nomeSchoo| Co||aborat|on Lstab||sh|ng

artnersh|ps to Lnhance Lducat|ona| Cutcomes

1he naLlonal AssoclaLlon of School sychologlsLs ls commlLLed Lo lncreaslng Lhe academlc behavloral and soclal compeLence of all sLudenLs
Lhrough effecLlve homeschool parLnershlps Such parLnershlps lnvolve collaboraLlon among famllles educaLors and communlLy members Lo
supporL sLudenLs educaLlonal and menLal healLh needs unllke LradlLlonal parenL lnvolvemenL acLlvlLles LhaL emphaslze passlve supporL roles for
parenLs famllyschool collaboraLlon lnvolves famllles and educaLors acLlvely worklng LogeLher Lo develop shared goals and plans LhaL supporL Lhe
success of all sLudenLs

8eneflLs of CollaboraLlon

When famllles are lnvolved ln educaLlon Lhere are slgnlflcanL beneflLs for sLudenLs educaLors and famllles SLudenLs demonsLraLe more poslLlve
aLLlLudes Loward school and learnlng hlgher achlevemenL and LesL scores lncreased homework compleLlon and lmproved school aLLendance
1eachers reporL greaLer [ob saLlsfacLlon and hlgher evaluaLlon raLlngs from parenLs and admlnlsLraLors arenLs experlence beLLer undersLandlng of
schools and
lmproved communlcaLlon wlLh Lhelr chlldren AlLhough lL cannoL be shown LhaL famlly parLlclpaLlon causes Lhese beneflLs Lhese poslLlve ouLcomes
have been documenLed across famllles from dlverse eLhnlc and socloeconomlc backgrounds

Challenges of CollaboraLlon

uesplLe Lhese many beneflLs famllyschool collaboraLlon ls very dlfflculL Lo aLLaln lamllles and educaLors ofLen dlffer ln Lhelr expecLaLlons goals
and communlcaLlon paLLerns someLlmes leadlng Lo frusLraLlon and mlsundersLandlng among sLudenLs famllles and educaLors When Lhese
dlfferences are noL recognlzed and addressed a lack of communlcaLlon beLween home and school furLher dlvldes and separaLes Lhe Lwo mosL vlLal
supporL sysLems avallable Lo Lhe sLudenL Cpen communlcaLlon ls essenLlal ln order for educaLors and famllles Lo undersLand and respecL each
oLhers perspecLlves

LsLabllshlng LffecLlve arLnershlps

1he role of schools

Worklng LogeLher Loward shared goals wlLh shared power ls Lhe essenLlal characLerlsLlc of effecLlve homeschool collaboraLlon 1he process
requlres ongolng plannlng developmenL and evaluaLlon lL also requlres Lhe allocaLlon of adequaLe resources Lo asslsL famllles and Leachers ln
fulfllllng Lhelr parLnershlp roles Schools musL Lake Lhe lead ln provldlng opporLunlLles for collaboraLlve parLnershlps Lo be developed and susLalned
Lhrough rovldlng a poslLlve envlronmenL lL ls Lhe schools responslblllLy Lo provlde a welcomlng envlronmenL for all famllles 1he school musL
send conslsLenL messages Lo famllles LhaL Lhelr conLrlbuLlons Lo formlng effecLlve parLnershlps are valued LfforLs are made Lo work collaboraLlvely
wlLh all famllles lncludlng Lhose whose prlmary language ls noL Lngllsh and Lhose wlLh llmlLed llLeracy skllls SupporLlng Lhe efforLs of famllles and
educaLors lamlly parLlclpaLlon lncreases when such parLlclpaLlon ls promoLed by Lhe school Schools can encourage collaboraLlon by ellclLlng and
undersLandlng famllles perspecLlves and expecLaLlons MulLlple opLlons for parLlclpaLlon should be made avallable wlLh Lhe recognlLlon LhaL
lndlvldual famllles wlll supporL Lhelr chlldren ln dlfferenL ways Schools can fosLer an open dlalogue beLween home and school and should provlde
opporLunlLles for famllles Lo have declslonmaklng roles ln school governance 8esources musL be provlded by Lhe school Lo supporL Lhe
collaboraLlve efforLs of famllles and educaLors (eg release Llme for Leachers Lo meeL wlLh famllles ln Lhe communlLy developmenL of a famlly
supporL room ln Lhe school)

lncreaslng Lhe undersLandlng of dlverslLy lamllles come ln many shapes and slzes wlLh mulLlple perspecLlves expecLaLlons and communlcaLlon
sLyles Schools need Lo provlde educaLlon Lo sLaff and famllles LhaL encourages undersLandlng and celebraLlon of dlverse famlly forms culLures and
eLhnlclLles When schools and famllles make Lhe efforL Lo undersLand and educaLe each oLher Lhey ofLen flnd more slmllarlLles Lhan dlfferences
CollaboraLlon ls based ln Lhe assumpLlon LhaL famllles chlldren and educaLors are dolng Lhe besL Lhey can efforLs are made Lo undersLand oLhers
behavlor and lnLenLlons raLher Lhan [udge Lhem as rlghL or wrong romoLlng a vlew of educaLlon as a shared responslblllLy Pomeschool
collaboraLlon ls noL an acLlvlLy lL ls a process LhaL guldes Lhe developmenL of goals and plans When collaboraLlon ls characLerlzed by open
communlcaLlon muLually agreed upon goals and [olnL declslonmaklng educaLlon becomes shared responslblllLy 1ogeLher famllles and educaLors
can dlscuss expecLaLlons for sLudenL achlevemenL and Lhelr respecLlve roles ln helplng sLudenLs meeL Lhese expecLaLlons Lhey can develop
programs Lo promoLe effecLlve homeschool communlLy parLnershlps LhaL supporL poslLlve academlc behavloral and soclal compeLencles ln all
sLudenLs and Lhey can engage ln efforLs Lo lncrease muLual respecL undersLandlng carlng and
flexlblllLy among famllles and Lhe school communlLy When problems arlse Lhey are addressed [olnLly by famllles sLudenLs and educaLors ln a
respecLful soluLlonfocused manner

1he role of famllles

Chlldrearlng ls boLh complex and dlfflculL lndlvldual famllles face mulLlple challenges wlLh unlque seLs of resources skllls and preferences
1herefore lL ls unreallsLlc and poLenLlally damaglng Lo famllyschool relaLlonshlps Lo Lake a one slze flLs all approach Lo collaboraLlon 8oles for
famllles should be broadly concelved buL lndlvldually applled 1haL ls educaLors and famllles should work LogeLher Lo develop an array of
opporLunlLles for famllles Lo parLlclpaLe meanlngfully ln Lhelr chlldrens educaLlon Such opporLunlLles should be offered wlLh Lhe knowledge LhaL
famllles wlll dlffer ln Lhelr cholces Lhese dlfferences musL be undersLood Lo reflecL lndlvldual famllles needs and preferences oLenLlal avenues for
famlly parLlclpaLlon may lnclude buL are noL llmlLed Lo

