About Family-School-Community Partnerships
When schools partner with parents and community organizations, there are positive results. “Families, schools, and community organizations all contribute to student achievement; the best results come when all three work together.” - Mapp & Henderson
Families, schools and communities share responsibility for the academic achievement of all students. Family-school-community partnerships utilize family support principles and community collaboration strategies. They:
- emphasize effective communication among partners,
- provide opportunities for trust and respect to grow,
- improve the quality of family participation with their children in schools,
- build linkages among families, schools and community organizations, and
- make more effective use of community resources.
In these partnerships parents of children enrolled in school are involved with school administrators, teachers and support staff and community stakeholders such as health and human service organizations, faith-based organizations, community and economic development groups, service clubs, and residents.
Partnering together, they create action plans that build on the assets of the community and all its stakeholders. They engage families, teachers and administrators as well as community members to design a family-friendly school environment.
No Child Left Behind requires schools to develop effective parent involvement practices. It invites parents to share the responsibility for their children’s academic success by being more involved with schools. Community organizations and residents have resources that support both school staff and families in these efforts. The PA PIRC provides training and consultation services that support the growth and development of Family-School-Community Partnerships.
PA PIRC offers three unique services to promote parent involvement and student achievement through F-S-C partnerships:
- “Working Together for Student Success: The Importance of NCLB for Families” provides basic information about NCLB (No Child Left Behind) requirements, and identifies successful family and community engagement practices. This presentation may be made at your school, community recreation center or other locations.
- Solid Foundation ® is available to selected schools in Pennsylvania. This family-school partnership model includes a comprehensive needs assessment, guidance to create an action plan that addresses that school community’s goals, and support with implementation efforts.
- Workshops, materials and technical assistance are available regionally. The content and support services are designed to help family members, school staff and community organization staff work together effectively to support children’s development and academic success and to produce stronger communities.
Solid Foundation ® is a school-based, team process that helps:
- strengthen family-school connections,
- engage parents in children's learning, and
- improve student academic and social learning.
Choose this link to access information about Solid Foundation ® and its resources:
Illinois-based Academic Development Institute and PA PIRC have partnered to provide the Solid Foundation ® parent engagement process to 99 Pennsylvania schools. The three year process of service and support, provided through the PA PIRC (Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center), is tailored to the resources and needs of each school.
Solid Foundation ® improves student achievement through parent engagement. The strategies focus on engaging parents in meaningful ways with their child’s academic and social progress.
Solid Foundation ® was developed by Academic Development Institute. Solid Foundation ® has been used as a component of comprehensive school reform work, and is currently being implemented in several states. The program is grounded in effective, research-based, proven strategies.
A study of schools implementing Solid Foundation ® program for building a school community, published by the Harvard Family Research Project, found that the gain on state assessment tests demonstrated by these schools over a two year period was nearly double that of a control group of schools with identical beginning scores.
Listed below are the schools currently enrolled:
Apollo Ridge School District
Apollo-Ridge Elementary School
Bristol Township School District
James Buchanan Elementary School
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
Carlisle School District
LeTort Elementary
Central Dauphin School District
Rutherford Elementary
South Side Elementary
Tri Community
Clairton School District
Clairton Elementary
DuBois Area School District
C. G. Johnson Elementary
Highland Street Elementary
Juniata Elementary
Luthersburg Elementary
Oklahoma Elementary
Penfield Elementary
Sykesville-Winslow Elementary
Wasson Elementary
Ferndale Area School District
Ferndale Area Elementary School
Greater Johnstown School District
East Side Elementary School
Greater Johnstown High School
Greater Johnstown Middle School
West Side Elementary School
Mount Carmel School District
Mount Carmel Elementary
Norristown Area School District
J. K. Gotwals Elementary School
Stewart Middle School
East Norriton Middle School
Eisenhower Middle School
Cole Manor Elementary School
Purchase Line School District
Northern Elementary School
Southern Elementary School
Jr. Sr. High School
School District of Cheltenham
Cedarbrook Middle School
School District of the City of Erie
John C. Diehl School
Glenwood Elementary School
Grover Cleveland School
McKinley Elementary School
School District of Lancaster
James Buchanan Elementary School
Thomas H. Burrowes Elementary School
Hamilton Elementary
Lancaster Early Childhood Program
Lincoln Middle School
Martin Elementary School
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
John F. Reynolds Middle School
George Washington Elementary
Wheatland Middle School
School District of Philadelphia
Beeber Middle School
Gen. David B. Birney School
Charles Carroll High School
Cook-Wissahickon School
Kennedy C. Crossan School
Samuel Daroff School
Joseph C. Ferguson School
Thomas Fitzsimons High School
Harding Middle School
Robert E. Lamberton Elementary School
Jules E. Mastbaum High School
Middle Years Alternative School
Overbrook Elementary School
Parkway West High School
Randolph Technical High School
Shaw Middle School
Stetson Middle School
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
Mastery Charter School-Shoemaker
Steelton-Highspire District
Steelton Highspire Elementary School
Steelton Highsprie High School
Uniontown Area School District
A.J. McMullen Middle School
Ben Franklin Elementary School
Franklin Elementary School
Lafayette Elementary School
Lafayette Middle School
Marclay Elementary School
Menallen Elementary School
Wharton Elementary School
West Pottsgrove District
Lower Pottsgrove Elementary
Ringing Rocks Elementary
West Pottsgrove Elementary