What's New - November 2007

School-Community Partnerships

Introduction

In an effort to support those interested in pursuing and/or sustaining school-community partnerships, this month's What's New item offers administrators, educators, parents and students some research about the value of school-community partnerships and provides a selection of practical resources intended to guide the development of these types of partnerships. Some examples of successful partnerships in Alberta are also included.

¹ Alberta Education; Heart of the Matter; 2005; http://education.alberta.ca/admin/resources/heart.aspx
² National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools; Copyright Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 2004; Who Benefits from Family and Community Connections; http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/Benefits%20of%20Involvement.pdf;

Research and Resources

Alberta Education: Heart of the Matter: Chapter 10 Involving Parents in Character and Citizenship Education & Chapter 11 Developing Community Partnerships
http://education.alberta.ca/admin/resources/heart.aspx; http://education.alberta.ca/media/126355/c10.pdf &
http://education.alberta.ca/media/616485/c11.pdf
According to the authors of Heart of the Matter (2005), current research suggests that "caring communities can be supported by intentionally creating a culture where parents are viewed as partners in a community of learners." They go on to say that "research shows that an organized approach to school, family and community partnerships, with activities that support student learning, improves schools, strengthens families, invigorates community supports and increases student success. … Partnerships that foster adult learning as well as student learning build reciprocal rather than dependent relationships among all school community members."

Chapter 10 provides a sample framework and strategies for involving parents as partners in learning. Six types of interrelated parental involvement are suggested to support a comprehensive approach to developing partnerships with parents including: parenting; communicating; volunteering; learning at home; decision making, and collaborating with the community.2 A checklist for involving families is also provided.

In Chapter 11 the authors contend that: students are more likely to adopt and maintain positive behaviours when consistent messages are received from multiple sources in and beyond school; and consistency can be achieved when comprehensive approaches are adopted that encourage schools, families and communities to work together toward shared goals. In addition to positive student behaviours, other potential benefits of school-community partnerships are described in this chapter (e.g., more coordinated service delivery, enhanced policy development, improved understanding of local needs). Suggestions for action planning are described; potential community partners are identified; categories of focus are discussed (e.g., student, family, school, or community centered); and strategies are offered for building consensus and capacity, assessing needs, and strengthening partnerships. Finally, several examples of successful school-community partnerships are described including: cross-generational programs, seasonal programs, and cultural and ethnic events.

More information about this resource can be found at http://education.alberta.ca/admin/resources/heart.aspx including: FAQs for administrators, teachers and parents; workshop materials and a slide show; and other tools and resources (e.g., graphic organizers, web links).

² For more information about the six types of parental involvement see Epstein; What Research Says About Family-School-Community Partnerships; October 2005; http://www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/Resources/81.pdf and a summary of Epstein's presentation at a recent Greater Edmonton Teachers' Convention at http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Quick+Links/ Publications/ATA+News/Volume+34/Number+16/ In+the+News/Epstein+identifies+keys+to +successful+school+family+community+partnerships.htm.

Elllis and Hughes; Partnerships by Design: Cultivating Effective and Meaningful School-Family-Community Partnerships; Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory; October 2002
http://www.nwrel.org/partnerships/cloak/booklet-one.pdf
This resource and training manual has been created by the NWREL to help schools build culturally responsive partnerships with families and communities. The manual is designed to help representatives from the school community: identify characteristics that are most important for youth to be successful in their community; consider ways to determine that students are developing these characteristics; identify resources and assets in the community that will help youth develop the desired characteristics; plan and implement a project to promote the characteristics, then evaluate the effectiveness of the project; and communicate findings to the public. It contains simple forms, worksheets, and activities that will help schools develop their own school-family-community partnership plan, including: assessing the current state of collaboration among families and community members; forming a vision of what partnerships will look like in the future; and setting up a plan of action that includes defining simple goals and objectives, outlining options for new partnership activities, and creating a process for regularly evaluating and revising the partnership plan.

