Research and Best Practices: Implementing Family Engagement Strategies Karen L. Mapp, Ed.D. Harvard Graduate School of Education Copyright © 2008 Karen L. Mapp

Beyond the Bake Sale The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships Anne T. Henderson, Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson and Don Davies The New Press, 2007

What have we learned about how can we achieve effective Family-School partnerships?

Requirement One: An Understanding of the Definition of Partnership

Fortress School (Below Basic) “Parents don’t care about their children’s education, and they are the main reason the kid’s are failing” “Parents don’t come to conferences, no matter what we do” Principal picks a small group of “cooperative parents” to help out “We’re teachers, not social workers” “Curriculum and standards are too advanced for these parents”

Come-if-we-call School (Basic) Parents are told what students will be learning at the fall open house Workshops are planned by staff Families can visit school on report card pickup day Parents call the office to get teacher-recorded messages about homework

Open-Door School (Proficient) There is an “Action Team” for family engagement School holds curriculum night three or four times a year Parents raise issues at PTA meetings or see the principal Multicultural nights are held once a year Parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year

Partnership School (Advanced) Home visits are made to every new family All family activities connect to what students are learning There is a clear, open process for resolving problems Parents and teachers research issues together Families are actively involved in decision-making

Requirement Two: An Adoption of the Four Core Beliefs

Core Belief One All parents have dreams for their children and want the best for them. “…I believe that all parents hold big expectations for the role that schools will play in the life chances of their children. They all harbor a large wish list of dreams and aspirations for their youngsters. All families care deeply about their children’s education and hope that their progeny will be happier, more productive, and more successful than they have been in their lives.” (Lightfoot, 2003) It is vital for educators to understand that the families who send their children to them each day want their children to succeed in school and in life. Yes, families may say or do things that lead us to wonder if they respect the importance of education. But these actions and behaviors often are triggered by other stressful factors in parents’ lives, and do not reflect their innermost feelings.

Core Belief Two All parents have the capacity to support their children's learning. Regardless of how little formal education they may have, or what language they speak, all parents can contribute to their children's learning. Parents’ knowledge, talents, and experiences in life give them plenty of capacity for assisting their children with school skills – but school staff may need to help parents understand and use that capacity. All parents have “funds of knowledge” about their children and the community that should be respected and tapped by school staff. (Moll, Amanti, Neffi and Gonzalez, 1992) Luis Moll, an expert in bilingual literacy at the University of Arizona, has studied barrio schools in the Southwest. Moll is troubled by two things that he has routinely observed. Teachers gave students lessons that are filled with drills on facts and rules but have little connection to their home life. And they consistently underestimated their students' and families' "intellectual fund of knowledge." When Moll visited students’ homes, he found that most Latinos he met had a "formidable understanding" of many topics, including agriculture, mining, medicine, religion, biology, and math. 4 The expression, “parents are their children’s first teachers,” is so widely used it is almost a cliché. If we believe it, we should view and treat parents as the experts that they are.

Core Belief Three Parents and school staff should be equal partners. I am suggesting that power should be mutual. Every person who is interested in supporting children’s development should have equal status, value and responsibility. That means starting from the premise that everyone has something to offer, and that everyone should get something positive out of the relationship. In contrast to lop-sided power relationships, Richard Elmore suggests a principle of reciprocity. Every increase in pressure on schools for accountability for student performance should be accompanied by an equal investment in increasing the knowledge and skills of teachers, administrators, students, and their families, for learning about how to meet these new expectations. (Elmore, 1997) 6 This means that no one should be expected to do something well – or worse, be punished for not doing it well – if they haven’t been properly prepared. A school should not be labeled as “failing” if teachers haven’t been offered high quality professional development. If students haven’t been taught effectively, or parents shown how to support learning at home, they can’t be considered as “failures” either. In a reciprocal system, they have a right to demand access to high-quality learning opportunities in return for being held accountable. In other words, their accountability will increase as their capacity is strengthened.

Core Belief Four The responsibility for building partnerships between school and home rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders. To create a climate and culture that supports partnership with parents, strong leadership is essential from both the principal and teachers. The principal plays the key role, but teachers also have to step up as advocates for family involvement. Leadership from both sets the tone for all school staff. That lop-sided power dynamic we were just discussing also plays out here. Many families see schools as powerful and forbidding institutions. Reaching out to parents is easier for educators than “reaching in” to teachers and other staff is for parents. The principal and teachers must take the first step, especially when parents already feel intimidated by school staff. Certainly, there is a responsibility on both sides, and parents must continue to connect with teachers and other school staff on behalf of their children. Everyone who works in the school, especially the principal, must “walk the walk,” not just “talk the talk,” of mutual partnership. This means exhibiting a real passion for partnership.

Requirement Three: An Establishment of Four Core Components

Four Components: Supportive Infrastructure (“Champions”) Pre – and In-Service Professional Development (Higher Education Support) Resources (Title 1 Funds) Local and State Policy (Assessment and Accountability)

School, Family and Community Partnership: An Essential Ingredient! Teaching and learning equals the “flour” of the cake of achievement Family and community engagement: baking powder