Family Involvement
The Parent & Educator Partnership is committed to helping
school districts in Illinois strengthen and sustain school-based
programs of family and community involvement. We believe parents
and educators must co-construct this process. Our staff will assist
Local Education Agencies with understanding the requirements of No
Child Left Behind, Section 1118 and develop a sustainable
partnership program.
Partnership programs are built upon Dr. Joyce Epstein's 30 years
of research and experience, and the National PTA standards. To
learn more about how the Parent & Educator Partnership may
provide your school district in-kind support, please e-mail us and
place "SFCP" in the subject line.
Research
Research strongly supports school-parent partnerships as
effective in improving school climate and student performance.
According to a comprehensive survey of 85 research studies cited in
two National PTA publications, National Standards for Parent/Family
Involvement Programs (1998), and Building Successful Partnerships:
A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs
(2000), the influence of parent involvement is profound and
provides comprehensive benefits for students, families, and schools
when parents and family members become active participants in their
children's education and lives.
Nothing Motivates a Child More...
"The research is abundantly clear: nothing motivates a child
more than when learning is valued by schools and families/community
working together in partnership…These forms of [parent] involvement
do not happen by accident or even by invitation. They happen by
explicit strategic intervention."
--Michael Fullan (1997)
Resources
National Network of Partnership Schools
This website is a resource for educators, administrators,
families, state organizations, and communities to help develop
goal-oriented programs of family involvement and community
connections.
Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director of the National Network of
Partnership Schools and the Center on School, Family, and Community
Partnerships has conducted research and worked with elementary,
middle, and high schools, districts, and state departments of
education for many years to help educators build more effective
programs of school, family, and community
partnerships.
Harvard Family
Research Project
Since 1983, the Harvard Family Research Project has "helped
stakeholders develop and evaluate strategies to promote the
well-being of children, youth and families and their
communities."
This website is a wealth of information about family engagement
for educators and families. Take time to read "The Evaluation Exchange" and the "FINE Network"on the right side of the home
page.
**New** A New Wave of Evidence:
The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student
Achievement, by Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp. This 241-
page document comprised of studies done by the Southwest
Educational Development Laboratory is a synthesis of their research
on the connection between Family Involvement and Student
Achievement (2002). To review or print click PDF Document.
**New** Framework for Parent, Family
and Community Engagement: Promoting Family Engagement and School
Readiness from Prenatal to Age 8. Developed by the Office of Head
Start, this is a comprehensive tool for early childhood educators
seeking to build effective family engagement strategies. To view
the PDF, click here.
**NEW** Webinar Series on Family, School
and Community Engagement in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Education, United Way, National PTA, SEDL
and Harvard Family Research Project. There are 9 webinars in
all and can be viewed on Adobeconnect. Printable materials are also
available. Click Webinar Series for the list of archived
webinars.
This Data Resource Guide, published by
HFRP serves as a Resource Guide for Engaging Families with
Student Data.
National
Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE)
A coalition of major education, community, public service, and
advocacy organizations working to create meaningful family-school
partnerships in every school in America.
This document was put out by the New York
State Education Office of Vocational & Educational
Services for Individuals with Disabilities. It was developed to
support and promote family-school-community partnerships.
Click on Educating our Children Together to read about
creative solutions for family involvement.
No Child Left Behind Legislation on Family
Involvement Section 1118
Other information regarding Section 1118 of No
Child Left Behind
Illinois State Board of Education: Sample
Templates for District Policy on Family Involvement
Illinois State Board of Education: Sample
Templates for School Policy on Family Involvement
NCLB Action Briefs: Parental Involvement
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