* AcLlve lnvolvemenL ln school declslons and governance

* arLlclpaLlon aL school as volunLeers and commlLLee members

* LncouragemenL of lelsure readlng wlLh Lhelr chlldren

* arLlclpaLlon ln school funcLlons aLhleLlcs and oLher exLracurrlcular acLlvlLes

* MonlLorlng homework compleLlon

* 8egular communlcaLlon wlLh school personnel abouL Lhelr chllds progress

* lrequenL communlcaLlon wlLh Lhelr chlldren abouL academlc and behavloral expecLaLlons and progress

* arLlclpaLlon as fully lnformed declslonmaklng members of problemsolvlng Leams (eg lL Leams)

* arLlclpaLlon ln adulL educaLlonal opporLunlLles offered by Lhe school

* AcLlve supporL of Lhe school Lhrough communlcaLlon sharlng resources and seeklng parLnershlp wlLh educaLors

1he role of Lhe school psychologlsL

nAS encourages school psychologlsLs Lo Lake parL ln naLlonal sLaLe and local efforLs Lo deflne parenL lnvolvemenL ln educaLlon as Lrue
collaboraLlve parLnershlps among homes schools and communlLles School psychologlsLs need Lo advocaLe for lncreased homeschool
collaboraLlon and ldenLlfy sLraLegles Lo encourage famlly parLlclpaLlon by

* LsLabllshlng schoolbased Leams conslsLlng of parenLs educaLors and communlLy members LhaL assess needs develop prlorlLles and plans and
lmplemenL [olnL efforLs Lo lmprove educaLlonal ouLcomes for sLudenLs

* Servlng as a llalson Lo supporL communlcaLlon among homes schools and communlLles

* Lnsurlng Lhe meanlngful parLlclpaLlon of famllles ln speclal educaLlon processes by provldlng declslonmaklng opporLunlLles for famllles ln
assessmenL lnLervenLlon and program plannlng acLlvlLles

* rovldlng dlrecL servlce Lo famllles regardlng sLraLegles LhaL promoLe academlc behavloral and soclal success across envlronmenLs

* Worklng wlLh admlnlsLraLors Lo ensure LhaL sufflclenL resources are allocaLed Lo famllyschool collaboraLlon efforLs

* ursulng and promoLlng conLlnulng educaLlon on Loplcs such as famlly lnLervenLlons mulLlculLural lssues models of homeschool collaboraLlon
and parenL educaLlon

Summary

Pomeschool collaboraLlon leads Lo lmproved sLudenL achlevemenL beLLer behavlor beLLer aLLendance hlgher selfconcepL and more poslLlve
aLLlLudes Loward school and learnlng Successful homeschool collaboraLlon ls dependenL upon educaLors famllles and communlLy members
worklng LogeLher Lo undersLand each oLhers perspecLlves and Lo develop shared goals nAS ls commlLLed Lo supporLlng collaboraLlon among
famllles educaLors and communlLy members Lo promoLe poslLlve educaLlonal ouLcomes for all chlldren and youLh

@he Cver|app|ng Spheres of Inf|uence Mode|
lnsplred by Lhe ecologlcal model of 8ronfenbrenner (1979 1986) and deslgned from a soclal and organlzaLlonal perspecLlve (LlLwak Meyer 1974
Seeley 1981 clLed ln LpsLeln 1987 1992 1996) Lhe overlapplng spheres of lnfluence model emphaslzes Lhe cooperaLlon and complemenLarlLy of
schools and famllles and encourages
communlcaLlon and collaboraLlon beLween Lhe Lwo lnsLlLuLlons (LpsLeln 1987 1996) 1hls model conslsLs of spheres represenLlng Lhe famlly and
Lhe school LhaL may be pushedLogeLher or pulled aparL by Lhree forces Llme (lorce A) Lhe characLerlsLlcs phllosophlesand pracLlces of Lhe famlly
(lorce 8) and Lhose of Lhe school (lorce C) 1hese forces mayor may noL help creaLe occaslons for shared acLlvlLles beLween Lhe school and Lhe
famlly
We noLe for example LhaL Lhe spheres overlap Lo a greaLer exLenL durlng a sLudenL's preschool and prlmary school years (lorce A) Llkewlse when
parenLs parLlclpaLe ln Lhe educaLlon of Lhelr chlld (lorce 8) Lhe zone of lnLeracLlon beLween Lhe Lwo spheres lncreases 1he same scenarlo ls
repeaLed when Lhe Leacher's acLlvlLles encourage parenLal lnvolvemenL ln schoollng (lorce C) lnLeracLlon beLween Lhe Lwo spheres ls aL a
maxlmum when Lhe school and Lhe famlly funcLlon as genulne parLners wlLhln an overall program LhaL lncludes a number of shared acLlvlLles 1he
model emphaslzes reclproclLy among Leachers famllles and sLudenLs and recognlzes LhaL sLudenLs are acLlve agenLs ln schoolfamlly relaLlons A
Leacher may for example sollclL parenLal lnvolvemenL by
asklng chlldren Lo quesLlon members of Lhelr famllles abouL Lhe klnds of work Lhey do 1he model assumes LhaL an exchange of skllls ablllLles and
lnLeresLs beLween parenLs and Leachers LhaL ls based upon muLual respecL and a sharlng of common goals wlll beneflL chlldren's learnlng and
developmenL (LpsLeln 1996 2001) Schoolfamlly parLnershlp acLlvlLles have been grouped lnLo a Lypology conslsLlng of slx caLegorles
(a) parenLs' baslc obllgaLlons Lowards Lhelr chlldren (Lype 1) such as supervlslonguldance and Lhe provlslon of needed maLerlals
(b) Lhe school's baslc obllgaLlons Lowards chlldren and Lhelr famllles (Lype 2) such as communlcaLlons Lo parenLs abouL school programs and
sLudenLs' progress
(c) parenLal lnvolvemenL aL school (Lype 3) shown by Lhe volunLeerlng of parenLs ln Lhe classroom and Lhelr aLLendance aL speclal evenLs
(d) parenLal lnvolvemenL ln home learnlng (Lype 4) lncludlng help wlLh school work dlscusslons abouL school encouragemenL compllmenLs eLc
(e) parenLal lnvolvemenL ln declslonmaklng (school school commlsslon eLc) (Lype 3)whlch refers among oLher Lhlngs Lo parenLs' lnvolvemenL ln
Lhe school councll and
(f) collaboraLlon wlLh Lhe communlLy (Lype 6)LhaL ls exchanges among parenLs wlLhln Lhe same communlLy (LpsLeln 1992 1996)
arenLs who are less lnvolved ln Lhe schoollng of Lhelr chlldren are usually from nonLradlLlonal famllles wlLh lower levels of educaLlon (lorce 8)
(uornbusch 8lLLer 1992 ueslandes oLvln Leclerc 1999) 1hese parenLs generally Lend Lo help a chlld more ln prlmary Lhan secondary school
and Lo glve more aLLenLlon Lo one who ls dolng well or beglnnlng Lo have problems Lhan one who has been experlenclng longsLandlng dlfflculLles
(lorce A) (Lccles Parold 1996) Cf Lhe varlables examlned Lhe acLlvlLles lmplemenLed by Lhe school LhaL ls schoolfamlly parLnershlp programs
have proved Lo be Lhe besL predlcLors of parenLal lnvolvemenL (lorce C) (uauber LpsLeln 1993) ln oLher words parenLs become more lnvolved
ln Lhelr chlldren's educaLlon aL home and aL school when Lhey percelve LhaL Lhelr collaboraLlon ls acLlvely encouraged by Lhe Leachers and Lhe
school 1aklng as a gulde Lhe overlapplng spheres of lnfluence model wlLh lLs Lypology of schoolfamlly parLnershlp acLlvlLles we recenLly dld a
sLudy comparlng Lhe levels of lnvolvemenL of parenLs of sLudenLs ln Lhe regular secondary lll program (n323) wlLh Lhose of parenLs of sLudenLs ln
speclal educaLlon (n112) (ueslandes 8oyer oLvln Leclerc 1999) 1he laLLer group was composed of sLudenLs wlLh learnlng dlfflculLles or
behavloral problems who were aL leasL Lwo years behlnd ln school As reporLed ln Lhe educaLlonal llLeraLure Lhe famllles of problem sLudenLs had
lower levels of educaLlon and Lended Lo be nonLradlLlonal (slngleparenL blended or oLher) 1he resulLs showed slgnlflcanL dlfferences ln Lhe level
of lnvolvemenL of Lhe Lwo groups of parenLs parLlcularly wlLh respecL Lo acLlvlLles caLegorlzed as Lype 1 (eg parenLal supervlslon) Lype 3 (eg
lnvolvemenL ln Lhe school acLlvlLles of Lhe sLudenL) and Lype 4 (eg home lnvolvemenL such as help wlLh homework dlscusslons and
encouragemenL) Slnce Lhese are Lhe very Lypes of parenLal lnvolvemenL LhaL have a poslLlve effecL on school performance accordlng Lo sLudenLs'
percepLlons how can Lhese dlfferences be explalned? lor an answer we musL look beyond LpsLeln's model Lo Lhe model of parenLal lnvolvemenL
deslgned by Poover uemsey and Sandler (1993 1997) whlch seems Lo offer addlLlonal or aL leasL more deLalled ways of examlnlng Lhe lssue

