Director, National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, Washington, D.C. Francis Funk, Associate Professor, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida Warlene Gary, Director, Center for Revitalization of Urban Education, National Education Association, Washington, D.C. Robert Grimesey, Director of Grants and Partnerships, Rockingham County, Virginia Albert Holliday, Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Educational Relations, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania Vasil Kerensky, Professor, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida Sherry Mullett, State Director of Community Education, Ohio Department of Education, Columbus, Ohio Steve Parson, Associate Professor, Virginia Tech University, Falls Church, Virginia Jessica Pruitt, Graduate Assistant, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida Steve Stark, Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Evelyn Tracey, Graduate Assistant, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida Larry Winecoff, Professor, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina Robert Witherspoon, Research Management Corporation, Washington, D.C. Larry Yates, Coordinator, ERIC - Urban Education, Columbia University, New York ORDERING INFORMATION National Community Education Association 3929 Old Lee Highway, Suite 91-A Fairfax, Virginia 22030 e-mail: [email protected] fax: 703-359-0972 phone: 703-359-8973 ©2000 DECKER & ASSOCIATES ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ISBN: 0-930388-19-4 4 PREFACE communities. This ambitious, optimistic goal has Many Americans worry about what they see as a growing gulf between the always been a part of the American dream. American public and its schools. Bradley (Education Week on the Web 1999) has pointed out several troubling trends that Larry and Virginia Decker indicate a fraying relationship among families, schools, and communities: About 25 percent of households have school- REFERENCES age children. At the same time, public schools are serving a diverse mix of students whose Bradley, A. 1999. "Divided We Stand," Education Week needs are greater than any who have come on the Web. before. www.edweek.org/ew/vo116/10publil.h16. The public's faith in public institutions is with- Schorr, L. B. 1997. Common Purpose: Strengthening ering. Many people distrust government and Families and Neighborhoods to Rebuild America. are reluctant to pay taxes to support systems New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday. including education systems that appear to be unsuccessful. Growing support for alternatives to public schools including charter schools and voucher systems raise questions about Americans' belief in the traditional role of public schools in our democracy and the concept of public education as the glue binding a diverse society. Despite continued evidence of public disenchant- ment with public education, educators across the nation are implementing ideas and strategiessome simple, some complex that are making a difference, not only in children's lives, but in the health and well-being of communities. They are finding ways to keep "the public" in public education by involving families in the education of children. As Schorr (1997) put it, "[T]he United States is rich in resources, ideas, and even goodwill.... Virtually all the elements that are part of the solution can be identified and described; they are a reality today, somewhere in this country." This book is intended to help educators weave some of the best ideas for creating and maintaining family and community engagement into a comprehensive family-school-community involvement program tailored to their own communities. The goal of such an initiative must be to help all children succeed academically so that they can live productive lives in healthy TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE 9 Chapter I. Family and Community Involvement: Principles And Strategies 9 Making the Decision 9 Responding to the Challenge Family-Community Involvement Strategies 10 Creating a Comprehensive Home-School-Community Involvement Plan 11 11 Reference 13 Chapter IL Understanding Your Community 13 A Definition of Community 14 Healthy Communities 15 Demographics and Socioeconomic Variables 16 The Status of Children and Families in America 18 The Potential. 18 References 21 Chapter III. The Essential Role of Conununities 21 Repairing the Bond 21 Building Communities from the Inside Out 25 A School System for the New Millennium 27 A Tested Method for Building Community 28 Community Schools 28 Full-Service Schools 28 21st Century Community Learning Centers. A Solemn Conclusion and a Warning 29 30 References 31 Chapter IV. Home and School as Partners 31 Benefits of Family Involvement 32 Standards and Models of Parent Involvement 37 Why Are There So Few Comprehensive Programs? 38 Characteristics of Successful Partnerships 40 Getting Started. 