Alberta Education; “Alberta Regulation 113/2007: School Act – School Councils Regulation”; 2007;

School councils were first established in 1995 in order increase parent and community involvement in the education of Albertan children. They are composed primarily of the parents of enrolled students, but they may include other members of the community as well. School councils represent the parents’ and the communities’ primary avenue for advising the principal and school board respecting matters of education.

The School Councils Regulation 113/2007 underwent revision in 2007 in order to more accurately reflect what occurs at local school levels and to better identify opportunities for parents to become meaningfully involved in relevant school activities. This regulation sets forward the parameters and rules concerning the nature and activity of school councils.

Alberta Education; “Summary Report for Jurisdiction Accountability Pillar Surveys: Provincial Results 2004 to 2007”; Performance Measurement and Reporting Branch; May 2007;

This 2004 to 2007 summary report from the Performance Measurement and Reporting Branch presents seven categories of survey data which are used to track jurisdictions’ progress towards reaching their education goals against provincial standards as well as previous performance. The report summarizes survey data that is collected from teachers, parents, and students from January to March of each year. Category C.1 reports the percentage of parents and teachers satisfied with the level of parental involvement in decisions about their child’s education. From 2004 to 2007 the overall percentage of parents and teachers satisfied rose from 74.1 to 77.5. The jurisdiction breakdown of these survey results can be seen at http://education.alberta.ca/media/526300/summaryreportjuris2007.pdf.

Alberta Teachers’ Association; Grinder, Barbara; The Learning Team; Vol. 7, No. 1; “Parental Involvement in Schools”; 2005;

In this article Grinder discusses the importance and methods of parental participation in children’s education. She presents research that indicates that students get better grades and develop stronger social skills when parents are active participants in the educational process. She cites additional research that emphasizes that “schools can only succeed to the extent that the broader community’s efforts, especially those of the parents, also succeed.”

The author offers a variety of ways in which parents can get involved in their children’s education.

• Contact the school letting them know of your interests and availability. Show respect for teachers’ efforts.
• Learn teachers’ and schools’ rules and policies.
• Maintain healthy communications with teachers.
• Understand and be clear about your responsibilities and privileges

Harvard Family Research Project; The Evaluation Exchange: A Periodical on Emerging Strategies in Evaluation; “Building the Future of Family Involvement”; Spring 2008;

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange contains over thirty research articles on family involvement in education. In general, the articles illustrate that “investments in family involvement are important across ages and settings and through the co-constructed efforts and shared responsibilities of many stakeholders.” Several promising practices for building partnerships and increasing parental involvement are identified (e.g., see Promoting Parent–School Relationships During the Transition to Kindergarten). Advice from experts about strengthening family involvement policy is offered. The National Parent Teacher Association’s revised National Standards for Family-School Involvement are discussed. The issue also provides an annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to parental involvement. Although U.S.-focused, these articles provide practical and research-based information about building family-school partnerships.

Henderson and Mapp; “A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement”; Southwest Educational Development Laboratory; 2002;

This document, prepared by Henderson and Mapp, summarizes over a decade of research on family and community involvement. The authors present the findings and limitations of the research and make recommendations for action based on the findings. They offer nine main recommendations based on the research.

1. Recognize that all parents are involved in their child’s learning and want their children to do well in school.
2. Create programs that will support families to guide their children’s learning, from preschool through high school.
3. Work with families to build their social and political connections.
4. Develop the capacity of school staff to work with families and community members.
5. Link family and community engagement efforts to student learning.
6. Focus efforts to engage families and community members in developing trusting and respectful relationships.
7. Embrace a philosophy of partnership and be willing to share power with families. Make sure that parents, school staff, and community members understand that the responsibility for children’s educational development is a collaborative enterprise.
8. Build strong connections between schools and community organizations.
9. Design and conduct research that is more rigorous and focused, and that uses more culturally sensitive and empowering definitions of parent involvement.

Kaleidoscope Consulting; “Alberta School Council Effectiveness: Summary and Findings of the Provincial Consultation”; Alberta School Council Review Implementation Activities; 2004;

This study provides information about the effectiveness of school councils in Alberta, makes recommendations to improve school council effectiveness, and describes effective strategies used by the school councils that were involved in the study. The study lists recommendations for each of the following stakeholder groups. The authors recommend that Alberta Education

• Honours the unique situation of each council;
• Minimizes regulations and provides guidelines with rationales;
• Supports the development of sustainable councils; and
• Asks for and listens to input from school councils in the province.

The authors recommend that school jurisdictions

• Facilitate the formation and operation of empowered school councils;
• Recognize and support the leadership role of the principal;
• Encourage the use of regional gatherings to share information;
• Ask pertinent questions to stimulate productive dialogue and participation; and
• Help councils to understand how and where they can be involved.