@he mode| of parenta| |nvo|vement
Shaped ln parL by 8ronfenbrenner's ecologlcal model (1976 1986) and based upon Lhe resulLs of psychologlcal and soclologlcal sLudles Lhe model
of Pooveruempsey and Sandler (1993 1997) examlnes Lhe process of parenLal lnvolvemenL beglnnlng wlLh parenLs' declslon Lo become lnvolved
(Lable 2) 1he model whlch ls read from boLLom Lo Lop reasons LhaL parenLs declde Lo parLlclpaLe when Lhey undersLand LhaL collaboraLlon ls parL
of Lhelr role as parenLs when Lhey belleve Lhey can poslLlvely lnfluence Lhelr chlld's educaLlon and when Lhey percelve LhaL Lhe chlld and Lhe
school wlsh Lhem Lo be lnvolved 1he model suggesLs LhaL once parenLs make Lhe declslon Lo parLlclpaLe Lhey choose speclflc acLlvlLles shaped by
Lhelr percepLlon of Lhelr own skllls and ablllLles oLher demands on Lhelr Llme and energy and speclflc lnvlLaLlons Lo lnvolvemenL from chlldren
Leachers and schools 1he model also holds LhaL parenLal lnvolvemenL lnfluences chlldren's educaLlonal ouLcomes by means of modellng
relnforcemenL and lnsLrucLlon Lhree mechanlsms whlch are ln Lurn medlaLed by Lhe developmenLal approprlaLeness of parenLs' sLraLegles and
Lhe flL beLween parenLs' acLlons and Lhe expecLaLlons of Lhe school 1he goal of parenLal lnvolvemenL here ls lLs lnfluence on Lhe chlld's educaLlonal
ouLcomes parLlcularly hls or her knowledge skllls and sense of efflcacy for succeedlng ln school lor Lhe purposes of Lhls sLudy our dlscusslon wlll
be llmlLed Lo Lhe flrsL level of Lhls model AL Lhe flrsL level Lhe model suggesLs LhaL parenLs' declslon Lo become lnvolved ln Lhelr chlld's educaLlon
varles accordlng Lo
1) Lhelr consLrucLlon of Lhe parenLal role
2) Lhelr sense of efflcacy for helplng Lhelr chlld succeed and
3) Lhe lnvlLaLlons demands and opporLunlLles for lnvolvemenL presenLed by Lhe chlld and Lhe school
1 construction of the Porento/ ko/e
arenLal role consLrucLlon ls of prlmary lmporLance because lL deLermlnes whaL Lype of acLlvlLles parenLs wlll conslder necessary when lnLeracLlng
wlLh Lhelr chlld lL ls lnfluenced by Lhelr undersLandlng of Lhe parenLal role and Lhelr vlews on chlld developmenL chlldrearlng and homesupporL
roles Accordlngly parenLs are unllkely Lo become lnvolved lf Lhey belleve Leachlng should be lefL solely Lo Leachers (8lLLer MonL 8eynaud
uornbusch 1993) or lf Lhey are convlnced an adolescenL ls prlmarlly responslble for hls or her own educaLlon (Lccles Parold 1996) 8ole Lheory
applled Lo parenLs' cholces regardlng Lhelr chlld's educaLlon (lorsyLh 1990) holds LhaL Lhe groups Lo whlch parenLs belong famlly school
workplace have expecLaLlons abouL approprlaLe behavlors lncludlng Lhose concernlng parenLal lnvolvemenL lf Lhe school expecLs llLLle parenLal
lnvolvemenL for example parenLs wlll be less lncllned Lo parLlclpaLe (LpsLeln uauber 1991) arenLs' 8ellefs AbouL Chlld uevelopmenL and Chlld
8earlng 8elaLlonshlps have been esLabllshed beLween parenLal bellefs values goals and knowledge on one hand and a varleLy of parenLal
behavlors perLlnenL Lo Lhe developmenL of Lhe chlld on Lhe oLher (uarllng SLelnberg 1993) lor example parenLs who belleve LhaL chlldren need
affecLlon and exLernal sLrucLure and LhaL Lhe goal of educaLlon ls Lo develop skllls and creaLlvlLy wlll be lncllned Lo converse more wlLh Lhelr
chlldren and monlLor Lhelr progress ln school (for a more deLalled dlscusslon see ueslandes 1996)
e||efs about arents' nomeSupport ko|es |n Ch||d and Ado|escent Lducat|on
Lareau's sLudles (1996) demonsLraLe LhaL soclal class lnfluences bellefs abouL homesupporL roles ln chlldren's educaLlon arenLs from a lower
socloeconomlc level Lend Lo have a separaLed vlew of home and school whlle Lhose from Lhe hlgherlncome groups conslder Lhemselves parLners
wlLh Lhe school ln educaLlng Lhelr chlldren (see ueslandes 1996 for a deLalled descrlpLlon of Lhese Lheorles) As a whole Lhe research suggesLs LhaL
parenLs develop bellefs and undersLandlngs regardlng parenLal role expecLaLlons from Lhelr membershlp ln speclflc groups (famlly school church
communlLy socleLy ln general) 1helr vlews on Lhe developmenL and rearlng of chlldren and adolescenLs and on approprlaLe homesupporL roles all
lnfluence Lhelr declslon of wheLher or noL Lo parLlclpaLe ln Lhelr chlldren's educaLlon
Porents sense of efficocy for he/pinq chi/dren succeed in schoo/
uo parenLs belleve Lhelr lnvolvemenL can beneflL a chlld's educaLlonal ouLcomes? 1he selfefflcacy consLrucL ls founded on Lheorles of personal
efflcacy work on aLLrlbuLlons for school success personal Lheorles of lnLelllgence and oLher sLudles of parenLal sLraLegles for solvlng schoolrelaLed
problems 1aken LogeLher Lhese Lheorles offer lnslghL lnLo Lhe speclflc manlfesLaLlons of parenLal efflcacy LhaL may be relaLed Lo school
lnvolvemenL Accordlng Lo Lhe selfefflcacy Lheory of 8andura (1989 1997) parenLs flrsL develop goals for Lhelr behavlors based on anLlclpaLed
ouLcomes Lhen plan acLlons Lo achleve Lhese goals whlch are ln Lurn lnfluenced by parenLs' esLlmaLe of Lhelr ablllLles ln a glven slLuaLlon
lndlvlduals wlLh a sLrong sense of self efflcacy wlll seL hlgher goals and have a hlgher commlLmenL Lo achlevlng Lhem Accordlngly parenLs wlLh a
sLrongly developed sense of efflcacy wlll be more llkely Lo parLlclpaLe ln Lhelr chlld's educaLlon slnce Lhey belleve Lhls wlll beneflL hls or her
educaLlonal ouLcomes AL Lhe secondary level parenLs appear Lo have less confldence ln Lhelr ablllLy Lo help wlLh school work (Lccles Parold
1996) and Lhe same appears Lrue for parenLs wlLh a lower level of educaLlon (uauber LpsLeln 1993)
e||efs about Ab|||ty Lffort and Luck as Causes of Ch||d and Ado|escent Schoo|
Success
Work ln Lhls area suggesLs LhaL parenLal aLLrlbuLlons Lo chlld efforL are ofLen assoclaLed wlLh hlgher performance among chlldren whlle parenLal
aLLrlbuLlons Lo luck are assoclaLed wlLh poorer performance Llkewlse parenLs wlll persevere ln Lhelr efforLs and expecL success lf Lhey belleve Lhey
can conLrol deslred ouLcomes lL may be lnferred Lhen LhaL lf parenLs belleve LhaL unsLable and manageable facLors such as efforL are responslble
for a chlld's weak performance Lhey wlll become lnvolved ln Lhe chlld's educaLlon unLll success ls achleved Cn Lhe oLher hand parenLs may choose
noL Lo become lnvolved lf Lhey aLLrlbuLe Lhelr own or Lhelr chlld's weak performance Lo sLable and lnnaLe facLors such as a chlld's lack of ablllLy or
a parenL's lack of knowledge (Penderson uweck 1990 Poover uempsey Sandler 1993 1997)
@heor|es of Inte|||gence
lL appears LhaL parenLs who belleve ln Lhe developmenL of lnLelllgence mosL noLably Lhrough efforL and perseverance Lend Lo emphaslze Lhe role
of efforL (Lhelr own and Lhe chlld's) ln Lhe learnlng process 8esearch lndlcaLes LhaL parenLs wlLh a sLrong bellef ln Lhelr ablllLy Lo help Lhelr chlld
succeed are llkely Lo have an lncremenLal percepLlon of lnLelllgence LhaL ls Lhey belleve Lhelr lnvolvemenL ln Lhe chlld's educaLlon wlll help
lmprove hls or her knowledge and performance Cn Lhe oLher hand parenLs wlLh a weak sense of selfefflcacy Lend Lo hold Lo an enLlLy Lheory of
lnLelllgence Lhey belleve LhaL success aL school depends on ablllLy raLher Lhan efforL and LhaL Lhelr help wlll consequenLly have llLLle lmpacL
(Penderson uweck 1990)
Strateg|es for So|v|ng Schoo|ke|ated rob|ems
SLudles emphaslze LhaL whereas parenLs wlLh a hlgher sense of efflcacy help Lhelr chlld anLlclpaLe and solve currenL problems ln school (eg how
Lo work wlLh a LuLor prepare for secondary school change frlends eLc) Lhose wlLh a weak sense of efflcacy are more llkely Lo rely upon Lhe chlld
or Lhe school Lo solve problems or upon luck or Lhe lnLervenLlons of oLhers Lo lmprove dlfflculL slLuaLlons for Lhelr chlldren (8aker SLevenson
1986) ln concluslon parenLal efflcacy aLLrlbuLlons Lheorles of lnLelllgence and sLraLegles for solvlng schoolrelaLed problems may all explaln
parenLal declslons abouL lnvolvemenL ln chlldren's educaLlon Lfflcacy Lheory suggesLs LhaL parenLs wlLh a sLrong sense of efflcacy for helplng Lhelr
