Smart Tools

The principal’s guide to building family-school partnerships

In the quest to improve student academic performance and strengthen family-school partnerships, the principal or school head can suggest activities that school communities can implement.

Activities across the whole school environment

  1. Promote a culture of welcoming within the school and students.
  2. Discover and remember families’ strengths and expertise when it comes to their contribution for the betterment of the school.
  3. Outline the roles of parents in decision-making as an equal partner of the school.
  4. Establish a parent network through the Parent-Teacher Community Association (PTCA) so parents can call each other for school events and activities.
  5. Establish a family area or a parent space in school premises.
  6. Open up the school to families by providing computer or sewing classes or homework classes for children and parents.
  7. Train both staff and parents on relevant issues like classroom support, Information and Communication Technology, among others.
  8. Organize events that promote student participation so families can watch and see their child’s contribution to the event’s success.
  9. Give joint-information sessions for both parents and students on study skills, career decision-making, college orientation, etc.
  10. Celebrate cultural days and involve families and the local community.
  11. Allot some time during staff meetings to explore new ways of improving communication with families.
  12. Publicize opportunities for family and community involvement throughout the school year.

Activities across the school curriculum

  1. Give families information sheets on what their children will learn for the school year, and how learning a particular lesson can involve their families.
  2. Provide an integrated curriculum that promotes a holistic approach to learning, so students will be equipped with English and math skills as well as communication, problem solving and decision making skills.
  3. Invite parents on field trips, Intramurals, outings or dances.
  4. Arrange regular informal meetings with parents to get to know their thoughts and possible concerns.

There are also several more resources for getting families and the schools more involved.

National Fatherhood Initiative offers programs, workshops, publications, and materials to encourage men to be involved, responsible, and committed fathers.

Parents and Teachers Talking Together (PT3) is a discussion process that includes a series of questions that participants discuss in small groups, then as one large group. The conversation begins when parents and teachers answer two questions: “What do we want for our students?” and “What do we need to do to get what we want?” Results include increased focus on school initiatives, deeper involvement, ideas for projects in individual schools, and increased understanding and appreciation of each group’s perspective.

Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School, published by the Harvard Family Research Project, provides a research base for why family engagement matters. It includes concrete program strategies for engaging families, case studies ofpromising family engagement efforts, and an evaluation tool for improving family engagement practices.

TIPS , or Teachers Involving Parents in Schoolwork, features homework assignments that require students to talk to someone at home about something interesting that they are learning in class. TIPS homework creates a three-way partnership among students, families, and teachers.

Creating Partnerships, Bridging Worlds: Family and Community Engagement, by the Center for Collaborative Education, offers research-based tools and strategies for helping schools, teachers, families, and communities partner to deepen student learning and engagement.

Sources:

“A guide to strengthening family–school partnerships.” Retrieved December 23, 2009 from
http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/drugstrategy/files/links/SFSP__Tool_8__Sample_activ.pdf
“Resources.” Retrieved December 23, 2009 from
http://www.thenewpress.com/resource_files/BeyondtheBakeS_070514144006_5181.pdf

(Published 11 January 2010, Smart Communications Inc.)