Supporting Students' Literacy Development

1. Supporting Students' Literacy Development Through School-Community Partnerships

2. Presenter Mavis G. Sanders, Ph.D. Professor of Education/Senior Adviser, National Network of Partnership Schools University of Maryland, Baltimore County msanders@umbc.edu

3. Literacy Develops within Multiple Contexts School, Family, and Community Partnerships are one strategy to facilitate children’s literacy development and growth.

4. School, Family, and Community Partnerships Have Been Linked to… • Higher student achievement and graduation rates, and improved student behavior and school attendance. • More after-school activities that support student achievement and social and emotional development. • More welcoming, better resourced, and higher functioning schools to address the needs and concerns of students, families, faculty, staff, and the larger community. • Mapp & Henderson, 2002

5. What Are School, Family, and Community Partnerships? School, Family, and Community Partnerships - A philosophy, culture, and process that emphasizes the overlapping influence that stakeholders in each context have on the education and well-being of children and adults.

6. Epstein’s Framework of 6 Types of Involvement Comprehensive partnership programs have activities that support the following types of engagement: Type 1 – Parenting Type 2 – Communicating Type 3 – Volunteering Type 4 – Learning at Home Type 5 – Decision Making Type 6 – Collaborating with the Community

7. Why 6 Types of Involvement

8. Type 1 - Parenting Activities to assist families in: Providing housing, health, nutrition, clothing and safety Sharing information and activities to help schools understand children and families Developing parenting skills for all age levels

9. Type 2 - Communicating Information to help families: Understand educational programs and children’s progress Understand student assessments Choose or change appropriate schools/educational programs Opportunities for families to: Express concerns, and expectations Offer insights and guidance

10. Type 3 - Volunteering • Support families ‘ involvement in schools or organizations: Toassist administrators, teachers, students, or parents as mentors, coaches, boosters, monitors, lecturers, chaperones, tutors, leaders, or in other ways Toattend assemblies, performances, sports events, recognition and award ceremonies, celebrations and other events

11. Type 4 – Learning at Home Support family involvement in academic activities at home: Help with and monitor homework Understand skills required to pass/master each subject Guide curriculum and career-related decisions Support the development of other skills and talents

12. Type 5 – Decision Making • Family participation in school: Advisory groups Planning committees Program-related decisions

13. Type 6 – Collaborating with the Community • Connections with the community for needed services, resources, and support (e.g., student/family incentives; equipment; professional development; tutoring; etc.); assists schools in implementing practices for the other 5 types of involvement • Connections that contribute to the community (e.g., community gardens; environmental projects; food and blood drives; community health fairs; community concerts; etc.)

14. Types of Community Partners • Business/Corporations • Universities and Educational Institutions • Health Care Organizations • Government and Military Agencies • National Service and Volunteer Organizations • Faith Organizations • Senior Citizens Organizations • Cultural and Recreational Institutions • Media Organizations • Charitable Organizations • Sports Franchises and Associations • Social Service Agencies • Other Community Organizations (e.g., Sororities, Fraternities, Neighborhood Assocs.) • Community Individuals

15. Partnership Activity Foci • Student-centered (E.g., tutoring, job shadowing, incentives) • Family-centered (E.g., parent information workshops, GED and other adult education classes) • School-centered (E.g., equipment and materials, teacher incentives and awards, beautification/repair) • Community-centered (E.g., charity and other outreach; community beautification, student exhibits/performances)

16. Range of Complexity (From Simple to Complex) Simple Partnerships (E.g., Incentives for school activities; donation of school materials/supplies) • Short-term • Uni-directional exchange • Low level of interaction • Limited planning Complex Partnerships (E.g., Full service schools; Professional development schools) • Long-term • Bi- or multi-directional exchange • High level of interaction • Extensive planning and coordination

17. School, Family, and Community Partnerships: From Concept to Practice • http://vimeo.com/24586755

18. Planning and Organizing School, Family, and Community Partnerships

19. Factors Influencing the Success of Community Partnerships Student- centered Culture Effective Partnership Team High Functioning School Successful Community Partnerships External Support Principal Leadership

20. Some External Supports…. • National • The National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) • http://www.partnershipschools.org

21. Questions ???????…..

22. Resources Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M., Sheldon, S., Simon, B., Salinas, K., Jansorn, N., Van Voorhis, F., Martin, C., Thomas, B., Greenfeld, M., Hutchins, D., Williams, K. (2009). School, family and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. (www.partnershipschools.org) Mapp & Henderson (2002). A new wave of evidence. www.sedl.org/connections/resources/evidence.pdf Sanders, M. (2005). Building School-Community Partnerships: Collaboration for Student Success. Corwin Press. Dryfoos & Maguire (2002). Inside Full-Service Community Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.