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    HOW TO HARNESS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENERGY

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    about community education

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    51 views25 pages

    How To Harness Family and Community Energy

    Uploaded by

    Neryna Cuadrado
    about community education

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 25
    INTRODUCTION BY MICHAEL FULLAN Educational IeVelaasetle Su cteee UP TU ETON Peter M.Senge John W.Ganiner Jerome’: Murphy Yong Zhao ‘Megan Tichannen-Moran Robert), Stareatt Thomas]. Sergiovanni Carmella §. Franco Maria Gutierrez Ott Darline P. Robles Charol Shakeshaft Kirk Snyder Heather A, Cole Maenette Benham — Mary-Dean Barringer Blizabeth Ii Murakami-Ramalho Terrence E. Deal Kent D. Peterson Roland. Barth ‘Tony Wagner Robert Kegan Kenneth Leithwood ‘Alma Harris TiiuStrauss Viviane Robinson Stephen Fink Anneke Markholt Molly ® Gordon Karen Seashore Louis Paul BambrickSantoyo Graig Pohlman Barbara L, Pazey Andy Hargreaves Deanflink Ann Lieberman Lynne Miller Michele Robinson Barnett Berry ‘Tom Vancler Ark ) HOW TO HARNESS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENERGY 2 HOW TO HARNESS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENERGY THE DISTRICTS ROLE Molly . Gordon and Karen Seashore Louis Claims Supported by Evidence in This Chapter » District polices that promote community engagement in schools increase the participation of a wider array of people and groups at the schoo! level © District engagement policies can have long lasting effects or Principals. The more principals get used to interacting with the community, the more open they become to involving outside stakeholders in school improvement efforts, The role of the principal in interpreting district engagement Policies and in creating and communicating school level expectations for parent engagement is critical, © Inschools with more democratic collective leadership practices that in is higher. ositions, student achievemer IN THis CHAPTER, We examine district efforts to engage families and the broader community in school improvement worl Family and community engagement has been a topic of active investigation for many years. Thee is consensus that family HOW TO HARNESS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ERERGY 349) characteristics are linked to student achievement. Our interest, however, is focused on the consequences of school initiatives intended to involve parents and community members as part- ners in the educational enterprise. In light ofthis background, we examine these three questions ‘© Which district policies and practices foster family and community engagement? (© How do districts influence the level of community engagement in schools? ‘0 How are participatory and collective leadership structures related to student learning? What Do We Know from Prior Research? ‘Three areas of prior evidence informed our work in this chapter: (1) studies ‘of recent efforts to ereare more democratic structures in schools, (2) studies about district and school characteristics that may support or inhibit family and community participation, and (3) evidence linking family engagement with student learning, Creating Democratic Structures In the last two decades, educators and community members have shown aaninterestin creating more democratic educational structures by establish ing and using various advisory councils, for example. This movement challenged those who viewed parents and community members as outsid- fers and not as true members of the schoo! community, Some researchers interpreted the devolution of power from the state to local schools as democracy in action.” Reforms such as site-based management, comm nity control of schools, community schools, and school choice were all based on democratic and communitarian theories In contrast, some researchers and policy makers influenced by economic theory viewed the relationship between schools and communities differently, and defined families and community members as clients or customers. From this perspective, schools should be held accountable to their clients > However, ‘many educators and researchers remain suspicious of the community-as client view and espouse, insted, an assumption that is more aligned with a professional model, in which educators are the experts whose responsibil- ity isto elicit cooperation from the less-expert patient in carrying out the doctor's prescriptions. In this chapter, we argue that none of these models alone is appropriate for understanding tie complex relationships among, commerigeoumanity, and schools. A school that is accountable tothe snocene te one that reflects local values and customs, has indicates pena hat are visible and wellcommunicated to the publ and it Ws Farents to choose other schools ifthey are not satisfied with the service, but that also acknowledges the special role of educational professionals anc The rae anes working together to support student devclopmene ‘he suoes of current participatory democratic structures ince has been mixed, and theceisofena wide gap between thenie sah practice, For faunble retarchers have found that site-based managemare ig jatives rely challenged existing power structures or alti decision-mal tabling 00 Also, research on formal se councils found dae Ssublishing governance structures alone did not bring abo chennn power and decision making.