1. LEADERSHIP FOR PARTNERSHIPS
New Directions for
Programs of Family and Community Involvement
for Student Success
SPECIAL SESSION and DISCUSSION
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
The Hague, Netherlands
September 2012
Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D., Director
© Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Working Together for Student Success

2. School, Family, and Community
Part 1
The Basics
Programs of
School, Family, and Community
Partnerships

3. How Can Educators and Parents STRENGTHEN and SUSTAIN HEALTHY SCHOOLS?
What do we mean by a HEALTHY SCHOOL?
We mean a safe and nurturing PLACE.
A welcoming school environment for ALL
A Partnership School
A “family-like” school and “school-like” families
An EXCELLENT school that students, teachers,
parents, and others WANT to attend and support
Other ideas. . .?

4. What do we mean by a Healthy School?
2. We mean a place that produces positive RESULTS
and helps students develop to their full potential.
Academic Results Intellectual Development
Curricular and Other AchievementS
Commitment to Role of Student
High Graduation Rate/Low Dropout
College and Career Plans
Physical Health Good Nutrition, Exercise
Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Drug Use/Abuse
Good Attendance
Emotional Growth Positive Attitudes about School Self Concept, Behavior,
Good Relationships with Peers,
Friends, Family, Teachers
Appreciation of Others
Other RESULTS for students?

5. EXCELLENT and SUCCESSFUL
Everyone wants
EXCELLENT and SUCCESSFUL
SCHOOLS and STUDENTS.
How will we reach these goals?
Excellent
Schools
Strong
Families
Healthy
Communities

6. What is important to know about
school, family, and community partnerships?
Not only THAT partnerships contribute
to good schools and
successful students
But also WHAT is needed in an excellent partnership program?
and… HOW to organize and sustain
high-quality and effective
programs of family and
community involvement.
We must think in new ways about leadership
for partnerships at the MINISTRY,
DISTRICT, and SCHOOL levels?

7. School, family, and community partnerships
DEFINITION
THEN
Parent
involvement
NOW
School, family, and community partnerships

8. School, Family, and Community
Part 2
Leadership of the
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
for Programs of
School, Family, and Community
Partnerships

9. MINISTRY of EDUCATION Programs of Partnership
Leaders for Partnerships have two responsibilities.
MINISTRY-LEVEL LEADERSHIP
PROGRAM
GOALS
OUTREACH, INFORMATION, AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO DISTRICTS
AND SCHOOLS IN THE NATION

10. EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS OF PARTNERSHIPS Three Stages of Development
START UP
SCALE UP
SUSTAIN AND RENEW
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

11. OTHER leadership on partnerships by the Ministry
Ministry of Education MINISTRY-LEVEL Leadership on Partnership Program Development
Identify an OFFICE or DEPARTMENT and a LEADER
for School, Family, and Community Partnership
program development.
Review or write policy on family involvement, consistent with current research.
Conduct or support staff development on partnerships.
Make presentations on partnerships to interested groups (e.g., district administrators, school principals, business and government partners).
Collect best practices from districts and/or schools to share throughout the country.
Develop tools, materials (print, website).
OTHER leadership on partnerships by the Ministry
of Education?

12. MINISTRY of EDUCATION Outreach, Information, and Encouragement for DISTRICTS and SCHOOLS
Conduct or support workshops for DISTRICT LEADERS on
how to guide their schools to develop research-based
partnership programs.
Conduct or support one-day workshops for SCHOOLS’
Action Teams for Partnerships (ATP).
Review district policies and practices for family and community engagement.
Conduct or support an annual conference on partnership programs for districts and schools to increase knowledge and share best practices.
Help districts and schools evaluate programs and progress.
Work with other groups to improve partnership programs in districts and schools.
OTHER actions by the Ministry of Education to encourage partnership programs in districts and schools?

13. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES
Create Awareness
Actively promote partnership program development with all key stakeholders.
Align Program & Policy
Integrate partnership programs with other national
education policies, requirements, and procedures, and with goals for districts and schools.
Guide Learning &
Program Development
Organize, conduct, or support professional development for colleagues in the Ministry of Education, and for district and school leaders.

14. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES
Share Knowledge
Foster on-going communication increase knowledge
and share best practices for partnership program
development.
Celebrate Milestones
Recognize progress and excellence on partnerships
at the district and school levels.
Document Progress &
Evaluate Outcomes
Document Ministry of Education activities and progress.
Guide districts to document their work and EVALUATE
the quality and progress of their own and their schools’
partnership programs.

15. PAIR-SHARE ACTIVITY Discuss with your “elbow” partner:
CREATE AWARENESS
GUIDE LEARNING
and PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
IDENTIFY an OFFICE and
LEADER
CELEBRATE MILESTONES
ALIGN PROGRAM AND POLICY
DOCUMENT PROGRESS and
EVALUATE REULTS
SHARE KNOWLEDGE
PAIR-SHARE ACTIVITY Discuss with your “elbow” partner:
which LEADERSHIP strategy
is most important for strengthening
the work of the Ministry of Education
on programs of
family and community involvement?
and WHY?

16. ? Q & A . . . Leadership of the Ministry of Education
What questions do you have about . . .
. . . Leadership of the Ministry of Education
for strengthening programs of family and
community involvement?
. . . YOUR next steps?

