Building School-Community Partnerships

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 is the author of many articles on the effects of school, fam­ily, and community support on African American adolescents’ school suc­cess, the impact of partnership programs on the quality of family and community involvement, and international research on partnerships. She is interested in how schools involve families that are traditionally hard to reach, how schools meet challenges for implementing excellent programs and practices, and how schools define “community” and develop mean­ingful school-family-community connections. Her most recent book is Schooling Students Placed at Risk: Research, Policy, and Practice in the Education of Poor and Minority Adolescents (Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000). She earned her PhD in education from Stanford University.

"A comprehensive guide to begin the process of involving community agencies and parents in the success of schools. Easy to read and gives step-by-step guidelines to making sure the pieces are in place for a successful community partnership."

• Foreword by Joyce L. EpsteinPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author1. Community Involvement: Why and What?Rationales for Community Involvement in SchoolsCommunity Involvement in Schools: Form and FashionObstacles to Community PartnershipsSummary2. A Closer Look at Common Community PartnershipsBusiness PartnershipsUniversity PartnershipsService Learning PartnershipsSchool-Linked Service IntegrationFaith-Based PartnershipsSummary3. Components of Successful Community PartnershipsHigh-Functioning SchoolsStudent-Centered Learning EnvironmentsEffective Partnership TeamsPrincipal LeadershipExternal SupportSummary4. Building Capacity for Successful Community Partnerships: A VignetteThe SchoolThe GoalThe TeamThe ProjectThe Community PartnersThe ResultsLessons LearnedSummary5. Bringing the Community In: An Elementary School StoryBackgroundCommunity PartnersCommitment to Students’ LearningPrincipal LeadershipAction Team for PartnershipsWelcoming School ClimateTwo-Way CommunicationSummary6. Creating Closer Community Ties: A High School StudyBackgroundPrincipal LeadershipA Student FocusCommunity Partners and ActivitiesSummary7. Promising Practices for Community PartnershipsActivity 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)Summary8. Preparing Educational Leaders for Community Partnerships: A Workshop AgendaBuilding Community Partnerships AgendaSummary9. Concluding ThoughtsResource A: Sample ActivitiesActivity 1: Locating Community PartnersActivity 2: Improving the Partnership ProcessActivity 3: Improving Community Partnership QualityActivity 4: Garnering Principal Support for PartnershipsResource B: Sample LettersSample Letter 1: Partnership CommunicationSample Letter 2: Partnership Activity Follow-UpEndnotesReferencesIndex