Communities of parental engagement: new foundations for school leaders’ work

Abstract

The importance of parents to the success of students in schools and to school improvement has long been established and acknowledged by researchers and educators. In this article, we present a fourth–generation model of school–family linkages, one anchored in understandings of schools as communities as opposed to schools as institutions. Our model is based on an analysis and synthesis of the relevant recent empirical evidence. We extend the narrative of school–parent relationships by highlighting ‘norms of community’ school leaders can cultivate to promote membership, partnership and ownership.

Notes

1. The GED, or general educational development tests certify that a student has high school level academic skills. Students who did not graduate from high school or meet traditional benchmarks for receiving a high school diploma can receive a high school equivalency credential by passing the GED tests.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniela Torre

Daniela Torre is a doctoral student in the department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations at Vanderbilt University. Email: [email protected]. Her research interests include school improvement, English learners and immigrant students, and teacher quality. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies she was an elementary school teacher for five years in Washington, DC and Brooklyn, New York. She earned her BA from Washington University in St. Louis and her MA from American University in Washington, DC.

Joseph Murphy

Joseph Murphy is the Frank W. Mayborn Chair and an associate dean at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education. Email: [email protected]. His work is in the area of school improvement, with special emphasis on leadership and policy. He has authored or co-authored 22 books in this area and edited another 12. His most recent authored volumes include The Educator’s Handbook for Understanding and Closing Achievement Gaps (2010), Homelessness Comes to School (2011), Leadership Lessons for School Leaders (2011), Homeschooling in America (2012) and The Architecture of School Improvement (2013).