THE ISSUE OF EQUITY: Taking Research on Partnership Program Development to Scale in Practice

ERNAPE 9th International Conference LISBON, Portugal September 4, 2013

Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships National Network of Partnership Schools jepstein@jhu.edu www.partnershipschools.org

EQUITY IN EDUCATION EQUITY IN SCHOOL, FAMILY, & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS

An ASPIRATIONAL GOAL
All students deserve equal opportunity to meet their full potential in school; All have equal access to services, programs

An INCREMENTALLY-ACHIEVED GOAL REQUIRING SCALE UP of educators

* Knowledge * Leadership * Evaluation * Policy * Action * On-going effort

SHORT HISTORY PAST, PRESENT . . . SCHOOL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

SHORT HISTORY PAST, PRESENT . . . SCHOOL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

1981 -1986 Basic research and theory development 1987 -1995 Field studies in schools, districts, and states Tests of theory and trial translations of

Research, development, and dissemination 1996 present National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS)

researchpractice

Initial SCALE UP pattern: 8 schools15 schools25 schools 50 schools 190+ schools in one district tests in other districts and states to confirm and improve strategies

In 2012: about 600 schools, 60 districts, 30 organizations, & 12 states were active members of NNPS to obtain on-going guidance and support for researchbased leadership and partnership program development. In turn, NNPS learns from the work, challenges, questions, and advances made by its members. Ongoing research and evaluations:

researchpracticeresearch

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE . . . SCHOOL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AND IN YOUR LOCATION. . .

What do we mean by SCALE UP? We mean NUMBERS and QUALITY. NUMBERS: How can MORE schools, districts, and states / ministries be guided to take steps for effective leadership on partnership program development? QUALITY: How will schools, districts, and states / ministries continue to increase OUTREACH to families and community partners and improve the RESULTS for students of partnership activities from one year to the next?

How can we GO TO SCALE? How can we bring research to bear in practice as a component of SCHOOL ORGANIZATION? Educators expectations of partnerships as part of their professional work? Parents expectations at every grade level? Students understanding of the connections of school and home, parents and teachers?

Scale up WHO? Scale up WHERE? Leadership, knowledge, policies, and actions to SCALE UP partnership programs in NUMBER and QUALITY must be operating. . . * LEADERS for PARTNERSHIPS must be identified in STATES / MINISTRIES, DISTRICTS or REGIONS, or ORGANIZATIONS * TEAMS at the SCHOOL LEVEL Principal leadership is essential An ACTION TEAM of principal, teachers, parents (and others) is essential for SUSTAINABLE and EQUITABLE goal-linked partnership programs that engage all families in ways that contribute to student success in school.

at the STATE / MINISTRY level, at the DISTRICT or REGION or ORGANIZATION level, and in all SCHOOLS

Scale up WHAT?
Studies reveal EIGHT essential elements to improve the quality of leadership and school programs and practices from one year to the next.

AT ALL POLICY LEVELS

(With professional development for up-to-date knowledge and strategies for new directions in . . .

UNDERLYING SCALE-UP QUESTIONS Why is this work still NEW? Why isnt every school already engaging all families in goal-linked ways in their childrens education?

* LEADERSHIP * TEAMWORK * WRITTEN PLANS / Framework of 6 types of involvement * IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANS * EVALUATION OF QUALITY AND PROGRESS * COLLEGIAL SUPPORT * ADEQUATE FUNDING * NETWORKING
See: Epstein, J. L., et al. (2009). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action, third edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

LESSONS LEARNED . . . . There are historic CHALLENGES to school change and improvement. There also are emerging OPPORTUNITIES to advance this agenda. See the summaries of ERNAPE-Lisboa group discussions of many challenges and opportunities to scale up this agenda across countries.

LESSONS LEARNED by NNPS at Johns Hopkins University. . . We improve actions with new language: School, family, and community partnerships We improve programs if schools focus on goals for student success. Question: Can teachers do this work alone? Or: Will more students succeed through school, family, and community partnerships? Growing awareness of importance of TEAMWORK: * Distributed leadershipeducators, parents, and others share responsibility for student success * Need for good plans, not random activities

More Lessons Learned . . . * To SCALE UP, the guidance, tools, materials, training and evaluations MUST BE SIMPLE. Prescribed or Flexible Elements? * To SCALE UP for EQUITY, some steps must be RESEARCH-BASED: proven, required. BUT, other components must be FLEXIBLE, customized, adjustable for the diversity in schools and districts nationwide.

Scale up WHY? Why is greater EQUITY in outreach to engage all parents an URGENT agenda? * Not about the few, about the many. * Family engagement is linked to all other school improvement goals. * As in medical research when treatments are tested and successful, it is an ethical imperative not to withhold benefits to students of family engagement and support for schooling.

SCALE UP (to date): HOW IS IT GOING? Some progress. Not enough.

Too many schools, districts/regions, states/ministries of education are missing the critical elements for . . . SCALE UP and EQUITY in family and community engagement: * Knowledge Development * Policy ............ * Leadership .. .. * Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . * Evaluation * On-going Effort. . ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS for program improvement *Professional and on-going support *Adequate Funding *Teamwork, * Written Plans *Implementation of Plans *Annual assessments of progress * Collegial Support * Networking

PART 2- SMALL GROUPS A SERIOUS DISCUSSION OF EQUITY AND SCALE

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES ACROSS NATIONS

FIVE SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS

PLEASE GO TO THE ROOM ASSIGNED BY YOUR CARD-COLOR.

PART 3 INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

GROUP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 REPORTS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCALE-UP OF EQUITABLE AND EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS OF SCHOOL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS See the summary of ideas from the ERNAPE-Lisboa group discussions of challenges and opportunities to scale up goal-linked partnership programs across countries.

YELLOW MARIA MENDEL BLUE PINK -- ROLLANDE DESLANDES -- ESTHER HO

GREEN -- LOIZOS SYMEOU PURPLE -- PEDRO SILVA

SUMMARY SCALE UP of partnership programs for greater EQUITY in all schools is an URGENT AGENDA supported by research and tested practice. CREATIVE ACTION on the critical components discussed in this sessionTAILORED to specific locationswill be needed to SCALE UP the number and quality of partnership programs. Only with good planning and implementation will educators attain EQUITY in engaging ALL families in their childrens education at all grade levels.

OBRIGADO!
It has been a pleasure to work with all of you to focus on issues of SCALE UP and EQUITY in PARTNERHIP PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT!!

REFERENCES
Epstein, J. L. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Second edition. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Epstein, J. L. , Galindo, C., & Sheldon, S. B. (2011). Levels of leadership: Effects of district and school leaders on the quality of school programs of family and community involvement. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47, 462-495. Epstein, J. L., et al. (2009). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. Third edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Epstein, J. L.& Sheldon, S. B. (2006). Moving forward: Ideas for research on school, family, and community partnerships. Pp. 117-138 in C. F. Conrad & R. Serlin (Eds.). SAGE Handbook for research in education: Engaging ideas and enriching inquiry. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

See research at work in practice! Visit: www.partnershipschools.org