17. School, Family, and Community in SCHOOLS and DISTRICTS
Part 3
New Directions
for Research-Based
Programs of
School, Family, and Community
Partnerships
in SCHOOLS and DISTRICTS

18. School, family, and community partnerships
DEFINITION
THEN
Parent
involvement
NOW
School, family, and community partnerships

19. Organized by one person or just a few NOW
RESPONSIBILITY
THEN
Up to parents
Organized by one person or just a few
NOW
Part of school and classroom organization
Organized by
Action Team for Partnerships

20. Action Team Structure 2-3 teachers 2-3 parents/family members
Principal
Others (nurse, counselor,
community partners)
1-2 students at
high school level
Pasco High School
Pasco, Washington, 2011

21. What does an Action Team for Partnerships do?
Phalen Lake Elementary School
St. Paul, Minnesota
ATP MEMBERS work together to . . .
Review school goals.
Write a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships
Activate the Six Types of Involvement
Implement plans and evaluate progress
Continually improve program quality, outreach, and results

22. Action Team for Partnerships School Improvement Team
or School Council
ACTION TEAM for
PARTNERSHIPS
Improve Reading
PRACTICES
from SIX TYPES
to meet this goal
Improve Math
PRACTICES
from SIX TYPES
to meet this goal
Improve Student
Behavior
PRACTICES
from SIX TYPES
to meet this goal
Create a Climate
for Partnerships
PRACTICES
from SIX TYPES
to meet this goal
Academic goal
Academic goal
Non-Academic goal
Partnership goal

23. Incidental or accidental Part of comprehensive school Improvement
PROGRAM DESIGN
THEN
Incidental or accidental
Off to the side
NOW
Framework of
6 types of involvement
Goal-oriented
Part of comprehensive school Improvement

24. Framework of Six Types of Involvement
and
Challenges
to Engage
ALL Families

25. COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY
Keys to School, Family, and Community Partnerships
EPSTEIN’s FRAMEWORK OF SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT
Type 1
PARENTING
Type 2
COMMUNICATING
Type 3
VOLUNTEERING
Type 4
LEARNING AT HOME
Type 5
DECISION MAKING
Type 6
COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY

26. CHALLENGES NOW “Realities” Solutions sought
THEN
“Barriers”
Diverse family
structures,
racial, economic,
linguistic, cultural
backgrounds
Mobile, migratory, or
homeless families.
Deficit model and
treatment programs
NOW
“Realities”
Solutions sought
Solutions found
Solutions shared
Strengths model
and prevention
programs

27. Separate groups of parents
IMPLEMENTATION
THEN
PreK-K
Separate groups of parents
Isolated activities
NOW
All grades, PreK-12
Integrate all groups,
Including Special Education, Language Learners, and others
Sense of
community

28. Meet requirements for official policies
IMPLEMENTATION
THEN
School by
school
decisions
NOW
Multi-level leaders:
School, District
State, Organization,
and National
Meet requirements for official policies
on family involvement
“Nested” networks

29. Reach Results

30. Focus on a few parent leaders NOW
RESULTS
THEN
Parent outcomes
Public relations
Focus on a few parent leaders
NOW
Student achievement and success in school
Link practices to results for all students, parents, teachers, and community

31. Annual, Written Action Plans Linked to Goals for Student Success
for Partnerships
Linked to Goals for Student Success

32. Evaluate Results

33. Focus on student achievement and success in school
EVALUATION
THEN
Minimal or
Optional
Focus on parents
NOW
Essential
Evaluate quality, results, and progress of programs and practices
Focus on student achievement and success in school

34. Success stories shared locally,
NETWORKING
THEN
Success stories shared locally,
if at all
NOW
Success stories
shared
nationally and
internationally
to benefit all
“Networking”
to improve
programs

35. EQUITY ISSUES THEN Labels for HAVE and HAVE NOTs, “Blame game”
Finger-pointing
NOW
ACTIONS to
involve ALL families
Communicate
in languages
parents
understand

36. BUDGETS for PARTNERSHIPS
THEN $$
Not well allocated
Fragmented
spending
NOW $$
For goal-linked
activities in
schools’ annual plans to engage all families
Capacity building and program development

37. PAIR-SHARE ACTIVITY Discuss with your “elbow” partner:
PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP
Definition
RESULTS for STUDENTS
ACTION TEAM
LINK to SCH GOALS
All Grade Levels
Framework- 6 Types
Networking
EVALUATION
EQUITY—Engage ALL Families
DISTRICT LEADERSHIP
Budgeting
PAIR-SHARE ACTIVITY Discuss with your “elbow” partner:
WHICH 3 CHANGES from THEN to NOW
are most important for improving
YOUR schools’ programs of
family and community involvement?
and WHY?

38. NNPS PUBLICATIONS Corwin Press NEW- 2012! Eye on Education
THIRD EDITION!
Eye on Education
TEXT for
Teacher Preparation
Westview Press-2011

39. MORE NNPS PUBLICATIONS
FROM NNPS 2012
FROM NNPS NEW 2012
FROM NNPS TIPS
SAMPLERS
Research and
Involvement Activities in
READING, MATH
SCIENCE,
ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOR
COLLEGE and CAREER and guides for
PRESCHOOL Programs
MIDDLE SCH Programs
HIGH SCHOOL Programs
Interactive Homework
Elem Math K-5
Middle Grades
Language Arts 6-8
Science 6-8
See TIPS RESOOURCES
on the
NNPS website
2012

40. ? Q & A . . . using research-based approaches to
What questions do you have about . . .
. . . using research-based approaches to
strengthen programs of school, family, and
community partnerships
in the MINISTRY OF EDUCATION?
in SCHOOLS and DISTRICTS?
. . . YOUR next steps for taking new directions
in organizing goal-linked programs of
family and community involvement?

41. Baltimore, Maryland jepstein@jhu.edu
For more information
visit NNPS at
Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
© Epstein, J. L. (2012). Baltimore, MD: National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.