Student Achievement: the Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections

The impact of inclusive educational practices and community involvement on student achievement — *When families, schools, and communities engage, student achievement becomes a shared success worth celebrating*

Student Achievement is a fascinating and very relevant topic. In a report based on research done in connection with the experiences on implementing Joyce Epstein’s Partnership Schools method, published in 2002, the positive effect of parental involvement is clearly shown. Moreover, it also shows that there are effective ways to involve all parents, regardless of their socio-economic status or income situation.

The evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school and through life. This fourth edition of Evidence confirms that the research continues to grow and build an ever-strengthening case. When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more

How Family and School Partnerships Impact Student Achievement

How are the many ways that families are engaged in their children’s education related to achievement? Many studies found that students with involved parents, no matter what their income or background, were more likely to:

Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs.
Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits.
Attend school regularly.
Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school.
Graduate and go on to postsecondary education.

Several studies found that families of all income and education levels, and from all ethnic and cultural groups, are engaged in supporting their children’s learning at home. White, middle-class families, however, tend to be more involved at school. Supporting more involvement at school from all parents may be an important strategy for addressing the achievement gap.

Do Special Programmes Improve Student Achievement?

Yes, several studies found that they do. For example, teacher outreach to parents was related to strong and consistent gains in student performance in both reading and math. The effective outreach practices included meeting face to face, sending materials home, and keeping in touch about progress. Workshops for parents on helping their children at home were linked to higher reading and math scores. Schools with highly rated partnership programs made greater gains on state tests than schools with underperforming programs.

The role of family, school, and community partnerships in boosting student achievement — *Effective collaboration between families, schools, and communities leads to significant improvements in student achievement*

How Do Higher Performing Schools Engage Families and Community?

Schools that succeed in engaging families from very diverse backgrounds share three key practices. They:

Focus on building trusting collaborative relationships among teachers, families, and community members.
Recognize, respect, and address families’ needs, as well as class and cultural differences.
Embrace a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared.

Summing Up: The Role of Parterships in Student Achivement

When parents talk to their children about school, expect them to do well, help them plan for college, and make sure that out-of-school activities are constructive, their children do better in school. When schools engage families in ways that are linked to improving learning, students make greater gains. When schools build partnerships with families that respond to their concerns and honor their contributions, they are successful in sustaining connections that are aimed at improving student achievement. And when families and communities organize to hold poorly performing schools accountable, studies suggest that school districts make positive changes in policy, practice, and resources.

Download the full report.