My Role in Home, School and Community Engagement

Based on Espstein’s (2001) comprehensive framework, there are six types of involvement: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with community.
As a parent, I support my children educationally by providing a positive and structured home environment with expectations for academic success. One element of this role is ensuring a balance between school, extracurricular activities, family time and “down time”. Although the children’s responsibility to bring home and complete, I am able to assist with homework and other out of school projects as needed. However, I am finding as my children age that there is less of a desire for parental input. As well, with the work becoming increasingly difficult I am able to help less and less. The difference in past and present teaching methods results in limiting the amount of help that I can offer. Helping often causes a great deal of frustration and confusion for both myself and my children. Sometimes not helping is the best help of all.
I believe that it is important as a parent to demonstrate support for the school and the students by attending school-based functions. Examples of these include open-house, parent-teacher interviews, concerts and other productions. It is important because it demonstrates to the students and teachers that you value what they are doing in the school. Research shows that when parents and community involvement at the school increase, children’s academic achievement increases, relationships between parents and school staff improve, family function is more positive and the school climate is more positive and supportive (Epstein, 1991, 2004; Howard et al. 2006; Jeynes, 2005; Marshall, 2006; Sheldon and Van Voons, 2007; Smith 2006; US Department of Education, 1994).
Volunteering is another way I have been engaged in the school. To date these opportunities have been limited to being the kindergarten helper, chaperoning field trips, working at track and field meets, and baking muffins for the breakfast program. Although it is important to assist with these types of activities I would appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the school in more meaningful ways. I see the possibility of the school community councils being one avenue where meaningful engagement is a possibility.
Currently in my position as Reading Consultant I have a limited role in home, school, and community engagement. No one school is “home” for me. Presently, I have not had the opportunity to interact with parents or community members. However, one area of focus this year has been to assist with the development of family literacy programs in four schools. We are looking to family literacy programming as a way to help bridge the gap between home and school. I have been able to make family literacy training available for teachers and community members in these schools. Having trained staff and community members will be the first step in building strong family literacy programs.

For further reading:

Epstein, J. (1995). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(9), 701-712.

Henderson, A.T., Mapp, K.L., Johnson, V.R., &Davies D. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships. New York: The New Press.

Sanders, M. (2006). Building school-community partnerships: Collaboration for student success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press