Urban Education 516 - School-Community Partnerships in Urban Settings

Faculty: Novella Keith, Education, Temple University
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Partnerships with families and community organizations (service agencies, businesses, community groups) constitute an important policy initiative in urban education reform.  This reform promotes the school as center for community education, community development, public engagement in school reform, and the delivery of integrated services.  Partnerships are identified as priorities in federal and state legislation and policy initiatives such as Goals 2000 and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, and the federal Partnership for Family Involvement in Education (members of this organization include more than 3000 family, school, community, employer, and religious groups).  The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards has developed standards in the areas of family involvement and partnerships.  A growing body of research and scholarly writing supports the link between partnerships and school improvements.  A recent evaluation of a model-- the Healthy Start School-Linked Services, in California--found that parental involvement translated into services that were more accessible, culturally relevant, and more integrated into the school.