|What are the characteristics of Successful Schools?|
FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Family and community participation in the schools recognizes the important role that families, communities, and schools play in helping all children succeed in school and in life. Partners bring their own strengths, skills, perspectives and knowledge to the educational process, and they all need to be welcomed and respected for their contributions.
Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers. Research clearly shows the important role families play in the success of their child's learning, growth, and personal development in school. When families actively participate together, children do better in school and school becomes a better place for all children to learn.
- When parents, teachers, students, and others view one another as knowledgeable partners in education, a caring community forms around students.
- Partnerships should be an integral part of the school's regular work.
- Students learn and grow at home, at school, and in their communities.
- The best predictor of a student's achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which the student's family is able to (1) create a home environment that encourages learning; (2) communicate high, yet reasonable expectations for their children's achievement and future careers; and (3) become involved in their children's education at home, at school, and in the community.
Successful Schools Have Family and Community Partnerships That:
- include administrative leadership and support for family-school-community partnerships.
- provide well-designed, goal-oriented, and culturally responsive activities developed by teachers, parents, administrators, and other stakeholders.
- are geared to the diverse needs of families and their children and to the particular conditions of each school.
- foster varied and imaginative forms of two-way communication between home and school, address family skills, enable parents and community members to volunteer, provide learning opportunities at home and in the community, include parents in governance and decision making, and promote collaboration with the community.
- build on strengths within the family, the school, and the community.
- recognize that not all parents have experienced affirming and respectful relationships with schools and educators.
For questions about this information, contact the Title I and School Support Team at (608) 267-3721 or by email at email@example.com.