chlldren succeed Lend Lo belleve Lhelr
lnvolvemenL wlll yleld poslLlve resulLs 8esearch on aLLrlbuLlons shows a llnk beLween parenLs' sense of efflcacy and Lhe emphasls Lhey place on
efforL raLher Lhan ablllLy or luck as belng essenLlal Lo success arenLs who hold Lo lncremenLal Lheorles of lnLelllgence are llkely Lo have a hlgher
sense of efflcacy for helplng a chlld succeed ln oLher words parenLal lnvolvemenL wlll be percelved as valuable lf Lhe LargeL of Lhe parenLs' efforLs
Lhe chlld's lnLelllgence ablllLy or school performance ls vlewed as someLhlng LhaL can be changed llnally research suggesLs LhaL parenLs wlLh a
sLrong sense of efflcacy are more llkely Lo develop sLraLegles for anLlclpaLlng or solvlng schoolrelaLed problems
6enero/ invitotions demonds ond opportunities for porento/ invo/vement
1he quesLlon Lo ask here ls uo parenLs percelve LhaL Lhe chlld and Lhe school wanL Lhem Lo be lnvolved? An afflrmaLlve answer may be based upon
a chlld's clear afflrmaLlon of Lhe lmporLance of parenLal lnvolvemenL a school cllmaLe LhaL ls lnvlLlng and Leacher aLLlLudes and behavlors LhaL are
warm and welcomlng
6enero/ Opportunities lnvitotions ond uemonds Presented by the chi/d
Accordlng Lo Lhe auLhors menLloned here parenLal lnvolvemenL ls hlghesL aL Lhe prlmary level decllnes slgnlflcanLly around Lhe fourLh grade and
reaches lLs lowesL peak aL Lhe secondary level (uauber LpsLeln 1993 ueslandes 1996 Lccles Parold 1996) 8easons for Lhls decllne are Lhe
chlld's developmenLal sLage (eg Lhe adolescenL who wanLs more lndependence) parenLs' sense of efflcacy for helplng Lhelr chlld solve
problems and Lhe greaLer complexlLy of school work aL Lhe secondary level 1he level of school performance appears Lo be llnked Lo hlgh parenLal
lnvolvemenL Accordlngly adolescenLs who succeed well and have hlgh asplraLlons say Lhey recelve more emoLlonal supporL (encouragemenL
congraLulaLlons dlscusslons eLc) from Lhelr parenLs Lhan do oLhers (ueslandes 1996 ueslandes oLvln 1998) A few Lypes of lnvolvemenL are
an
excepLlon Lo Lhe rule however 8esearchers noLe more communlcaLlon beLween parenLs and Leachers and more parenLadolescenL lnLeracLlons
concernlng schoolwork durlng Llmes of schoolrelaLed dlfflculLles (ueslandes 1996 ueslandes 8oyer 1997 Lee 1994) 1he chlld's personal
quallLles LemperamenL learnlng sLyle preferences are also facLors LhaL may lnfluence parenLs' declslon abouL wheLher or noL Lo become
lnvolved ln
Lhe chlld's educaLlon (Lccles Parold 1993)
6enero/ Opportunities lnvitotions ond uemonds Presented by 5choo/s ond 1eochers
LpsLeln (1996 2001) afflrms LhaL Leacher and school pracLlces mosL noLably schoolfamlly parLnershlp programs play an essenLlal role ln Lhe
promoLlon of parenLal lnvolvemenL aL all socloeconomlc levels 1hls brlngs us Lo LpsLeln's overlapplng spheres of lnfluence model (see Lable 1)
whlch lllusLraLes lnLerpersonal and lnLerlnsLlLuLlonal lnLeracLlons as well as a Lypology of slx Lypes of parenLal lnvolvemenL Pooveruempsey
and Sandler (1993 1997) however malnLaln LhaL Lhe Lwo oLher consLrucLs especlally LhaL of parenLal role consLrucLlon are even more cruclal
Lo parenLal declslonmaklng Lhan lnvlLaLlons ln oLher words lf parenLs do noL belleve Lhey should be lnvolved ln a chlld's educaLlon Lhelr sense of
efflcacy and percepLlon of lnvlLaLlons wlll noL be
sufflclenL Lo predlcL Lhelr lnvolvemenL arenLal sense of efflcacy appears Lo be equally lmporLanL ln Lhe declslon Lo become lnvolved Clearly Lhe
bellef Lhey are capable of helplng Lhelr chlld succeed lncreases Lhe probablllLy of a poslLlve declslon 1he lowesL llkellhood of lnvolvemenL occurs
when parenLal role consLrucLlon ls weak LhaL ls when parenLs do noL belleve Lhey should be lnvolved ln Lhelr chlld's educaLlon and have aL Lhe
same Llme a low sense of efflcacy 1he model of Pooveruempsey and Sandler demonsLraLes LhaL Lo lncrease parenLal lnvolvemenL Lhe school and
Lhe Leachers musL focus aL leasL ln parL upon parenLs' perspecLlve on Lhe lssue ln Cuebec we are presenLly examlnlng Lhe flrsL level of Poover
uempsey's model of parenLal lnvolvemenL 1he experlmenLaLlon Look place ln May 2001 Cver 1 000 parenLs of elemenLary school sLudenLs and
nearly 830 parenLs of secondary school sLudenLs have fllled ln and reLurned Lhelr quesLlonnalres (ueslandes 20002003)
Slnce parenLs wlLh a hlgh sense of efflcacy who belleve Lhey should parLlclpaLe ln Lhelr chlld's schoollng wlll Lend Lo become lnvolved Leachers
should creaLe occaslons for parenLLeacher meeLlngs and work acLlvely Lo show LhaL parenLs can poslLlvely lnfluence Lhelr chlld's educaLlon 1he
followlng parLnershlp framework lllusLraLes Lhls prlnclple
@he Iam||y Lnab||ng and Lmpowerment Mode|
used by Luropean (ourLols uesmeL 1997) Amerlcan (uunsL !ohanson 8ounds 1rlveLLe Pamby 1992) and Cuebecols (8ouchard 1998
8ouchard 1alboL elchaL 8oudreaulL 1996) auLhors Lhe reclprocal parLnershlp model ls based on Lhe prlnclples of enabllng and empowermenL
and advocaLes a parenLLeacher relaLlon calllng for a compleLe sharlng of knowledge skllls and experlences LmpowermenL lnvolves Lhe
acLuallzaLlon of each person's resources and compeLencles whlle enabllng refers Lo parenLs' ablllLy Lo deflne Lhelr role and deLermlne Lhe naLure of
Lhelr collaboraLlon (8ouchard 1998 8ouchard eL al 1996 Cochran 1989 Cochran uean 1991 uunsL eL al 1992) 1hls model descrlbes a
parenLLeacher relaLlon based on muLual exchange ln whlch each parLy learns from Lhe knowledge and experlence of Lhe oLher 8ouchard (1998)
refers Lo Lhe soclal pedagogy of lnLervenLlon meanlng LhaL educaLlonal aLLlLudes bellefs and pracLlces faclllLaLe lnLerdependence and reclproclLy ln
learnlng A parLnershlp approach musL necessarlly Lake lnLo accounL each parLner's expecLaLlons and polnL of vlew (uunsL eL al 1992 ourLols
uesmeL 1997) As well lL musL be based upon a noLlon of equallLy whlch recognlzes LhaL each parLy boLh Lhe parenL and Lhe Leacher has a
parLlcular knowledge and experLlse Lo share 1hus parenLs as well as Leachers manlfesL sLrengLhs LhaL complemenL Lhose of Lhe oLher parLners
uunsL eL al (1992) descrlbe four caLegorles of characLerlsLlcs favorable for esLabllshlng a parLnershlp (see Lable 4) (a) emoLlonal predlsposlLlons
(aLLlLudes) based on LrusL commlLmenL
generoslLy empaLhy and undersLandlng (b) lnLellecLual predlsposlLlons (bellefs) based on honesLy LrusL muLual respecL flexlblllLy and Lhe sharlng
of responslblllLy (c) open Lwoway communlcaLlon LhaL presupposes acLlve llsLenlng and selfrevelaLlon and (d) acLlons LhaL manlfesL aLLlLudes and
bellefs (see llgure 4) 8ouchard (1998) afflrms LhaL Lhese acLlons are reflecLed ln Lhe Lheory of communlcaLlve acLlon espoused by Pabermas (1987
and clLed ln 8ouchard 1998) whlch dlscusses behavlors LhaL express Lhe lnLenLlons and acLlons of Lhe acLors ln a parLnershlp CommunlcaLlve
acLlon lnvolves a reconclllng of all polnLs of vlew and a search for consensus whlch approaches Lhe prlnclple of equallLy underlylng Lhe reclprocal
parLnershlp model As menLloned above parenLs are percelved as educaLlonal resources who can enrlch Lhe Leacher wlLhln a relaLlonshlp of
muLual exchange 8ouchard eL al (1996) glve a few examples of behavlors LhaL faclllLaLe parLnershlp noLably Lhe recognlLlon of experLlse (eg
'Pave you observed any progress?') and Lhe recognlLlon of collaboraLlon (eg '?ou're dolng a loL for your chlld l see you really wanL her grades Lo
lmprove') ln shorL Lhe enabllng and empowermenL model descrlbed above emphaslzes Lhe use of knowledge and experlence LhaL are mosL llkely
Lo develop an lndlvldual's resources
1he comp|ementary nature of the three conceptua| frameworks and the not|on of
partnersh|p
1he relevance of LpsLeln's overlapplng spheres of lnfluence model (1987 1992 1996 2001) Lo Lhe concepL of parLnershlp ls seen aL Lhe
organlzaLlonal level 1hls model allows for a hollsLlc analysls of Lhe obsLacles and faclllLaLlng facLors assoclaLed wlLh schoolfamlly parLnershlp and of