* Instead, thse initiatives worked vc incorporate quisiders into the schools frame of reference?” Even when family and questioned eatement Programs have been mandated, observers here power smc’ fidelity of implementation. Because itisensics for wain s tnd compen 2 mit in place when enviconmental factors are “ate sidcongenial," givicg parentsand teachers authory ton hn some school yrs Tar spent plaints from community groups about the old school board en rintendent, the wed the community in helping to pick the new Superintendent. Board members said that they looked for and hired an “avid communicator,” When Superintendent Sorenson eame on board, she made ita priority to get out into the community, repaie relationships with stakeholders, build trust tion of the district, nd restore the reputa- HOw TO HARNESS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENERGY | 355 came on board—in openness and in slicing community input for lors. For example, the superintendent focused on being visible bp | shingsoreatinatiys0 seconip ree ity xganiations | in the first year she took office, Increased visibility has led soups and parents, according to distri representatives and cone munity stakeholders. In order fo build relationships, gnin ests aod communicate the needs of the district, the superintendent engaged 4 many stakeholders as possible. For example, the dees recruited approximately 60 people from vations community froupsand parents o lobby fora bond measure The bond measay_ | passed because of the diatict’s renewed commitment to, she Superintendent Sorenson says itis important for her leadership to maintain transparency in proceedings at the disteict level and to with the public, The district also brings | people in on important district-level initiatives so that stakeholders feel pact of the process. The district's mission and goals are well | known inside the organization and within the community. Annu- ally, the district prepares and distributes a report to all Atlas residents that includes information such as test scores, results of follow-up studies from graduates, assessinent results about the learning climate, financial ation, and school demographic L characteristics te | In the preceding example, the superintendent communicated regularly with community stakeholders about district and school rogress, and wae described as open and accessible. As the vignette ilaswates, when there is leadership tuenover at the district level, especially in districts with weak or negative relationships with external groups, the new superintendent may have to take on the bridger or boundary spanner role and spend a lot of time out in the community creating new partnerships and rebuilding trust in the organization. This next vignette illustrates how stable district leadership, regular communication, and a commitment by district leaders to reach out to the community for input can create broad based commcnity ownership in the educational process. 356 Time jossry-nass neaDER ON EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHEF -— | NORTH WHITE PINE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | Stable District Leadership and a Culture of Soliciting | Community Input ‘Weedon’ sion chi ite island and make the decisions. We seek and value ovr stakeholder input. District staff member Leadership in the North White Pine County Schoo! District has been unusually stable compared to other districts in the state, and ‘round the country. Superintendent Samuelson served the district for sixteen years, and the superintendent before him served for ninetcen years. When Superintendent Samuelson retired, a new super dent, Sheila Waute several years—took on s—who had been a district staff member for the district. She said that because the previous administration did such an excellent job working and communicating with families and che community, she wanted to ‘make sure that she continued theit polices and practices, ‘The district has a long history of gaining stakeholder buy-in Prior to launching new programs, thus mitigating pressure ofthe sort ‘that often arises in other districts. For example, before a redistricting decision, the superintendent and other district leaders took their ideas “on the oad” to every neighborhood that would be affected, | asking the public for input. Going out to talk about a controversial ‘pic is, in the words of one district staff member, “not always fun,” but he adds that people appreciate the chance to give input; they feel that they are valued by the district leaders. North White Pine County district leaders say that regular communication is vital in order to ‘maintain trust and support in the district. Ac least annually, district leaders ask for input and feedback on school and district programs and practices from students, parents, colleges, businesses, and community partners, including faith-based ‘Sroups and the local military base, When asked what contributed to maintaining positive relationships with the community, a: district staff member said that it came down to the leadership, both at the district and school levels. In Nozth White Pine County District, he said reaching out and valuing the input of outside stakeholders was “second nature” and “just the culture that we have,” ees NOW YO HARNESS rAMLY AND COMMUNITY ENERGY 357 sean ereeting viet, the superintendent of North White Pine aunty Disc solisted inp from community members price imple and the a Polis and initiatives, which resedin buyin fom ache reine Public and creted a communal sense of ownership ne noe learning process Based on our interview a Organizational characteristic engagement atthe distic level ysis, we identified several leadership and can foster greater levels of community © A visible and accesible superintendent who i open to engaging community members in innovative ways ° Organizational transparency, so that community members understand what is happening: in the district © Frequent public communication ofthe district's mission and goals » Multiple avenues for community members to give their input on district policies and practices In these examples, organizational conditions such as collaborative ag ofen cultures along with visible and highly commuricges districe leadeeship fostered greater outside stakeholder involvement. These wuretes show that leadership atthe district level is eritical fa creating nd sustaining a district culture that fosters parent vat community commana a ntet oxeanizational conditions that generally hindoct ship, amin Patent engagement included unapproschable lead ship, vaguely worded and weakly mositored Policies, and cultures a izuctures chat kept parents and community ments on the Periphery How Do Districts Influence the Level of Community Engagement in Schools? ie we vestigated how district policies, support, and practices influence school level engagement practice, In teh nn survey and structs sais we found that many disticts mandate gorerganes aap st include external stakeholder representatives Oo survey analysis showed that formal district policies pro oting broad commu- {ity favolvement are significantly associated with the diversity of mem. bership on school site councils. The following vig nette illustrates how Sue strict used mandated governance structures ay 9 way to foster democratic participation, GLENHURST SCHOOL DISTRICT Promoting Democracy Through Mandated Formal Governance Structures ‘Youave to maintsin a democratic pubic education system; you have to have the public involved, —Gienfurst School District leader District leaders in Glenhurst promote participatory democracy through mandated governance structures, ‘The district has three formal ways for parents and community members to get involved: elected site councils, elected local school committees (LSCs}, and Parent teacher organizations (PTOs). Every school in the distriet has an elected site council (50 percent teachers and nity members) to set the direction for school improvement and to Plan staff development. According to district-level staff, both the state and the district put a lot of time and effort into giving the site ‘councils credibility and making sure they have community zepresen: tation. Superintendent Cameron, along with other distrce leaders, meets quarterly with all site council members to get updates on th school improvement plan process and address any concerns, In addition to site councils, every school in the district has an lected local school committee. Fvery two years, three community ‘members are elected to the LSC through county government elec- tions, The superintendent describes the LSCs as “mini school boards” that help run the school. The superintendent meets with ‘members of the LSCs every two months to talk about theis work, Although the primary role of the LSC is to review applications for and manage the use of district facilities, their influence extends beyond facilites management. For example, members of each LSC. provide input into urgent district issues, including construction bonds and boundary changes for schools with capacity problems, Even though members of the LSC do not have formal authority to determine policies, members often use their position and power to influence critical district decisions. For instance, LSC members ofall of the schools banded together to complain about a district math adoption. Because of their vocal complaints, district leaders invited them, along with other influential parent groups, into the district office to help frame program evaluation and select interventions for 0 percent comm HOW TO HARNESS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENERGY 359 school board vice chair, the democratic process of allowing ll vices to be heard is valued bythe ditt, eventhough it someines slows down the process of making decisions. Aside from the LSCs and ste council, every school is man- dated to have a pareat teacher oxganization (PY) designed to include parents in the operation of schools. The influence of the PTOs, however, varies tremendously by school and is dependent fo the preferences of the principal. Although the district docs fot try to control the level of influence pareats have in school, district leaders talked about the importance of involving parents School improvement efforts and in helping to increase student learning students struggling with the new math cusricilum, According to the ‘The preceding vignette illustrates how one district used mandates to get the public involved in school-level decisions. As a result, cominunity ‘members and parents did have more formal influence and decision-making power, as evidenced by the district response to community protests of the newly adopted curriculum. Although districts have a significant and direct influence on Gutside stakeholder engagement at the schoo! level through the creation of more democratic structures, the level of power and influence of parents and community members who serve on those governance structures varies from school to school within the same district, Even though district leaders in the preceding vignettes modeled community engagement—through their partnering, their willingness to listen to public concerns, and their efforts to include families and communities in district level committees— the actual engagement with parents and other external geoups at the school level