1. THE SCHOOL CASE STUDY PROJECT
Dianne Giblin
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Council of State School Organisations

2. The school case study project
15 schools from rural, remote and metropolitan locations in SA, WA, NT, Vic and NSW to participate in the case studies project. The purpose of the case study project was to:
identify good practice in parental engagement in schools in Low SES communities
advance understanding of what has worked and in what contexts
inform the development of further resources or ‘toolkits’ for schools
document examples of parental engagement for other school communities to consider and draw

3. Selection and data gathering
Interviews were conducted with school principals, teachers, parents and community groups within each school community. The information collected included:
demographic and other contextual characteristics of the school and local community
examples of specific parental engagement strategies and activities
elements of and critical factors for successful parental engagement
the interaction with student learning outcomes
the role and influence of school leadership in strengthening school, family and community partnerships.

4. THE SCHOOLS CASE STUDIES SCHOOL Bradshaw Primary School (NT)
Christie Downs Primary School (SA)
Coolbellup Community School (WA)
Dallas Primary School (Vic)
East Waikiki Primary School (WA)
Bathurst West Public School (NSW)
Wilcannia Central School (NSW)
CASE STUDIES SCHOOL
Elizabeth Schools Connections (SA)
Katoomba Nth Public School (NSW)
Toukley Public School (NSW)
St Brendan’s Primary School (NSW)
St Albans Meadows Primary (Vic)
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (SA)
Moe Elzabeth St Primary School (Vic)
Marryallaluk Homeland School (NT)

5. COMMON THEMES
Developing a school culture that values parent engagement
Creating a welcoming environment
Sharing high expectations about learning outcomes
Building the capacity of parents to support their children’s learning
Parents encouraging other parents to become involved
Reaching out through personal contact

6. COMMON THEMES
Offering opportunities to parents for their own learning and development
Connecting parents in the early years
Using resources effectively to support parent engagement
Levering additional resources from outside the school
Enlisting the support of community leaders and members and community organisations

7. CHALLENGES
Establishing and maintaining a clear and commonly understood framework for parental engagement within the school community
Empowering parents in their partnerships with schools
Sustaining the commitment and continuity of the resources needed to support parental engagement