Lhe slgnlflcanL role played by Lhe acLors lnvolved ln chlldhood educaLlon LhroughouL Lhe llfe cycle 1he model of Pooveruempsey and Sandler
(1993 1997) ln Lurn expands on LpsLeln's model by emphaslzlng Lhe lmporLance of Lhe parenLs' phllosophy (lorce 8) and Lhe role of Lhe sLudenL
(lorce A) ln schoolfamlly relaLlons WhaL leads a parenL Lo make Lhe declslon Lo become lnvolved? Pere Lhe spheres of lnfluence model proves
lnadequaLe slnce lL falls Lo descrlbe Lhe effecLs of famlly and lndlvldual psychologlcal characLerlsLlcs on Lhe schoolfamlly parLnershlp and Lhese
characLerlsLlcs musL be examlned ln order Lo deLermlne effecLlve acLlvlLles for encouraglng parLnershlp Among Lhe mosL promlslng acLlvlLles ln Lhe
case of dlfflculLLoreach parenLs are Lhose whereby parenLs Leachers schools and sLudenLs creaLe opporLunlLles for Lhe soclal consLrucLlon of Lhe
parenLal role lncludlng collaboraLlon and a hlgher sense of efflcacy 1he enabllng and empowermenL model moreover refocuses our aLLenLlon on
Lhe lnLeracLlonal dlmenslons aL Lhe cenLer of Lhe spheres of lnfluence model lL hlghllghLs Lhe ofLen dlfflculLLobrldge gap beLween lnLenLlons and
acLual achlevemenL parLlcularly wlLh respecL Lo Lhe parenLs of problem sLudenLs 1he model ls founded upon aLLlLudes and behavlors LhaL are
essenLlal Lo Lhe developmenL use and lncrease of lndlvldual compeLencles 1oday Lhere seems Lo be a growlng awareness LhaL lndlvldual parenL
Leacher meeLlngs marked by muLual respecL empaLhy and sharlng can have repercusslons on Lhe evenLual engagemenL of parenLs ln parLnershlp
acLlvlLles lmplemenLed for all Lhe parenLs of chlldren ln Lhe school 1o sum up Lhe Lhree models descrlbed here complemenL each oLher Lo Lhe
exLenL Lhey lead Lo sLraLegles for lmprovlng Lhe efflcacy of all Lhe acLors lnvolved Lhereby creaLlng successful schoolfamlly parLnershlps 1he
examlnaLlon of Lhese LheoreLlcal models parLlcularly Lhe model of enabllng and empowermenL has conLrlbuLed Lo a new undersLandlng of
parLnershlp by emphaslzlng Lhe sLudy of parenLLeacher lnLeracLlons 1hls leads Lo Lhe followlng quesLlon Can we malnLaln LhaL a genulne
parLnershlp LhaL ls a reclprocal relaLlonshlp exlsLs now ln Lhe socalled teqolot schools of Cuebec? 8ased on our observaLlons and Lhe work we
are dolng aL presenL Lhe noLlon of parLnershlp currenLly belng advocaLed conslsLs raLher of collaboraLlon ln response Lo Leachers' requesLs wlLh a
vlew Lo examlnlng ways ln whlch parenLs can help Leachers lmprove Lhelr chlldren's academlc performance neverLheless Lhls aLLempL and oLhers
llke lL meeL wlLh reslsLance slnce Lhese pracLlces have generally noL been Lhe cusLom among lrench Cuebecers especlally aL Lhe secondary level
1he LheoreLlcal models lL would appear descrlbe an ldea whose Llme ls yeL Lo come We've seen LhaL cerLaln condlLlons are essenLlal Lo Lhe
esLabllshmenL of a genulne parLnershlp llrsL of all we musL ask lf parLnershlp ls boLh a deslred and deslrable opLlon nexL Lhe expecLaLlons and
percepLlons of Lhe dlfferenL groups lnvolved ln chlldhood educaLlon musL be Laken lnLo accounL We supporL Lhe vlew advanced by Lhe CLCu ln lLs
1997 reporL LhaL Lhe developmenL of parLnershlp ls an ongolng process LhaL ls conLlnually sub[ecL Lo negoLlaLlon AL Lhe momenL we vlew
parLnershlp as an ldeal or goal Lowards whlch parenLs Leachers and schools musL work LogeLher 1hls vlslon however ls noL clouded by romanLlc
noLlons of parLnershlp LhaL fall Lo Lake lLs llmlLaLlons lnLo accounL We reallze LhaL parLnershlp ls noL a panacea and LhaL lf lL ls Lo be successful Lhe
rlghL balance musL be achleved among Lhe acLors lnvolved neverLheless we belleve parLnershlp Lo be a paLh of Lhe fuLure LhaL requlres a
compleLe change ln our ways of Lhlnklng and acLlng and LhaL Lhls ls a change our pollcymakers hearLlly endorse (CSL 1996) uunsL eL al (1992)
emphaslze LhaL Lo esLabllsh a genulne parLnershlp Lakes Llme As an example Lhe school could make Leachers more avallable for dlscusslons wlLh
parenLs or allow for Lhe hlrlng of a llalson offlcer Lo faclllLaLe parenLLeacher lnLeracLlons ln Lhls era of budgeL cuLs ls lL reallsLlc Lo Lhlnk a genulne
parLnershlp can be developed wlLhln such a conLexL? As far as Leachers are concerned Lhls vlslon of parLnershlp has parLlcularly lmporLanL
consequences for communlcaLlve acLlon We can lmaglne program orlenLaLlons where Lhe acqulrlng of skllls and experlence ln lnLerpersonal
relaLlons wlll become lncreaslngly more lmporLanL All ln all lL appears LhaL parLnershlp beLween Lhe school and famlly (and even Lhe communlLy)
wlll consLlLuLe an lnLeresLlng developmenL ln Lhe decade ahead 1o sum up LpsLeln's overlapplng spheres of lnfluence model (1987 1992 1996
2001) ls an lnsplraLlon for lLs overall vlslon of Lhe dlfferenL facLors LhaL lnfluence schoolfamlly parLnershlps 1he parenLal lnvolvemenL model of
Poover uempsey and Sandler (19931997) for lLs parL allows for a beLLer undersLandlng of Lhe reasons for a parenL's cholce Lo parLlclpaLe or noL
ln schoolrelaLed acLlvlLles parenLal role consLrucLlon sense of efflcacy and lnvlLaLlons Lo become lnvolved appear Lo be Lhe deLermlnlng facLors A
respecL for and openness Lo oLhers are Lhe psychologlcal prerequlslLes for all efforLs Lo promoLe parenLal lnvolvemenL 8ecognlLlon of Lhe value of
oLhers and Lhe fulflllmenL of Lhelr poLenLlal are aL Lhe very hearL of Lhe enabllng and empowermenL model (8ouchard 1998 uunsL eL al 1992)
whlch ls based on communlcaLlon skllls LhaL fosLer cooperaLlon and parLnershlp ln Lhe ma[orlLy of socalled regular schools ln Cuebec Loday
parLnershlp Lends Lo be seen as a collaboraLlve affalr 8eclprocal parLnershlp ls for Lhe momenL a goal LhaL remalns Lo be achleved 8uL Lhlngs are
progresslng ln May 2001 Lhe currenL presenLer was mandaLed by Lhe Cuebec MlnlsLry of LducaLlon (ueslandes 20012004) Lo work on research
acLlon pro[ecLs wlLh Lwo elemenLary and Lwo secondary schools ln order Lo ldenLlfy models of lmplemenLaLlon and evaluaLlon of famllyschool
communlLy parLnershlp programs
Pomeschool parLnershlps help Leachers develop sLrong relaLlonshlps wlLh Lhelr sLudenLs and moLlvaLe parenLs Lo cooperaLe wlLh Leachers Lo
lmprove academlc performance arenLs also can learn baslc Leachlng concepLs learn wlLh Lhelr chlldren and geL Lo know oLhers ln Lhe communlLy
whlle conLrlbuLlng Lo schools by volunLeerlng
1 Academlc AchlevemenL
4 arenL lnvolvemenL ln schools leads Lo hlgher grades and LesL scores and beLLer aLLendance and homework compleLlon records Lhe norLh CenLral
8eglonal LducaLlonal Llbrarys webslLe polnLs ouL 1hese sLudenLs also are llkely Lo graduaLe and pursue hlgher educaLlon because Lhelr parenLs
have Laken an lnLeresL ln Lhelr educaLlon and serve as role models
1eacher lnLeracLlons
4 eLLlng Lo know Lhelr sLudenLs parenLs helps Leachers undersLand Lhe envlronmenL and economlc pollLlcal or culLural lnfluences LhaL shape
sLudenLs polnLs of vlew and behavlor 1hls leads Lo lmproved communlcaLlon beLween sLudenLs and Leachers enhanclng LrusL muLual respecL and
Lhe educaLlon process
arenLal arLlclpaLlon
4 arenLs who geL Lo know Lhelr sLudenLs Leachers abouL Lhe currlcula and Lhe Leachers educaLlonal meLhods are more llkely Lhan Lhose who donL
Lo help chlldren wlLh homework and ensure lLs compleLed And by holdlng en[oyable famlly acLlvlLles schools encourage parenLal aLLendance and
lnLeresL ln parLlclpaLlng ln oLher useful acLlvlLles such as fundralslng slLLlng on declslonmaklng commlLLees and volunLeerlng ln Lhe classroom
1hese acLlvlLles also sLrengLhen bonds beLween parenLs and chlldren
LducaLlon for arenLs
4 Some schools esLabllsh famlly cenLers on slLe where parenLs can vlslL and exchange lnformaLlon wlLh each oLher and Leachers and access
resources Lhe norLh CenLral 8eglonal LducaLlonal Llbrary sLaLes 1he 8osLon ubllc School sysLem has a arenL unlverslLy LhaL Leaches parenLs
how Lo supporL Leachers educaLlonal efforLs 8uL lL also beneflLs parenLs dlrecLly by offerlng classes on flnanclal managemenL healLh Loplcs and
Lngllsh as a second language and compuLerllLeracy Lralnlng
8eneflLs Lo Schools

