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

121 Pages·2000·1.8 MB·English

by  ERIC

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: [phone]; 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: [phone]
phone: [phone]
©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