The authors recommend that school councils

• Use quality planning to develop a clear focus, definite roles, and set objectives;
• Hold effective meetings, which requires utilizing strong leadership and facilitating a balance of reporting with discussion,

providing learning opportunities, and having defined outcomes;

• Utilize succession planning;
• Participate in informed discussions and engaging a problem solving approach;
• Seek input from the larger school community; and
• Raise awareness for the role and purpose of school councils.

The authors strongly recommend that all stakeholders

• Build strong and effective relationships that promote respect, collaboration, and participation. These relationships are critical to the success of the school councils and all stakeholders should take responsibility for constantly working at them.

Kerr, Gord; “Stimulating Parent Involvement to Stimulate Student Success”; presented at The Quest for Communities that Work: An International Symposium for Education and Community Leaders; Ontario; 2005;

This report discusses the results of a research project that studied whether school councils have the ability to influence the rate of parental participation in education (including what types of involvement that participation takes) and the ways in which Ontario’s parents preferred to be involved in their child’s education. The report concludes that a link between school councils’ activities and increased rates of parental involvement does exist. “A school principal and a school council working collaboratively to stimulate programs and activities within eight categories of parental involvement may be a method for school council participants to make a meaningful contribution within a community in support of student learning…” The report also confirms that the majority of parents, regardless of how they choose to participate, are interested in their children’s education. It may just take a variety of approaches and different communication strategies to reach most parents.

The authors recommend the development of a mechanism for measuring different types of parental participation. “Such a mechanism could be a valuable source of feedback to determine if initiatives are making a difference and identify areas where organizers might need to focus in order to further support parents and students.” The authors also provide the following four recommendations to school councils for stimulating parental involvement:

• Stimulate activity within eight strategic categories of involvement;
• Encourage volunteerism by adopting good volunteer management practices;
• Encourage and support parents who prefer to provide support to their children at home; and
• Design communications to account for the various informational needs of parents.

National Network of Partnership Schools; John Hopkins University; “Research Summaries”; 2008;

This link connects readers to a webpage containing research summaries and evaluations conducted by the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS). Founded and directed by Joyce Epstein, one of the leading researchers and writers on family and school partnerships, the NNPS encourages stakeholders to use research-based approaches to implement and support programs of family and community involvement that will increase student success in school.

NNPS lists its aims as follows: “to increase knowledge of concepts and strategies; use research results to develop tools and materials that will improve policy and practice; provide professional development conferences and workshops; share best practices of parental involvement and community connections; and recognize excellent partnership programs at the school, district, organization, and state levels.”

Of the research summaries available on this website, three are of particular note.

• The first is a summary of five years of NNPS research concerning the sustainability of research-based programs for fostering parental and community involvement. This report puts forward the essential elements of an effective program as well as the documented results of such a program (see http://www.csos.jhu.edu/P2000/pdf/Research%20Summary.pdf).
• The second is a summary of a study that monitored the relationship between district policies and leadership and practices of family and community involvement, and its corresponding impact on student achievement (see http://www.csos.jhu.edu/P2000/pdf/NICHD%20Progress%20Report%20Summary%2007.pdf).
• The third summary responds to the research question, “How can more families, indeed, all families, become involved in their children’s education in ways that contribute to student success?” (See (http://www.csos.jhu.edu/P2000/pdf/Literature%20Review%20-%20Epstein%20and%20Sheldon%2006.pdf.) In addition to presenting several research-based strategies to answer this question, the authors offer the following seven principles to guide researchers and to help educators, parents, and community partners work together better to support student achievement.
  1. “School, family, and community partnerships” is a preferred term than parental involvement.
  2. The concept of school, family, and community partnerships is multidimensional.
  3. A school, family, and community partnership program is an essential component of school and classroom organization.
  4. School, family, and community partnership programs require multi-level leadership.
  5. School, family, and community partnership programs must include a focus on improving student learning and development.
  6. School, family, and community partnership programs must address equity.
  7. Research methods related to school, family, and community partnerships must continuously improve.

The website also offers an index of research articles divided into specific topics and areas (http://www.csos.jhu.edu/P2000/Research/researchpubs.htm).

Pate & Andrews; “NMSA Research Summary: Parental Involvement”; National Middle School Association; August 2006;

In this article, Pate and Andrews summarize the conclusions from research on parental involvement in education. They begin by defining parental involvement as “having an awareness of and involvement in schoolwork, understanding of the interaction between parenting skills and student success in schooling, and a commitment to consistent communication with educators about student progress.” In addition to categorizing various forms of parental involvement, their summary lists the possible outcomes of parental involvement. Parental involvement

• Leads to improved educational performance;
• Fosters better student classroom behaviour;
• Fosters more ownership and commitment by parents to the school vision;
• Increases support of schools;
• Improves school attendance;
• Helps clarify the relationships between parent, student, and school; and
• Improves student emotional well-being.