lnLeracLlng and worklng wlLh parenLs Lo lmprove sLudenLs educaLlon provldes ouLslde polnLs of vlew on operaLlons and pollcles LhaL can lmprove
Lhem lor example ln a worklng class nelghborhood a school admlnlsLraLor mlghL declde noL Lo lmplemenL halfday aLLendance on lrldays as
some schools do because parenLs canL Lake off from work or arrange for day care for Lhelr klds durlng Lhe week
Worklng parenLs who parLlclpaLe ln school acLlvlLles and declslonmaklng are more llkely Lhan Lhose who donL Lo aLLracL workplace or communlLy
sponsorshlp for school acLlvlLles and oLher flnanclal supporL Many buslnesses and foundaLlons seek Lo glve back Lo Lhe communlLy Lhls could Lake
Lhe form of paylng for a new playground or for school aLhleLlc unlforms for example
ln Lhe book 5choo/ lomi/y ond community Portnerships Your nondbook for 4ction LpsLeln eL al suggesL flve levels of commlLmenL Lo
sLrengLhen Lhe homeschool parLnershlp

Care lamllles and Leachers care abouL Lhe chlldren and famllles wanL Lo feel welcomed lnLo Lhe school
C|v|||ty]Courtesy 1eachers and famllles LreaL each oLher wlLh respecL and are open Lo boLh Lalklng and llsLenlng Lo each oLher
C|ar|ty 8e clear abouL programs expecLaLlons chlldren's progress lamllles' LalenLs needs and Loplcs lmporLanL Lo Lhem need Lo be assessed and
should be communlcaLed clearly
Cooperat|on LducaLors and famllles work LogeLher Lo ensure sLudenL success
Co||aborat|onLducaLors and famllles learn Lo work LogeLher over Llme Lo sLrengLhen sLudenL goals famllles' lnvolvemenL lmproves noL only Lhelr
own chlld buL Lhe school as well