Holcomb-McCoy, Cheryl; Professional School Counseling; "An examination of school counselor involvement in school-family-community partnerships"; June 1, 2007
COPYRIGHT 2007 American School Counselor Association http://www.thefreelibrary.com/An+examination+of+school +counselor+involvement+in...-a0165780640
This study, involving over 200 members of the American School Counselor Association, investigated school counselor involvement in school-family-community partnerships and factors that influence such involvement. Holcomb-McCoy revealed that several factors were found to be significant in terms of their relation to counselors' involvement in school-family-community partnerships, namely: collaborative school climate, school counselor role perceptions, school counselor confidence in their ability to build partnerships, and school counselor attitudes about partnerships.

Implications for school counselor training, practice, and research were also discussed including the following recommendations to promote and increase school counselor involvement in school-family-community partnerships:

• Provide experiential activities, field experiences or internships, and professional development opportunities for potential and practicing school counselors respectively to develop effective partnerships through consultation and collaboration (e.g., provide opportunities to work on interdisciplinary teams that include family and community counselors, school administrators, teachers, nurses, school psychologists and social workers); and
• Help school counselors examine and develop their competencies with respect to their impact on school climate through their roles as advocates, collaborators, leaders, and liaisons in partnerships with school, family, and community stakeholders. Professional development should include time for practicing school counselors to hear and share how they can overcome school-related barriers to building partnerships as well as involve other school personnel to ensure understanding and facilitation of school counselors' roles in partnerships.

National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools
http://www.sedl.org/connections/welcome.html
Based in the US, this Center provides research-based information and resources that can be used to connect schools, families, and communities. It emphasizes connections that directly impact student achievement in reading and mathematics, as well as connections that contribute to the students' overall success in school and in life. The Center reviews emerging findings and research, offers annual conferences and produces annual reports to help advance procedural knowledge and to link research findings to practice. Resources of particular interest include the following research syntheses and strategy briefs:

• Readiness: School, Family, and Community Connections This synthesis of 48 research studies explores children's abilities as they make the transition to kindergarten, factors associated with these abilities, and implications of these factors on children's later success. It also discusses the effectiveness of a variety of early childhood or preschool interventions that include a family or community focus.
• Diversity: School, Family, and Community Connections This synthesis of over 64 studies focuses specifically on race or ethnicity, culture (including language), and socioeconomic status. The report explores barriers to involvement for minority and low-income families, strategies that have been used to address those barriers, and recommendations that local educational leaders can adapt to address their specific needs.
• A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement This research review of 51 studies examines the growing evidence that family and community connections with schools make a difference in student success. A New Wave of EvidenceKey Findings This brief lists the eight key findings from the previous review. It cites specific studies supporting each key finding, and provides a full reference list for those studies.
• A New Wave of Evidence Family and Community Engagement Self-Assessment Based on A New Wave of Evidence, this tool could be used to help assess where your school or school district is in relation to the report's recommendations.
• Emerging Issues in School, Family, & Community Connections This research synthesized the findings of over 160 publications where issues in the field of family and community connections with schools were examined. The following issues were highlighted as requiring further work: clarifying the concept of family and community connections with schools; measuring outcomes of such connections; and advancing research in this area.
• Strategy Briefs These research-based interactive and text-based briefs include lessons from the field regarding policies, strategies and programs that people are using to make meaningful school-family-community connections. Included are modules that address: the eight types and benefits of family and community connections with schools (http://www.sedl.org/learning/m1/); how families and partner organizations can support learning in various settings beyond the classroom (http://www.sedl.org/learning/m2/); how children can be helped during their transition into the early grades (http://www.sedl.org/learning/m3/); and how to build meaningful relationships with all stakeholders (http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/rb/rb4-Rel.pdf); and how to promote involvement by families from diverse cultural backgrounds (http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/rb/rb5-diverse.pdf).

Examples of School-Community Partnerships in Alberta

Alberta Coalition for Healthy School Communities (ACHSC)
http://www.achsc.org/
The ACHSC is a registered non-profit society representing a network of individuals and organizations committed to promoting and fostering healthy school communities through comprehensive school health (CSH) approaches. These approaches involve:

• students, teachers, parents, school staff, community groups, agencies, and institutions working together on key priorities for improving health and educational attainment;
• integrating, coordinating, and enhancing curriculum and teaching methods, social and physical environments, and home, school, and community partnerships and services to address priority health issues;
• providing leadership in schools through identified champions of the CSH approach;
• implementing evidence-based strategies or interventions that have a strong indication of a promising practice; and
• utilizing evaluation methods to report on the benefits or desired outcomes for school communities.

