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This paper summarizes lessons learned from studies of preservice education and inservice programs of family and community involvement. The research and interventions suggest that a chain of professional development events is needed to prepare educators to conduct and sustain effective programs of school, family, and community partnerships. This starts with college courses and continues with inservice education, ongoing technical assistance and support, and external networking. There are required links, missing and weak links, interconnected links, and ways to strengthen the professional development chain. The discussion yields a blueprint for a professional development system that should produce more and better programs of school, family, and community partnerships.
This work was supported by grants from NICHD and the U. S. Department of Education (IES). The opinions expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the positions of the funding agencies.
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the European Research Network (ERNAPE) conference on Parents in Education, Gdansk, Poland, September 2003.
Notes
This work was supported by grants from NICHD and the U. S. Department of Education (IES). The opinions expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the positions of the funding agencies.
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the European Research Network (ERNAPE) conference on Parents in Education, Gdansk, Poland, September 2003.
Others have identified a chain of professional development events (CitationKnapp, 2003; CitationSupovitz, 2001) to connect teacher training, teacher practice, and student achievement. Here, we extend the concept to focus on preservice and inservice actions that prepare educators to work with family and community partners and the resulting partnership programs.
This article explored professional development events for district and school leaders and programs of family and community involvement, but similar issues arise for leaders in state departments of education who also must systematically develop research-based programs of school, family, and community partnerships (CitationEpstein, 2001; CitationKnapp, 2003). NNPS also guides state leaders to develop statewide policy, plans, and services to districts and schools to improve partnership programs (CitationEpstein et al., 2002).