41 Title I as a Tool for Parent Involvement 42 Overcoming Barriers to Family Involvement 44 Involving the "Hard-to-Reach" Parent 44 Preparing Educators for Family Involvement 48 Training Materials 48 References 51 Chapter V. School-Community Collaboration 52 Working with the Community 53 Collaborative Leadership 55 Establishing Relationships 56 Barriers to Collaboration. 57 The Partnership Continuum. 60 Types of Educational Partnerships. 65 Other School Community Partnerships 66 Collaboration: A New Kind of Involvement . 67 References Chapter VI. School Public Relations Bridging the Gap 69 The Heart of the Problem 69 Defining School Public Relations 70 Why School Public Relations? 70 Communication. 71 The Internal Public 72 The External Public 73 Why Image Matters 73 Marketing Communications 74 Working with the News Media 75 Key Communicators 77 Taking Advantage of Technology 78 Getting a Public Relations Program Underway 79 Staffing the Program 79 Stepping Forward 80 References 81 Chapter VII. Dealing with Political Realities 83 Politics 83 Power 84 Policy Making 85 Discovering the Community Power Structure 87 Needed Political Skills 87 Finding Common Ground 88 Strategies for Achieving Change 88 Communications 88 Dealing with Criticism 89 When Things Get Out of Hand 90 Politics and Academic Success 90 References 91 Chapter VIII. School Safety and Crisis Management 93 Issues Management 93 School Safety 93 Planning for Safety 95 Discipline 95 A Planned Response to Crisis 96 School and Community Working Together 96 References 97 Chapter IX. Planning and Evaluating a Comprehensive Horne-School-Community Relations Program 99 Strategic Planning 99 Comprehensive Planning 100 Community Planning 100 Internal Systems Planning 101 The Basic Steps in Planning 101 Evaluation: An Outcomes Orientation 102 Some Techniques and Tools in Evaluation 103 Achieving a Common Purpose 106 References 106 107 Chapter X. Making Friends Before You Need Them Wooing the Public 107 Tapping the Potential. 109 Summing Up 109 110 References 111 Appendices Organizations and Associations Contact Information 111 Websites by Major Focus or Content Area 117 123 About the Authors L is CHAPTER I FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES This has not been an easy process for many educa- Educators have been blamed for falling test tors. Some are reluctant to share power or to dele- scores, increases in school violence, and gate certain responsibilities. Others focus on the rising dropout rates; for a shortage of good loss of control that accompanies shared decision teachers; and for a lack of basic skills in too many making rather than on the benefits that derive public school graduates. The crisis in confidence from community input and advice. Most educa- in the 1990s has been more painful and prolonged tors realize that inviting broad-based community than the one that followed the Soviet launch of participation in planning and decision making sputnik in 1957. and broadening the traditional role of the school Almost everyone agrees that the United States in community life are likely to increase conflict. needs strong schools, literate and law-abiding citi- They know that encouraging collaboration in zens, and competitive workers for the global econ- order to use community resources efficiently omy. The goal of improving public schools is as and to coordinate service delivery will raise controversial as apple pie. But designing an effec- expectations. tive curriculum is complicated by limitations on Educators who are serious about improving local resources and qualified personnel, and by public education must weigh possible problems legislative mandates. Most educational experts against possible benefits. In an increasing number agree that effective responses require cooperation of schools and school districts, educatorsadmin- among the schools themselves and the communi- istrators and teachershave decided that the ties they serve. What is needed is a comprehensive benefits to be gained far outweigh any potential plan for a cooperative venture in which home, problems. They have seen that a comprehensive school, and community work together to improve home-school-community involvement plan public education. increases student achievement and results in greater academic accountability, better attendance rates, and improved school climate. Other MAKING THE DECISION important benefits include an enhanced quality of community life; greater community support, including more resources for educational Family and community are historically the pillars of public education as it has evolved in the United programs; more positive interaction among States. Schools' responsibility has been to transmit diverse groups; and an improved climate for the knowledge that would prepare children to communication within the community. assume places in their communities as productive workers and responsible citizens. In turn, families and communities would supply the financial, RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE moral, and practical support that would enable schools to fulfill their mission. But in the last When the goal of creating a cooperative venture is decade, economic pressures, national attention to used to guide home-school-community involve- educational concerns, increasing