School, Family, and Community Partnerships

The Parent & Educator Partnership is committed to helping Local Education Agencies across Illinois in constructing, implementing, and sustaining 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 family engagement requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title 1, Section 1118).  The standards for partnership building are:

  1. Welcoming all families into the school community;
  2. Communicating effectively;
  3. Supporting student success;
  4. Speaking up for every child;
  5. Sharing power; and
  6. Collaborating with community.

Click here for the National Standards Implementation and Assessment Guide.

To review the National Standards Family Survey, click here.

Every school district involves parents; however, the vitality of partnerships is dependent on the intentionality of each school district.  In order to have successful partnerships with families and the communities, school district shall commit to successfully meeting each standard.  The PEP will assist in understanding, implementing, and evaluating those standards.

To learn more about how we may provide your school district in-kind support, please e-mail us and place "SFCP" in the subject line.  For more resources, search "SFCP" in the search engine to the right.

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.

Anne T. Henderson, Senior Fellow, Annenberg Institute for School Reform, 2007 testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Anne Henderson's testimony, "Effective Strategies for Engaging Parents and Communities in Schools," shares what she has been tracking for over 25 years:

  • The research on how and why engaging families can have a positive impact on student learning.
  • Effective policies and practices of schools, school districts and community organizations that are working to build and sustain strong family-school partnerships.

The testimony was her participation in the hearing on reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Click on Testimony to read the document.

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

         

 

Latest News

The Transportation Security Administration has launched a new helpline for travelers with disabilities and medical needs. To learn more about the launch of this resource, click here.
To view specific details about contacting the Transportation Security Administration click TSA Cares.

For information about upcoming events, click the Events tab on our webpage.

NEW! Common Core Standards links under Resources Page. Click here to go directly to Common Core Resources.

To access the RtI Workshop PowerPoint Presentation click here.

The Illinois Student Records Keeper is a comprehensive document created by ISBE which features IEP information and documentable forms for parents to keep good records of their child's education. Click this link Illinois Student Records Keeper to dowload and print a copy for your files.

Parents and Teachers Talking Together (PT3) is a facilitated conversation between parents and teachers, the two groups who know students best.  Learn more by checking out our Parent Leaders In The Spotlight  or KEY TOPICS.

FREE IEP Checklist App for iPhone download here.

Parent Rights Guide available here.