Full Description
How can we partner with our communities to improve school programs and increase students' success?
This current era of high stakes testing, accountability, and shrinking educational budgets demands that schools seek bold and innovative ways to build strong learning environments for all students. Community involvement is a powerful tool in generating resources that are essential for educational excellence.
Building School-Community Partnerships: Collaboration for Student Success emphasizes the importance of community involvement for effective school functioning, student support and well-being, and community health and development. This sharp, insightful book serves as an excellent resource for educators seeking to establish school-community partnerships to achieve goals for their schools and the students, families, and communities they serve. Schools can collaborate with a wide variety of community partners to obtain the resources they need to achieve important goals for students' learning. Some of these partners may include:
Businesses and corporations
Universities and other institutions of higher learning
National and local volunteer organizations
Social service agencies and health partners
Faith-based organizations and institutions
Work successfully with community partners to improve school programs and curricula, strengthen families, and expand your students' learning experiences!
Contents
Foreword by Joyce L. Epstein
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1. Community Involvement: Why and What?
Rationales for Community Involvement in Schools
Community Involvement in Schools: Form and Fashion
Obstacles to Community Partnerships
Summary
2. A Closer Look at Common Community Partnerships
Business Partnerships
University Partnerships
Service Learning Partnerships
School-Linked Service Integration
Faith-Based Partnerships
Summary
3. Components of Successful Community Partnerships
High-Functioning Schools
Student-Centered Learning Environments
Effective Partnership Teams
Principal Leadership
External Support
Summary
4. Building Capacity for Successful Community Partnerships: A Vignette
The School
The Goal
The Team
The Project
The Community Partners
The Results
Lessons Learned
Summary
5. Bringing the Community In: An Elementary School Story
Background
Community Partners
Commitment to Students' Learning
Principal Leadership
Action Team for Partnerships
Welcoming School Climate
Two-Way Communication
Summary
6. Creating Closer Community Ties: A High School Study
Background
Principal Leadership
A Student Focus
Community Partners and Activities
Summary
7. Promising Practices for Community Partnerships
Activity 1: Goal--Improve Reading (2004)
Activity 2: Goal--Improve Math Skills (2003)
Activity 3: Goal--Increase Students' Awareness of Career Opportunities (2001)
Activity 4: Goal--Improve Ninth-Grade Performance on State Proficiency Exam (2002)
Activity 5: Goal--Improve Student Writing and Technology Skills (2002)
Activity 6: Goal--Improve Student Reading (2002)
Activity 7: Goal--Improve School Landscaping (2002)
Activity 8: Goal--Provide Community Service (2002)
Activity 9: Goal--Improve Student Oral and Written Communication (2004)
Activity 10: Goal--Improve Facilities for Students With Disabilities (2004)
Activity 11: Goal--Improve Student Science Skills (2000)
Activity 12: Goal--Provide Afterschool Activities for Middle School Students (2000)
Summary
8. Preparing Educational Leaders for Community Partnerships: A Workshop Agenda
Building Community Partnerships Agenda
Summary
9. Concluding Thoughts
Resource A: Sample Activities
Activity 1: Locating Community Partners
Activity 2: Improving the Partnership Process
Activity 3: Improving Community Partnership Quality
Activity 4: Garnering Principal Support for Partnerships
Resource B: Sample Letters
Sample Letter 1: Partnership Communication
Sample Letter 2: Partnership Activity Follow-Up
Endnotes
References
Index