1. Understanding of the broad factors that affect health, not simply risk factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise but also risk conditions such as lack of financial resources and lack of sense of belonging.
2. Recognizing that children's health status affects ability to learn and educational attainment affects health status.
3. Emphasizing proactive and comprehensive approaches that work to address root causes of poor health by focusing on the conditions and environments in which people live, learn, work, and play.
4. Ensuring meaningful participation of individuals and communities whose health is to be influenced.
5. Strengthening collaboration through broad-based, multidisciplinary, and intersectoral partnerships.
6. Respecting skills, values, and experiences of diverse people and cultures.
7. Developing policies which are supportive of health.
8. Pursuing social justice to reduce health disparities.

Alberta Home and School Council's Association (AHSCA), Wall of Fame and Excellence in Learning Partnerships
http://www.ahsca.ab.ca
The AHSCA is a grassroots, not-for-profit, provincial association that supports involvement of parents in public education through parental participation on school councils. The Association provides programs, resources and services to promote and support school council effectiveness.

The AHSCA recognizes effective school council practices (see excerpts from the Wall of Fame 2007 at http://www.ahsca.ab.ca/pdfs/Wall%20of%20Fame2.pdf) as well as school-community initiatives with its Excellence in Learning Partnerships awards. Nominations for 2008 awards are currently being accepted (see the nomination form at http://www.ahsca.ab.ca/pdfs/NomAHSCA%20Excellence %20in%20Learning%20Partnerships%20-07.pdf).

Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) Opportunities and Challenges from a Parent/School Council Perspective
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/special/aisi/csse/pscncil.asp
The AISI framework recognizes that: "nurturing students is the responsibility and privilege of a school community, which includes teachers, support staff, principals, parents, students, and community members"; and "school improvement is not a 'quick fix' activity, but rather an ongoing process that requires collaboration, commitment, and sustained support."

Several promising practices involving community partners have developed through AISI including: family literacy projects, projects that involve the community in enhancing teaching and learning strategies for English as a Second Language (ESL) students, independent learning projects that involve a community service component, and an inter-generational walk. For more information see the "Promising Practices" section of the AISI Clearinghouse.

Alexander Junior High School, Medicine Hat, Alberta, "Partners in Education"
http://ajhs.schools.sd76.ab.ca/PARTNERS/Partners.htm
Alexander Junior High School describes the many community partners they have engaged to ensure their students are well-served. From the City of Medicine Hat and the Palliser Health Authority to Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Monarch Cable and the Alberta Craft Council, each partner's contribution of services and expertise helps to enhance students' learning experiences.

Calgary Board of Education (CBE)
http://www.cbe.ab.ca
The Calgary Board of Education has several school-community partnerships underway including: corporate partnerships (e.g., Calgary Works, Fuel for School Program, Book Bags for Kids and KidCasters) and health partnerships (e.g., Community Outreach in Pediatrics/Psychiatry and Education (COPE) and Student Transition Service Project). More information about these partnerships and various partnership recognition activities can be found at http://www.cbe.ab.ca/partners/default.asp. CBE have also developed a guide to assist their schools in developing school-family-community partnerships (see Pathways to Partnership: Schools, Family and Community at http://www.cbe.ab.ca/partners/pathways/Pathways.pdf).

Canadian Education Association, Focus on Literacy, "Partnership Approach to Literacy"
http://www.cea-ace.ca/foo.cfm?subsection=lit&page=pra&subpage=pal;
http://www.nald.ca/pal/Start.htm
Begun as a pilot project in Pincher Creek, Alberta in 1989 with funding from the National Literacy Secretariat and the Alberta Government, the Partnership Approach to Literacy (PAL) is a non-profit tutoring model for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students (K-12). This model is based on research that has demonstrated that tutoring increases children's reading achievement, confidence and motivation, as well as their sense of control over their reading ability. Tutors, whether they are volunteers, peers, cross-age tutors or professionals, produce positive results.¹

The PAL program now involves over 500 trained literacy tutors and 7000 citizens in schools across Alberta (e.g., Grande Prairie, Crowsnest Pass, Fort Macleod, Claresholm, Nanton, Lethbridge, Rocky Mountain House, and Calgary). The program's web site offers resources including: a Coordinator's Guide; a Tutor Handbook; a twelve-hour tutor training CDROM, forms for referral, registration, parent contact, evaluation, and volunteer recognition; colour transparencies; and a web site for project and technical support.

