Key Idea Administrators set the tone and assist staff in creating a school environment conducive to strong school-parent partnerships.

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Role of administrators

• Provide information to stakeholders about district and school parent involvement goals.
• Include parent involvement information in school communications.
• Communicate with local businesses and agencies about parent involvement efforts.
• Provide resources to support parent involvement efforts.

Instruments for teachers to collect information about families

• Welcome questionnaire
• Homework survey
• Needs assessment
• Survey of child’s interests and talents

Strategies for SEAs

• Provide professional development on skills to address specific communities.
• Provide sample questionnaires and surveys.
• Provide resources and research to administrators to assist them in creating an environment conducive to strong school-parent partnerships.

Resources

All Your Parents - Part 4: Provide Information and Strategies from the National Center for Family Literacy

Parent Involvement: When Mom and Dad Go to School from the National Center for Family Literacy

Christianson, S., & Sheridan, S. (2001). School and families: Creating essential connections for learning. New York: Guilford Press.

Ferguson, C. (2005). Reaching out to diverse populations: What can schools do to foster family-school connections? Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Retrieved June 20, 2008, from www.sedl.org/connections/resources/rb/rb5-diverse.pdf

Henderson, A., Mapp, K., Johnson, V., & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the bake sale. New York: The New Press.

Henderson, A., & Mapp, K. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

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