They also recommend several research-supported strategies for fostering parental involvement including the following:

• Help parents understand what their children are learning at school;
• Give parents a voice in what happens to their children at school;
• Provide information about how parents can best support their children’s learning at home;
• Foster social connections among families and teachers;
• Build parental understanding of the education system;
• Provide access to social services and community agencies; and
• Identify and build on strengths in the community and among families.

Alberta Education; “Encouraging Parent Involvement: Building the Learning Team”; Individualized Program Planning; 2006;

This document offers strategies and resources for developing parental involvement in education in ways that consider the unique contexts of individual schools or regions. The first section of the document includes a discussion of the points at which parents can be involved in the individualized program planning (IPP) process.

The second section offers sample strategies for encouraging parental participation, increasing parents’ comfort levels at meetings, and handling conflicts and resolutions with parents. Parent resources as well as sample surveys, sample forms, and tips for parents participating in the IPP process are also included.

Alberta Home and School Councils’ Association;

The Alberta Home and School Councils’ Association (AHSCA) sees themselves as the “Parents’ Voice in Public Education.” They are committed to encouraging student success and positive change in education. This provincial association provides support for effective school councils by offering programs, resources, and services to parents. The AHSCA is composed of an elected body of fifteen volunteer members from across Alberta. Together, they help parents influence change in legislation, policy, and school programs. The AHSCA objectives are as follows:

• Provide resources, services, and opportunities to help parents advocate for their children;
• Support parental advocacy that results in a better public education system;
• Make parents meaningful partners in all sectors of public education;
• Encourage cooperation and support between parents in urban and rural settings; and
• Increase parent satisfaction with public education in Alberta.

The AHSCA 2008-11 Strategic Plan describes the association’s vision, mission, principles, and values. It also details what the AHSCA will focus in terms of representation, development, and communication.

Alberta Education and the Alberta Home and School Council’s Association (AHSCA) co-authored and released the Alberta School Council Manual to help guide the involvement of parents and communities in their children’s education. The manual is part of the “School Council Development (SCD) Program,” which provides workshops and support for parents, faculty members, trustees and others on the role of school councils. More information about the SCD program can be found at http://www.ahsca.ab.ca/scdp/aboutus.htm

Calgary Board of Education; “Partners”; 2008;

As part of an Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) project entitled “Partnerships that Impact Student Learning,” the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) provides opportunities for volunteer participation in the education system. The CBE is interested in developing community relationships with not-for-profit agencies, corporations, government agencies, parents, and other organizations with relevant interests. More information about how volunteers can get involved can be found at http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Parents/pdfs/Volunteer%20Information%20Booklet.pdf. This is just one example of how Alberta’s school districts are encouraging parental involvement in their schools.

National Parent Teacher Association; “Parent Involvement”; 2009;

The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) markets itself as the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the U.S. It attempts to provide families with a “powerful” voice to speak on behalf of children, bringing about the best tools and situations to help children be healthy, safe, and successful in school. The PTA states, “Parent involvement is crucial to the health and well-being of a child. As a parent, you are the most important influence in your child's success in school and in life. In this role, you have a fresh opportunity every day to get involved with your child. Parent involvement in children’s education allows kids to perform better in school, and navigate more easily some of the challenges of growing up, such as bullying.” To support this belief they put forward the following six standards for constructive family-school partnerships (http://www.pta.org/2112.htm):

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 the community.

The National PTA offers several resources for helping parents get and stay involved in their children’s education ranging from information about how to involve fathers and father figures, to strategies for building successful family-school partnerships. A bi-weekly PTA Parent Newsletter is also offered.

On its website, the PTA also forwards its six standards.

“Parents as Partners: Supporting Students in the 21st Century”; 2009;

“Parents as Partners” is a forum designed to help parents and educators discuss issues concerning education. It is intended to be both a resource and an opportunity for developing relationships with other concerned stakeholders. Spearheaded by Cindy Seibel, a former member of the Calgary Board of Education, the website helps parents discover the avenues and means of channeling their interests in their children’s education. It strongly encourages parental involvement in education. The site also offers a “How to Use a Blog” section for parents interested in participating in the discussions.

Cindy Seibel offers additional resources to support parents on her other websites. For example:

See Seibel’s blog at http://blog.tech4learning.ca/ which she describes as concerning technology and learning with a particular focus on parental involvement, the safety and security of new technologies for children, women and technology, and helping teachers and IT staff work together for the students’ benefits.

See “Parent 2.0: A Wiki Resource for Parents and Educators in a Technology-Enabled World” at http://parent20.wikispaces.com/.

See Seibel’s companion to this wiki, “Parent 2.0 Interactive” at http://parent20.tech4learning.ca/. The interactive website is designed to present a definition for online parent portals, present discussions concerning the development of a K-12 parent portal and host the K-12 Parent Portal Implementation Guide.