¹ America Reads Challenge Resource Kit, U.S. Department of Education; http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/resourcekit/miscdocs/initiative.html; Retrieved September 2007

Healthy Alberta: Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund
http://www.healthyalberta.com
In May 2007 the Government of Alberta announced the Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund, a Healthy Alberta initiative which funds projects where schools, community organizations and public institutions work together to promote healthy school communities and to improve the health and wellness of school-aged children and youth. See the overview at http://www.healthyalberta.com/Documents/HealthySchool_Overview.pdf and the Guide for Applicants at http://www.healthyalberta.com/Documents/HealthySchool_Guidelines.pdf. The fund is being managed by the School of Public Health in partnership with the Alberta Coalition for Healthy School Communities.

Grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 will be awarded to projects that best meet funding criteria. The application deadline for large grant proposals was June 30th, 2007. Applications for smaller grants ($10,000 or less) will be available starting in fall 2007. For further information call (780) 415 2750.

Hope Foundation of Alberta, Hope Kids
http://www.ualberta.ca/HOPE/hopekids/hopekids.html
The Hope Foundation of Alberta, established as a charitable non-profit organization in May 1992, joins the strengths of the University of Alberta and the community to understand and enhance hope in individuals, families and institutions through practical and scholarly activities.

Research at the Hope Foundation, along with international research, demonstrates hope is a multi-dimensional concept that enables individuals to envision and actively move toward a more positive future. Hope is also the motivating factor behind resilience. Understanding the importance of teaching children and youth how to use hope to enhance their quality of life is behind the Foundation's Hope Kids initiative. Hope Kids, uses co-curricular and extra-curricular activities to help students develop, practice and demonstrate new attitudes and skills, and to work at becoming both independent and interdependent in a variety of different contexts.

Children and youth involved in this program along with an adult coordinator, volunteer to bring hope to those with whom they interact in the community. These may include seniors, residents in care centers, inner-city residents at food shelters or children in hospital settings. In addition to offering information about the Hope Kids initiative, the web site offers links to research and literature and information about the various community services they offer (e.g., counseling, workshops and presentations, and the Teacher Hope Initiative).

Native Counseling Services of Alberta, Community and Family Wellness
http://www.ncsa.ca/com_fam_well.asp
The goal of the Community and Family Wellness Programs is to facilitate, promote and advocate for Aboriginal community, family, and individual wellness through active partnerships. Information about their programs in Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie and other locations in Alberta can be found on their web site.

Public Legal Education Network of Alberta (PLENA), Youth Justice Renewal Initiative
http://plena.org/;
PLENA is a network of agencies and individuals who share a common interest in law and justice and strive to contribute to Albertan's knowledge and understanding of law and the justice system. At a recent forum in Red Deer, PLENA brought together several groups that exhibit innovation in youth justice including: Calgary Community Conferencing (http://www.calgarycommunityconferencing.com/); Cole's Kids (http://www.coleskids.org/); Uncles and Aunts at Large (http://www.unclesatlarge.ab.ca/index.htm). More information about how these community partners can work with your school can be found either in the September 27, 2007 issue of PLENA Network News Online (PNO) at http://plena.org/new/index.asp?id=199 or on each group's respective web site. For more information about other community partnerships see the PLENA report of the 2005 Kids and Crime Youth Justice Renewal Community Partnerships Forum at http://www.plena.org/pdf/ (ConnectingtheDots,CommunityPartnershipsForumReport2_205).pdf. Of particular interest is the roundtable discussion by those involved in community partnerships such as Chicks in Charge, YouthSafe, Alberta Mentoring Program, and Peace Builders Project.

Tools for School, Alberta
http://www.toolsforschool.ca/
In its thirteenth year, the Tools for School is an annual United Way initiative that encourages Edmontonians to donate school supplies to grade school students with limited resources. Last year, supplies for more than 5,000 students were collected and distributed to participating Alberta Capital Region schools. See the web site to learn more about how to contribute or how to become a school recipient of the supplies.