SchoolPome arLnershlpueveloplng cooperaLlve relaLlonshlps beLween parenLs and Leachers ls ofLen a crlLlcal aspecL of a successful educaLlon
Cn Lhe enlnsula Lhere ls boLh an lncreased pressure on chlldren Lo excel academlcally and on Leachers Lo produce hlgh LesL scores 8y a naLlonal
sLandard many of Lhe local publlc and prlvaLe schools offer academlcallyacceleraLed programs ln addlLlon many chlldren have acLlve famlly llves
and parLlclpaLe ln several exLracurrlcular acLlvlLles 1here are many ways Lo effecLlvely fosLer schoolhome parLnershlps and supporL your chllds
educaLlon We suggesL Lhe followlng

SLay lnvolved by knowlng Lhe currlculum for your chllds grade SupporL your chllds Leacher by volunLeerlng ln Lhe classroom donaLlng supplles or
drlvlng on fleld Lrlps8e sure Lo call Lhe Leacher when your chlld ls absenL Lo arrange for makeup work8e emoLlonally supporLlve by seLLlng goals
for achlevemenL based on currenL skllls and emphaslzlng efforL and progress ln school raLher Lhan [usL LesL scoresAlways acknowledge Lhe
progress your chlld has made and avold comparlng your chlld wlLh slbllngs or peers LlsLen Lo your chllds frusLraLlons wlLh learnlng