was mixed. For example, Glenburst’s assistant superintendent said that the district relied om their principals to set the tone for engage ‘ment and communication, but admitted thet she was not sute whether they actually engaged them oc not. This is not surprising, in that other research ‘has shown that creating or mandating democratic structures alone will not always lead to shared power and decision making. These findings are also consistent with our quantitative analysis, in which we found that although there was a correlation between district support for more community involvement and diversity of membership on site councils, districts did not have a significantly strong impact on the level ofthe principals’ preferences for widespread parent and community engagement. Therefore the role of 360 THE Jossey-nass READER ON EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP the principal is vital both in interpreting unclear district expectations and sreareating and communicating achool-level expectations for parent engagement The following adcitional vignette from North White Pine County shows how the level of parent and community engagement in choles p imarity dependent upon the principal, | NORTH WHITE PINE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT Limited District Influence on Schools Level Engagement Practices penpals and rach reach out oe comune pan | lec vary fom colo sel. The dnt contin | based management poe and a «ret ach pore stool tne for community exgageman The dete tow, | | stool operation only when tere is pablo eee moledia inven ia ons cas in which an ieflcatal group of oa nied that anew ahinirative tum wate eee than previous adminis had ben, The dee eee sewadninstraorandpacnstomakcsutihaastong eats a | ws bl ton od ted one ae ae zen oc be op, ba wopped Ser a ne individual school engagement Practices. The degree of influence the dish on penal oper cmap a Te folowig alee ep Hee re | mat. ete ceo he pnt ened a. | | gzampls, she and a team of eeaches lobbied for thee eivot cn become magnet school by going out into the neighborhoods alk about how the change to a magnet program would affec the school and families, She explained that even after the decision was mad op become « magnet school, she and other school staf did. "tect shows” to reeruit families. The principal said that district leadas | } Yalued the amount of esearch and community out |) her staf dd to sell the magnet program, | | NOW To HARWEES PauciLy AND couuy NITY ENERGY 367 | sta ile school inthe dtc on the xh ethand, the principal | blamed the community for “allowing” the school to let athletics | overshadow academic progress ‘The prcipal agreed thet part of the eit 8 that some parents might fet tnwelcome a the schoo, and that itwas “going to take meas iy teachers knocking on dows and calling and actually going our wo future There was no evidence ty this kind of work occured, | however, and the professionals dette tO report that most of de men ad tte community jus “dae per Low parental involve Ia the principal to conclude hate Was the school’s responsi. bility to educate and “parent ha children Engaging with ilies was not part of hy aching riorty in « school whose efors spblevement. These examples show ne about the locus of responsiblity for formmunity involvement, engagement oo sett schoo level become depend whether itis high or low schoot gal priocty lis. These date sine suggest that district and schoo! leaders who want to meaningfully engage parents and community ermal stakeholders as “ely. at the district or schoo! is doing ‘and community stakeholders as ving Jwete focused on increasing when districts are not explicie StONPS need to move past simply viewing ext and «tho deserve information abour win and to actually tart viewing paren ‘Partners in the learning process, Despite fin een district-level policies and prac in Our vignettes, both our survey ticts cam support schools by ney dni interview Gadings suggest that only creating formal structures fee involvement, bu rporting and encouraging common Figure 21.1 shows the relationship miRity involvement and school-tey, 'Y and parent int statistics forall models [RMSEA, fit with the data.) 362 te sossey-nAass neaDeR ow eoucaTIONAL LEADERSIIIP Figure 21.1. Relationship Between District Support for Con Involvement and School-Level nity igagement, as Measured by Principal's Perceptions of Parent Influence, Site cal cs Diversity { Distct Suppor tor Ten | Comma St Kemer! | 4 {a Sees is wtuence | Te jaa Note: Solid line = 4 positive relationship; bold ine =a srong positive ‘relationship; doted line = a negative relationship ‘he model in Figure 21.1 shows that district support for community involvement is linked tothe level of influence parents have in chee © inchs ait Strongest link is through policies that districts create to jpehude outside eakeholders on school ste councils or other ber iding keadetship teams, Divecsty of membership on ste council in une fon invalid fitsfcant impact on how open a principal isto community involvement a factor that is satistically related to the level of pvene] influence. The model also shows that district support for community involvement affcets how open a principal is to engagement, wing, ‘nereases the argument for a prominent district role JT resale supplements our findings from a survey analysis showing that dlscict support alone (encouragement rather than dees enn Policies for engagement) had a positive, but not statistically sgniten infuenec ona principal's opennessto community involvement Figere 214 suggests t

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