A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

"The more parent involvement there is, the more teachers are aware of parents and what they are really like...They were just imagining (negative) relationships when there were not any at all."

--School Neighborhood Worker

In 1988, the district "reinvented" education for middle grade students, offering them a choice of approaches that included schools-within-schools, magnet schools, and other choices. Family partnership initiatives also began in 1988. A Parent Involvement Program office was established and a new director and staff were appointed. This group contacted each school and organized groups within the schools to determine what the optimal approach to parent involvement should be. They determined that it was important to meet not only the children's needs, but those of families. They instituted programs for adult/child learning in the home, and for parent education. All programs were planned to be directly responsive to expressed interests.

The office hired two people to work in each school for parent involvement, and three staff to work as neighborhood liaisons for the schools. Each staff member strives to create a family type atmosphere to make parents feel welcome. This goal was furthered through the training of all school personnel on parent involvement goals, including school secretaries and security guards. Parents are connected to the larger community to have their social service, health, and other basic needs met. The Parent Involvement Program office also offers adult education courses to help parents get their GEDs to enhance their employability. Other workshops are designed to meet perceived district needs. These included workshops on conflict resolution, adolescent behavior, and gang resistance. Leadership programs for parents are also offered, and significant guidance is given by the Parent Involvement Program office staff.

Family partnerships in the middle grades are not the same as with elementary grades. Parents and family members are less apt to volunteer in the school or even to work with their children at home. The reasons given are that children need to take more responsibility for their own education, and that the presence of parents in the schools would only serve as a source of embarrassment for the child. Parents instead choose to become more involved in adult education and advocacy opportunities at this time. This is seen as part of the developmental cycle of the family.

Lessons

1. Family and community partnerships are viewed as a "system."

   Adult/Child Learning Activities were considered as a first step to be used to engage parents' interest in becoming involved with the school; they are insufficient in and of themselves to sustain long term involvement and meet families' needs.

2. This system must attempt to integrate schools, families, and the community both "vertically" and "horizontally."

   Vertical connections exist between the home, school, and community; the Parent Involvement Program often acts as a link to other service providers. Horizontal integration occurs over the "life cycle" of schooling; parents are able to see important instructional goals for their children as they move from grade to grade.

3. The partnership system has relatively clear developmental aspects.

   The nature of school/family partnerships changes as both children and families mature. District 3 responded to these developmental changes by providing a variety of activities to meet the evolving needs of the families it serves.

4. Partnerships are established with the district as a whole.

   Parents/families are linked to the district through their participation in the program; schools serve as a set of resources for parents to further their children's achievement, their own individual achievement, or the achievement of the whole family.

[Shelburne School District (Shelburne, Vermont)]

[Natchez-Adams School District (Natchez, Mississippi)]