What Are They?
Researchers have found that the key to making the family-community-school relationship a success is by considering it a partnership of equals. In other words, educators and families from all backgrounds are seen and valued as experts in a child’s education. And community members are viewed as helpful contributors and supporters of schools.
This partnership is built on shared values and emphasizes the strengths that all stakeholders bring to the table. The trust and respect that is fostered helps to cultivate a sense of belonging in the school community among students and their families, which in turn creates a caring school climate.
A school dedicated to building strong partnerships with families and communities asks families at every parent-teacher conference about their expectations for their child’s education. In addition, they honor the cultural backgrounds of families through potluck dinners, whole school celebrations, and by providing opportunities for families to share their stories about their own educational experiences with teachers, students, and the whole school community. Schools welcome community organizations to these events and invite them to participate and share their knowledge and resources about things like after-school programs, arts and athletic events, and volunteering opportunities.
Positive school-family partnerships can also help cultivate students’ social and emotional well-being through methods that build relationships and through practical hands-on ways for families to become involved in their child’s education.
Relationally, schools can build strong partnerships with parents through two-way communication, by collaborating on what’s best for each student, and cultivating positive relationships between teachers and parents.
A middle school encourages school-family relationships by asking parents at the beginning of the year for their preferred method of communication, e.g., text, email, phone, paper. Teachers then use those preferences to create personal and classroom protocols for communicating with parents.
Practically, offering families methods for reinforcing social and emotional skills at home and suggesting ways for caregivers to partner with teachers can improve students’ well-being.
An elementary school that is interested in adopting an SEL program forms a committee that includes family members of students from a variety of cultural backgrounds, and they provide input on the relevance and/or cultural responsiveness of particular SEL skills. After choosing a curriculum, the school regularly texts or emails SEL tips to families so that they may reinforce the SEL skills at home. Schools also invite all families to give feedback to the teachers about the effectiveness of the skill and the relevance to their families’ background.
Schools can also engage community-based organizations such as businesses, colleges, religious organizations, libraries, and social agencies, to offer programs that develop students’ strengths and social-emotional skills.
To cultivate students’ civic engagement, a high school partners with local businesses, the city council, and libraries to create opportunities for students to get more involved in their communities. During students’ advisory meetings every week, they discuss the partnership challenges that come up for them and learn valuable social and emotional skills to help them handle these challenges.
Why Are They Important?
It takes a village to raise a child, and science is proving this. Here are a few findings:
Students do better in school when their families are involved in their education.
- Students whose families participate in their education have higher levels of attendance, homework completion, academic outcomes, and graduation rates.
- Students’ attitudes towards school, self-esteem, and behavior all improve when their families participate in their education.
- When schools suggest practical ways that families can support their children’s learning at home, students do better.
- Families from all cultural backgrounds, education, and income levels can positively influence student success.
Family-school partnerships improve students’ well-being.
- A meta-analysis of 117 studies found that when families are invited to participate and partner with schools in their children’s education, students’ mental health and social-emotional outcomes improve.
Family-community-school partnerships that focus on building relationships, especially with diverse families, create the conditions that support student achievement.
- School factors that cultivate these strong relationships include a welcoming attitude that encourages involvement and a focus on the specific needs of families and the community.
- Effective partnerships are strengths-based and power is shared among all stakeholders.
Practices
![Strategies for parents and caregivers to help teens understand and practice being humble](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Humility_Reflection_For_Teens_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Take-Home Skill: Humility Reflection for Teens
![A practice for parents and caregivers to help their child or teen plan enjoyable activities as a form of self-care](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Take_Home_Skill_Pleasant_Events_Calendar_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Take-Home Skill: Pleasant Events Calendar for Kids and Teens
![Strategies for parents and caregivers to help their children consider offering reparations as part of their apologies](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Take_Home_Skills_Making_Amends_for_Kids_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Take-Home Skill: Making Amends for Kids
![Strategies for parents and caregivers to show their children they love them by helping them to process their emotions](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Take_Home_Skill_Creating_Space_For_All_Emotions_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Take Home Skill: Creating Space for All Emotions
![Students examine how they face everyday moral dilemmas and consider who and what influences their reactions when conflicts arise.](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Where_We_Stand_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Where We Stand
![Students explore real-world examples to help them identify peaceful ways to respond to discrimination.](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Standing_Up_Against_Discrimination_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Standing Up Against Discrimination
![Teachers unearth stereotypes and examine privilege while reflecting on the impact of systemic discrimination.](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Understanding_Justice_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Understanding Justice
![Teachers engage in a mindful reflection process that creates space for checking their assumptions about student behavior.](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Mindful_Reflection_for_Developing_Culturally_Responsive_Practices_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Mindful Reflection Process for Developing Culturally Responsive Practices
![Teachers examine 13 specific beliefs about ethnically diverse students, reflect on those beliefs and outline action steps for better serving their students.](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Common_Beliefs_Survey_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Common Beliefs Survey: Teaching Racially and Ethnically Diverse Students
![Students forge intergenerational relationships while strengthening their digital citizenship and troubleshooting skills.](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Teaching_Technology_about_Seniors_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Teaching Senior Citizens About Technology
![Ideas for promoting family involvement through the joy of dance](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Stepping_Up_Family_Engagement_Through_Dance_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Stepping Up Family Engagement Through Dance
![Simple ways for teachers, principals, and staff members to help families of all backgrounds feel welcome in the school community](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Making_Families_Feel_Welcome_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Making Families Feel Welcome
![Discussion questions for families to deepen their child’s experience of gratitude](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Take-Home_Skill_Gratitude_Questions_for_Families_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Take-Home Skill: Gratitude Questions for Kids
![Strategies for parents and caregivers that teach their children how to practice to help them achieve their goals](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Take-Home_Skill_Deliberate_Practice_for_Students_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Take-Home Skill: Deliberate Practice for Students
![Teachers reflect on and discuss the various dimensions and impact of their identities on their relationships with students and their families.](https://ggie.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Dimensions_of_Difference_and_Similarity_Reflecition_1340x720-495x270.jpg)
Dimensions of Difference and Similarity Reflection
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