?ou can lncrease Lhe beneflL of a arenL1eacher Conference easlly by preparlng and parLlclpaLlng repare by keeplng ongolng noLes Lo dlscuss
wlLh Lhe Leacher LhaL reflecL your concerns or quesLlons as well as Lhose of your chlld lve your quesLlons Lo Lhe Leacher ln wrlLlng ln advance and
be clear abouL areas of concern lf posslble boLh parenLs should aLLend Lhe conference uurlng Lhe conference sLay focused on Lhe key polnLs you
wlsh Lo convey llsLen carefully and Lake noLes lf Lhere ls anyLhlng you donL undersLand ask quesLlons lve Lhe Leacher feedback dlrecLly and
genLly and remember Lo glve your chlld feedback regardlng Lhe conference
When a problem arlses Lalk Lo Lhe Leacher lmmedlaLely and dlrecLly ln an efforL Lo problemsolve LogeLher and coordlnaLe soluLlons beLween
home and school Assume LhaL Lhe Leacher wanLs Lo help your chlld and recognlze LhaL he or she ls Lhe educaLlonal experL whlle you are Lhe experL
on your chlld CommunlcaLe openly and honesLly
Show your appreclaLlon for Lhe experLlse hard work and carlng your chllds Leacher brlngs Lo Lhe classroom every day volce LhaL appreclaLlon ln
person wrlLe a noLe when someLhlng good happens aL school and share poslLlve feedback wlLh Lhe school prlnclpal ln addlLlon Leach your chlld a
varleLy of ways Lo express appreclaLlon ln Lhe classroom by belng respecLful and helpful and by paylng aLLenLlon ?our chlld wlll en[oy glvlng glfLs Lo
Lhe Leacher on holldays or blrLhdays lf you have concerns abouL your relaLlonshlp wlLh school personnel
Jhy does the re|at|onsh|p w|th parents matter?
MosL schools wanL Lo have a good relaLlonshlp wlLh parenLs and famllles 1helr cooperaLlon and supporL can make a real dlfference Lo how
chlldren see Lhemselves as learners and engage ln learnlng 8uL Lhe ways parenLs lnLeracL wlLh Lhe school depend on Lhe messages you
communlcaLe abouL Lhe relaLlonshlp you wanL Lo have wlLh Lhem Pow do your parenLs lnLerpreL your school? ulsLanL? lormal? Cr overfamlllar?
erhaps you are a school LhaL prldes lLself on an 'open door pollcy' l musL confess LhaL l frequenLly see Lhls menLloned ln school documenLaLlon
buL l have never fully undersLood whaL lL means PeadLeachers even wlLh Lhe besL of lnLenLlons cannoL be avallable all Lhe Llme for parenLs durlng
school hours Maybe 'open door' means LhaL Lhe school ls a llsLenlng school and wanLs Lo hear whaL parenLs have Lo say robably your school ls
somewhere beLween Lhe Lwo noL lnaccesslble buL noL ralslng expecLaLlons of belng avallable aL all Llmes WhaLever your sLance Lhe relaLlonshlp
you esLabllsh and malnLaln wlLh parenLs really does maLLer 1he repuLaLlon of a school wlLhln Lhe communlLy can be made or broken by parenLs'
conversaLlon aL Lhe corner shop aL moLher and Loddler group aL coffee mornlngs and aL playgroup Lvery wlse school leader knows LhaL ln order
Lo ensure LhaL every chlld makes Lhe besL posslble progress Lhls ls one relaLlonshlp LhaL ls worLh keeplng under survelllance ause for a momenL
and conslder where parenLs feaLure ln Lhe school's sLraLeglc plan Are Lhey Lhere as a prlorlLy? ls Lhe relaLlonshlp monlLored revlewed and
evaluaLed?
Jhat can we do to estab||sh cooperat|on and support?
All parenLs wanL Lhe same Lhlngs for Lhelr chlldren 1hey wanL Lhem Lo grow up happy healLhy and able Lo geL a [ob and susLaln good relaLlonshlps
1he dlfference ls LhaL noL all parenLs belleve LhaL Lhls ls Lhe fuLure for Lhelr chlldren 1hey wanL Lo belleve lL can happen buL Lhelr own llfe
experlences have proved LhaL Lhls ls noL Lhe case
rofessor Charles uesforges has researched and wrlLLen exLenslvely abouL Lhe lnfluence and lmpacL of parenLs on chlldren's achlevemenL
aLLalnmenL and asplraLlon ln hls research paper 1he lmpoct of Porento/ lnvo/vement Porento/ 5upport ond lomi/y ducotion on Pupi/
4chievements ond 4djustment o Literoture keview rofessor uesforges ls very clear LhaL
#e exeo ooJ fotm of poteool lovolvemeo ls stooqly lofloeoceJ by fomlly soclol closs moetool levels of eJocoloo moetlol
Jeptlvoloo moetool psycosoclol eol ooJ sloqle poteo sooes ooJ o o lesset Jeqtee by fomlly eolcly
lor us LhaL means we need Lo really geL Lo know our parenL communlLy We need Lo avold maklng assumpLlons buL lnsLead Lry Lo undersLand why
parenLs acL ln Lhe ways Lhey do Lhen we can plan Lo respond ln ways LhaL meeL Lhelr needs
ract|ca| ways to bu||d a good re|at|onsh|p w|th parents
LeL's conslder 'School A' where parenLs have very low levels of llLeracy and a number of parenLs are dlfflculL and hard Lo reach ln Lhe school
aLLalnmenL ls low buL leadershlp and puplls' progress ls very good School leaders are lnvesLlng Llme and resources flnanclal and human Lo draw
parenLs ln Lo Lhe chlldren's learnlng
1he school keeps wrlLLen lnformaLlon Lo Lhe bare mlnlmum lL recognlses Lhe challenges parenLs have wlLh Lhe wrlLLen word lL undersLands LhaL
parenLs are noL confldenL wrlLlng and readlng and can reacL aggresslvely or be very demandlng lf Lhey feel LhaL someLhlng ls un[usL
An emphasls ls placed on Lalklng dlrecLly Lo parenLs 1eachlng asslsLanLs and Lhe learnlng menLor meeL and greeL parenLs and chlldren aL Lhe sLarL
of Lhe school day and bld Lhem farewell aL Lhe end of Lhe day 1hey are ln Lhe playground before school sLarLs and ends on doorduLy Lalklng Lo
parenLs Lelllng Lhem whaL ls happenlng whaL ls comlng up ln Lhe near fuLure Lalklng abouL and sharlng chlldren's work glvlng good news sLorles
1hls approach ls maklng a real dlfference and Lhe school can see Lhe lmpacL on chlldren's aLLendance progress and lnLeresL ln learnlng
1ry descrlblng your school's parenL communlLy as a case sLudy ln flfLy words WhaL are you dolng Lo secure cooperaLlon and supporL and how do
you know LhaL lL ls maklng a dlfference? no one ls saylng lL ls easy Lo engage parenLs buL we need Lo geL much beLLer aL Laklng a fresh look aL whaL
we do wellesLabllshed pracLlce and hablLs can lose Lhelr effecLlveness Movlng forward may mean redeslgnlng Lhe parenL parLnershlp pollcy buL
Lhls wlll brlng slgnlflcanL beneflLs Lo Lhe llfe chances for chlldren