Building School-Community Partnerships

Collaboration for Student Success
Mavis G. Sanders - University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA
Building School-Community Partnerships
November 2005 | 144 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781412917650
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Description

How can we partner with our communities to improve school programs and increase students' success?

This current era of high stakes testing, accountability, and shrinking educational budgets demands that schools seek bold and innovative ways to build strong learning environments for all students. Community involvement is a powerful tool in generating resources that are essential for educational excellence.

Building School-Community Partnerships: Collaboration for Student Success
emphasizes the importance of community involvement for effective school functioning, student support and well-being, and community health and development. This sharp, insightful book serves as an excellent resource for educators seeking to establish school-community partnerships to achieve goals for their schools and the students, families, and communities they serve. Schools can collaborate with a wide variety of community partners to obtain the resources they need to achieve important goals for students' learning. Some of these partners may include:

  • Businesses and corporations
  • Universities and other institutions of higher learning
  • National and local volunteer organizations
  • Social service agencies and health partners
  • Faith-based organizations and institutions

Work successfully with community partners to improve school programs and curricula, strengthen families, and expand your students' learning experiences!

Contents

Foreword by Joyce L. Epstein

Foreword by Joyce L. Epstein

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

1. Community Involvement: Why and What?

  • Rationales for Community Involvement in Schools
  • Community Involvement in Schools: Form and Fashion
  • Obstacles to Community Partnerships
  • Summary

2. A Closer Look at Common Community Partnerships

  • Business Partnerships
  • University Partnerships
  • Service Learning Partnerships
  • School-Linked Service Integration
  • Faith-Based Partnerships
  • Summary

3. Components of Successful Community Partnerships

  • High-Functioning Schools
  • Student-Centered Learning Environments
  • Effective Partnership Teams
  • Principal Leadership
  • External Support
  • Summary

4. Building Capacity for Successful Community Partnerships: A Vignette

  • The School
  • The Goal
  • The Team
  • The Project
  • The Community Partners
  • The Results
  • Lessons Learned
  • Summary

5. Bringing the Community In: An Elementary School Story

  • Background
  • Community Partners
  • Commitment to Students’ Learning
  • Principal Leadership
  • Action Team for Partnerships
  • Welcoming School Climate
  • Two-Way Communication
  • Summary

6. Creating Closer Community Ties: A High School Study

  • Background
  • Principal Leadership
  • A Student Focus
  • Community Partners and Activities
  • Summary

7. Promising Practices for Community Partnerships

  • Activity 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)
  • Summary

8. Preparing Educational Leaders for Community Partnerships: A Workshop Agenda

  • Building Community Partnerships Agenda
  • Summary

9. Concluding Thoughts

9. Concluding Thoughts

Resource A: Sample Activities

  • Activity 1: Locating Community Partners
  • Activity 2: Improving the Partnership Process
  • Activity 3: Improving Community Partnership Quality
  • Activity 4: Garnering Principal Support for Partnerships

Resource B: Sample Letters

  • Sample Letter 1: Partnership Communication
  • Sample Letter 2: Partnership Activity Follow-Up

Endnotes

Endnotes

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

Description

How can we partner with our communities to improve school programs and increase students' success?

This current era of high stakes testing, accountability, and shrinking educational budgets demands that schools seek bold and innovative ways to build strong learning environments for all students. Community involvement is a powerful tool in generating resources that are essential for educational excellence.

Building School-Community Partnerships: Collaboration for Student Success
emphasizes the importance of community involvement for effective school functioning, student support and well-being, and community health and development. This sharp, insightful book serves as an excellent resource for educators seeking to establish school-community partnerships to achieve goals for their schools and the students, families, and communities they serve. Schools can collaborate with a wide variety of community partners to obtain the resources they need to achieve important goals for students' learning. Some of these partners may include:

  • Businesses and corporations
  • Universities and other institutions of higher learning
  • National and local volunteer organizations
  • Social service agencies and health partners
  • Faith-based organizations and institutions

Work successfully with community partners to improve school programs and curricula, strengthen families, and expand your students' learning experiences!

Contents

Foreword by Joyce L. Epstein

Foreword by Joyce L. Epstein

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

1. Community Involvement: Why and What?

  • Rationales for Community Involvement in Schools
  • Community Involvement in Schools: Form and Fashion
  • Obstacles to Community Partnerships
  • Summary

2. A Closer Look at Common Community Partnerships

  • Business Partnerships
  • University Partnerships
  • Service Learning Partnerships
  • School-Linked Service Integration
  • Faith-Based Partnerships
  • Summary

3. Components of Successful Community Partnerships

  • High-Functioning Schools
  • Student-Centered Learning Environments
  • Effective Partnership Teams
  • Principal Leadership
  • External Support
  • Summary

4. Building Capacity for Successful Community Partnerships: A Vignette

  • The School
  • The Goal
  • The Team
  • The Project
  • The Community Partners
  • The Results
  • Lessons Learned
  • Summary

