Principals Matter: A Guide to School, Family, and Community Partnerships

by Steven B. Sheldon, Mavis G. Sanders

Overview

Research has shown that strong principal leadership is critical to developing effective school partnerships that include diverse school, family and community members. This book provides administrators with a clear road map for initiating partnership programs that are goal-focused, equitable, and sustainable.
In this research-based resource, the authors highlight the work of principals who have cultivated successful partnerships across many settings to show other school leaders how they can develop the necessary supportive school cultures. Examining the administrator's role in the success and quality of home-school partnerships and student outcomes, this guidebook:

• Synthesizes research on principal leadership, school and community partnerships, and urban education reform
• Discusses the role of fathers in children’s learning and working with families that live in poverty, are linguistically diverse, or have children with disabilities
• Offers practical recommendations for evaluating and refining partnership programs to ensure they are linked with student achievement goals

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781634507134
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	04/26/2016
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Mavis G. Sanders is assistant professor of education in the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education, research scientist at the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), and senior advisor to the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Steven B. Sheldon is a research scientist with the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships and director of research of NNPS at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of many publications on the implementation and effects of programs for family and community involvement. His work explores how the quality and outreach of school programs of partnerships affect parents’ responses and student outcomes, such as student attendance, math achievement, student behavior, reading, and state achievement test scores. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

About the Authors ix

Introduction: Standards for School, Family, and Community Partnerships 1

Part I Laying the Foundation 7

1 Policy, Theory, and Research on School, Family, and Community Partnerships 9

Partnerships and Academic Outcomes 12

Partnerships and Nonacademic Outcomes 20

Why This Matters for Principals 23

Reflection Questions 24

2 Reculturing Schools for School, Family, and Community Partnerships 25

Schools as Community Institutions 25

Developing a Coordinated Program of School, Family, and Community Partnerships 27

Principal Leadership and School Outcomes 28

Obstacles to Effective School, Family, and Community' Partnerships 29

Steps Toward Recultured Schools 32

Why This Matters for Principals 39

Reflection Questions 40

Part II Responding to Diversity 41

3 Fathers and School, Family, and Community Partnerships 43

Why Fathers Matter 43

Father Demographics 45

The Role of Fathers 46

Guidelines for Developing Partnership Efforts to Involve Fathers 48

Practical Partnership Activities 51

Why This Matters for Principals 56

Reflection Questions 57

4 Families of Children with Disabilities and School, Family, and Community Partnerships 59

IDEA and Children with Disabilities 60

District and School Outreach to Families of Children with Disabilities 60

Specific Needs and Experiences of Families of Children with Disabilities 61

Engagement Strategies for Families of Children with Disabilities 65

Creating Inclusive Environments for Families of Children with Disabilities 73

Why This Matters for Principals 75

Reflection Questions 76

5 Linguistically Diverse Families and School, Family, and Community Partnerships 77

Growth in Immigration and Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students and Families 77

LEP Students and Families 78

LEP Students and NCLB 79

Strategies to Facilitate the Involvement of LEP Families 80

Culturally Intelligent Principal Leadership 88

Why This Matters for Principals 89

Reflection Questions 90

6 Families Living in Poverty and School, Family, and Community Partnerships 91

Challenges Faced by Low-Income Families 91

Avoiding a Deficit Perspective 93

A Collaborative Approach 94

Why This Matters for Principals 105

Reflection Questions 106

Part III Maximizing Outcomes 107

7 Evaluating Programs of School, Family, and Community Partnerships 109

Planning an Evaluation 110

Collecting Data 116

Presenting the Findings 121

Why This Matters for Principals 121

Reflection Questions 122

Concluding Thoughts 123

References 127

Index 141