A New Wave of Evidence...

There is a growing body of work that not only provides statistically significant empirical data that supports the validity and necessity of school, parents and community partnerships, but the research also provides methodologies, examples and guidance on what works and most importantly what does not. It is this portion of the report that is most important, in my opinion, for the families and community members of Plainfield to understand. As shared by the CSA in his November address– he gets that parental involvement is critical to student achievement, however where we are faltering is in developing programs that include parents as part of the conversation for defining effective strategies and partnerships.

As I continue to read the more than 500 pages of information over the next few weeks I will share with you the highlights of the information gleaned from these bodies of work. I will also provide you with links to the reports and websites for your own perusal, use, edification and empowerment. After all -- this is what it is all about – Each one TEACH one! One parent, one teacher, one community at a time!

The following information is excerpt from an Annual Synthesis conducted in 2002 by the National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) entitled: A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement. The body of this research provides evidence of the positive contributions that partnership programs can make to student achievement. Ultimately, this report is about the need and value of families to support the educational efforts of their children.

Parents with high involvement ratings, compared with those with low or median ratings tend to have children with higher grades and scores. The finding held across all family income levels and backgrounds. When the researchers looked at the combined effects of teacher support and high parent involvement on grade point averages (GPA) the median GPA was 2.5, however at any point along the spectrum where either teacher support or parental involvement support were low the average GPA was .7 and .6 respectively. What a remarkable drop! But the MOST IMPORTANT thing to note is that neither teachers nor parents who operate at a high level of involvement can have a positive impact on a child’s GPA if they function as individual entities. It is the collective cooperative partnership between these two groups that lead to the greatest positive impact on a student’s GPA.

Researchers than look at the student’s sense of belonging and high parental involvement on GPA, and even more astounding was the results reported. Students with both a high sense of belonging and high parental involvement achieved a GPA of 3.4. Where either of these factors was low the GPA dropped significantly to 1.8 (low student) and 1.0 (low parental). Again – the value of collective partnerships in this instance (student and parent) is undeniable.

So where do we go from here. The first thing we have to do, before we can hold anyone else accountable is to do our part. If you are a parent – Parent…if you are a teacher – Teach…if you are a community member – Commune...if you are a student - Study and if you are a school administrator or board member – begin listening to your constituents and inviting them to the table to help reform the PPSD. You CAN NOT do it ALONE and nor can WE!

As I said before, I do believe our CSA has the intellectual capacity to move this district where it should be, however the lack is in his ability to reach the very people he serves and those in service to him. Authentic Leadership builds relationships -- not as defined by any one individual but rather that is inclusive and confident enough to embrace all stakeholders.