acceptance of ment efforts, public schools are operated with a the goals of lifelong learning, community involve- commitment to the idea that they belong to the ment, and multi-sector cooperation have created a community. Professional educators and staff new environment in which to view home-school- receive training to increase their skills in enlisting community involvement. family and community support. School curricula Most educators agree that it is time to abandon are designed to incorporate a variety of involve- adversarial relationships and to accept responsi- ment relationships and activities among schools, bility for helping to address community needs and families, students, community members, business- concerns. The result has been that almost every es and industry, and local organizations and public school system in America has developed agencies. activities and programs intended to increase home-school-community cooperation. Making the decision to create a cooperative relationship necessitates making the decision to 9 make some changes in the roles of school adminis- FAMILY-COMMUNITY trators and teachers. School administrators must INVOLVEMENT STRATEGIES change some practices that have become common- place and work conscientiously to create a pro- The ultimate goal of a comprehensive home- ductive team of staff, parents, students, and other school-community involvement plan is the cre- stakeholders. Dwyer (1998) suggests that adminis- ation of a responsive support system for collabora- trators: tive action to address educational concerns, quali- Work side by side with teachers and staff in the ty-of-life issues of community members, and spe- training and development needed to make nec- cialized needs. The following strategies provide a essary changes. framework for developing such a cooperative ven- Empower teachers by including them in the ture. design of curriculum and in the decision-mak- ing process, including the allocation of financial Strategy 1. Encourage increased use of community resources. resources and volunteers to augment the educational cur- Maintain an open-door policy for students, ricula. teachers, and community members, including Every community has human, physical, and rescheduling some traditional meeting times. financial resources that can be used to enrich Clearly state expectations for cooperation and expand traditional education programs. among and between teachers and staff. Community resources and volunteers have Confront disengaged teachers and empower been used to develop school volunteer pro- staff to intervene in peer difficulties when grams, expand curricular options, field and appropriate. study trips, peer tutoring, student-based Support teachers and staff who are willing to enterprises, and experiential learning. take risks associated with change. Strategy 2 .Develop educational partnerships between Provide strong leadership in areas that empha- schools and public and private service providers, busi- size community values. Reward efforts to increase cooperative working ness and industry, and civic and social service organiza- relationships in meaningful ways, such as pro- tions. Complex and interrelated social and econom- viding release time, recognition, space, materi- ic problems create a broad array of service als, and funds. needs in many communities and meeting Dwyer also points out important changes in the them effectively requires more resources than teaching role that may be uncomfortable for some any single agency or organization can pro- teachersbecoming more of a guide rather than vide. This strategy encourages the develop- authority in content areas, for example, and ques- ment of educational partnerships that cooper- tioning the effectiveness of their own teaching ate in the use of available resources, avoiding practices. He suggests that teachers: unnecessary duplication. Such partnerships Treat students as well as other teachers and par- might focus on childcare and latchkey pro- ents as peers in community-building efforts. grams, drug education and substance abuse Enact classroom policies that reflect an under- efforts, intensive programs to address literacy standing of children's needs and a willingness and academic competencies, assistance to at- to share power. risk youth and minorities, community Design curriculum that is both relevant to stu- economic development, internships and dents' lives and needs and meets state require- work-study programs, and career awareness. ments. Try to convey to students the importance and Strategy 3. Use public education facilities as community value of knowledge, and to foster a joy in learn- service centers for meeting the educational, social, ing, especially if students' cultural environment health, cultural, and recreational needs of all ages and promotes negative attitudes toward education. sectors of the community. The fact that community attitudes and sup- port affect the schools' ability to carry out their mission to educate all children necessi- tates that educators consider the needs and 10

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