5. Bringing the Community In: An Elementary School Story

  • Background
  • Community Partners
  • Commitment to Students’ Learning
  • Principal Leadership
  • Action Team for Partnerships
  • Welcoming School Climate
  • Two-Way Communication
  • Summary

6. Creating Closer Community Ties: A High School Study

  • Background
  • Principal Leadership
  • A Student Focus
  • Community Partners and Activities
  • Summary

7. Promising Practices for Community Partnerships

  • Activity 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)
  • Summary

8. Preparing Educational Leaders for Community Partnerships: A Workshop Agenda

  • Building Community Partnerships Agenda
  • Summary

9. Concluding Thoughts

9. Concluding Thoughts

Resource A: Sample Activities

  • Activity 1: Locating Community Partners
  • Activity 2: Improving the Partnership Process
  • Activity 3: Improving Community Partnership Quality
  • Activity 4: Garnering Principal Support for Partnerships

Resource B: Sample Letters

  • Sample Letter 1: Partnership Communication
  • Sample Letter 2: Partnership Activity Follow-Up

Endnotes

Endnotes

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

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Building School-Community Partnerships

Collaboration for Student Success


November 2005 | 144 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412917650 $37.95

How can we partner with our communities to improve school programs and increase students' success?

This current era of high stakes testing, accountability, and shrinking educational budgets demands that schools seek bold and innovative ways to build strong learning environments for all students. Community involvement is a powerful tool in generating resources that are essential for educational excellence.

Building School-Community Partnerships: Collaboration for Student Success
emphasizes the importance of community involvement for effective school functioning, student support and well-being, and community health and development. This sharp, insightful book serves as an excellent resource for educators seeking to establish school-community partnerships to achieve goals for their schools and the students, families, and communities they serve. Schools can collaborate with a wide variety of community partners to obtain the resources they need to achieve important goals for students' learning. Some of these partners may include:

  • Businesses and corporations
  • Universities and other institutions of higher learning
  • National and local volunteer organizations
  • Social service agencies and health partners
  • Faith-based organizations and institutions

Work successfully with community partners to improve school programs and curricula, strengthen families, and expand your students' learning experiences!


Table Of Contents:

  • Foreword by Joyce L. Epstein
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • 1. Community Involvement: Why and What?
  • Rationales for Community Involvement in Schools
  • Community Involvement in Schools: Form and Fashion
  • Obstacles to Community Partnerships
  • Summary
  • 2. A Closer Look at Common Community Partnerships
  • Business Partnerships
  • University Partnerships
  • Service Learning Partnerships
  • School-Linked Service Integration
  • Faith-Based Partnerships
  • Summary
  • 3. Components of Successful Community Partnerships
  • High-Functioning Schools
  • Student-Centered Learning Environments
  • Effective Partnership Teams
  • Principal Leadership
  • External Support
  • Summary
  • 4. Building Capacity for Successful Community Partnerships: A Vignette
  • The School
  • The Goal
  • The Team
  • The Project
  • The Community Partners
  • The Results
  • Lessons Learned
  • Summary
  • 5. Bringing the Community In: An Elementary School Story
  • Background
  • Community Partners
  • Commitment to Students’ Learning
  • Principal Leadership
  • Action Team for Partnerships
  • Welcoming School Climate
  • Two-Way Communication
  • Summary
  • 6. Creating Closer Community Ties: A High School Study
  • Background
  • Principal Leadership
  • A Student Focus
  • Community Partners and Activities
  • Summary
  • 7. Promising Practices for Community Partnerships
  • Activity 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)
  • Summary
  • 8. Preparing Educational Leaders for Community Partnerships: A Workshop Agenda
  • Building Community Partnerships Agenda
  • Summary
  • 9. Concluding Thoughts
  • Resource A: Sample Activities
  • Activity 1: Locating Community Partners
  • Activity 2: Improving the Partnership Process
  • Activity 3: Improving Community Partnership Quality
  • Activity 4: Garnering Principal Support for Partnerships
  • Resource B: Sample Letters
  • Sample Letter 1: Partnership Communication
  • Sample Letter 2: Partnership Activity Follow-Up
  • Endnotes
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

Has been adopted as a recommended textbook.
Ms Veronica Mack, Curriculum Instruction Dept, Coppin State University
"The first comprehensive book written to guide educators and practitioners in the practical aspects of building school-community partnerships. Pushing us to move beyond a mere focus on parental involvement, Sanders calls for a broader understanding of engaging the community outside the school walls."
Harvard Educational Review, Summer 2006
"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."
Susan Catapano, PsycCRITIQUES, July 2006
"A broad and insightful overview of theory, research, and practice in the field of school-community partnerships. The author looks at common collaborations and a variety of goals, from improved math skills to better school landscaping."
Curriculum Connections, Fall 2006, School Library Journal

Recommendations