The Connecticut State Board of Education (SBE) in its 2009 Position Statement on School-Family-Community Partnerships for Student Success calls for a shared responsibility among schools, families and communities to support students’ success in school and through life.
The SBE sees school-family-community partnerships as
A shared responsibility with schools and other community organizations committed to engaging families in meaningful, culturally respectful ways as well as families actively supporting their children’s learning and development;
Continuous across a student’s life, beginning in infancy and extending through college and career preparation programs; and
Carried out everywhere that children learn including homes, early childhood education programs, schools, after-school programs, faith-based institutions, playgrounds, and community settings.
Taken together, SBE explains, this definition supports the creation of pathways to partnerships that honor the dynamic, multiple and complementary ways that children learn and grow:
"Family engagement is everything family members do to support their children’s learning, guide them through a complex school system, advocate for them when problems arise, and collaborate with educators and community groups to achieve more equitable and effective learning opportunities."
(The Board adds that the terms "parent" or "family" are intended to mean a natural, adoptive or foster parent, or other adult serving as a parent, such as a close relative, legal or educational guardian and/or a community or agency advocate.)
For more information, read the CT SBE position statement and policy guidance documents.
Action Tip: While these carry no force of law, they are useful tools for us to use on the local school system level. Share them with other parent and school leaders and think about how your own school system's approach to partnering with parents compares with the recommended practices.
