Building Partnership with Families and Communities

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Building Partnership with Families and Communities

Introduction

Professional partnerships or collaboration revolved around individuals who are professionals in certain filed who want to conduct their activities together. It was established by partners for the primary objective of practicing professional collaboration for a given common objective. It has been established that developmental and learning outcomes for young children are enhanced strongly when effective and robust partnerships are developed between families and professionals (Hornby, 2011). There is a shared decision, and the development of common objectives is accepted and valued. The premise of professional partnership in school is based on the foundation that families and the community play a crucial role in including a child’s development and learning. Professionals are also responsible for advancing the progress of children in schools since they tend to engage- in family centered-collaboration by adhering to the instrumental role of families in the lives of children.

The current societal state and the learning institutions compels individuals to continually leverage how people equip their students, especially those who may reap advantages from extra support and resources, to realize their daily objectives and assist them in performing admirably in their education (Dearing, Sibley, & Nguyen, 2015). Connecting communities, school, and family are ancillary or helpful for school counselors working with children who are currently struggling with their academic life. Nonetheless, the complexity and the challenges schools experience and families in the contemporary world indicate that identifying successful responsibilities and obligations taken by counselors in schools in establish community-school partnerships is essential (Hornby, 2011). Learning institutions are situated effectively in addressing the barriers to teaching and learning and positively leverage growth among learners whenever they form an instrumental part of the community.

The current government has indicated that all children should access high-quality education to ensure that they are successful in the contemporary world regardless of their social status. Some Regulatory frameworks and Acts were established to help foster this advancement and help children realize their objectives (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). For instance, the No Child Left Behind Act has been vital in ensuring that all children, regardless of their social-economic status, age, race, disability, and spoken language, are legible to high-quality education. Based on the findings of some research studies such as Dearing, Sibley, & Nguyen (2015), professional partnerships such as family-school-community partnerships have been in the previous year’s been shown to be one of the most effective ventures that many learning institutions personnel can adapt to eradicate or rescue academic deficits prevalent in schools. The primary facet of leveraging the student’s performance in schools and guaranteeing equitable resources is to leverage the community and parent involvement. Some research works such as Hornby (2011) argue otherwise by indicating that some counselors in the contemporary era still view other counseling responsibilities as more instrumental relative to partnerships and collaboration. For instance, in research revolving around secondary and elementary school counselors’ perspectives on education initiatives, counselors opined that schools should emphasize course content relative to partnerships and collaboration. There have been mixed reactions on the significance of school, community-family collaborations. There is a need for further assessment on the importance of partnerships in learning institutions.

Main Discussion

Underlying Theories and Models

Epstein’s Theory of 6 Types of Involvement

Epstein’s model was developed initially in the 1990s. In some instances, the model is known as the School-Family-Community Partnership framework. Since its inception, the model has gone through various readjustments in subsequent periods, although primary tit baselines have been consistent throughout the year (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). The model is one of the most prominent in family, school, and community partnership and engagement. The model argues that how learning institutions care about children is shown in how they look at their families. If the instruction sees children as only learners, there is a high chance that they will view their families as just another segment away from the school (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). As such, if the students are viewed as children, there is a high possibility that the school will also see the community and parents are partners in the learning, development, and education of children. In essence, partners or collaborators acknowledge the common want in and responsibilities for children. In doing so, they collaborate to establish outstanding opportunities and programs.

The Frameworks of the Six Types of involvement revolves around the overlapping series of influences postulated by Epstein. It plays a crucial role in separating an interdependent vision of school-family-community influences from wan advent that could be seen as a different influence view (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). In essence, the most prominent and essential school–family–community collaborations such that the ones that pose better influence on the emotional, educational, cognitive, and social wellbeing and development of children acknowledge the three significant facets of influence may not conduct their activities away from each other. However, they work together mutually, or they may undermine each other mutually (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). The model revolves around extensive years of practice and research in school-family-community collaboration and educational engagement.

When exploring Epstein’s framework, its proponents discuss that each collaboration is a two-way collaboration and a co-developed relationship by families and educators partnering effectively. It should not be happening from a one-way chance that has been determined unilaterally by learning institutions. He mentioned the six types of involved as follows. The first is parenting. It is the first phase of collaboration when home environments and family practice provide reasonable support to the development of students as children (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). The role of the school in this phase e is to comprehend the families. Second is Communication which is the second phase of involvement that happens when families, students, and educators establish good home-to-school communications and school-to-homer interactions. The third is the Volunteering type, which happens when students, families, and educators organize and recruit parent support and help and sees parents as an essential audience for students’ activities. Fourth is learning at home, which is the collaboration that happens when ideas, information, or development are offered to enlighten families regarding how they can assist the development and learning of their children at home with curriculum-related decisions, planning, and activities homework (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). The fifth framework is decision-making since it happens when the learning institutions include the parents in developing parent representatives and leaders and school decisions. The sixth framework in collaboration with the community happens when the community partners, resources, and community services are integrated into the educational process to strengthen family practices, school programs, and student development and learning.

The primary distinguishing element of Epstein’s framework is the many examples that it offers to showcase how each form of involvement works practically. As opposed to a symbolic presentation describing the framework, Epstein used a collection of three comprehensive tables.

Clarke and Denton’s SpICE Model

Spice Model is a collaboration model of a community collaboration that adopts students in consultations and collaboration with the society or the community members to develop the competency and skills of the domestic workforce to curb the unfair and unnecessary disadvantage faced by remote, rural, and indigenous families (Clarke, & Denton, 2013). The student placement model focuses on developing the knowledge and skills present in its exemplary citizenship and playing a crucial role in leveraging the community and connect the development of such attributes to discipline-specific learning from various school activities.

The model concentrates on building the community capacity concerned by developing collaboration between outreach specialist services and government services, university sectors, and the non-government sectors, aiming to collaborate with family and community members (Clarke, & Denton, 2013). By engaging in certain activities with the primary concentration, a segment of enlightened learners in the community may emerge. In doing so, the group of learners will play a crucial role in creating solutions to the domestic community’s problems. SPICE adopted students from various disciplines to benefit the community regarding certain concepts identified y the community members.

Dunst, & Trivette, (2009) Capacity Building Model

Dunst & Trivette (2009) encompass an explanation of a family-systems framework for implementing family support and early childhood assessment and intervention initiatives. The framework involves functional, operational, and theoretical frameworks that link empirical work, theoretical foundations, and practice. The lessons obtained from over two decades of practice and research have been adopted to update and revise the model that now comprises a primary concentration on family capacity building as a mediator of the intervention benefits. The article indicates that current interest in issues revolving around early childhood intervention with special needs children and children who experience poor development outcomes can be traced to various experiential research works between 1940 and 1970. the primary objective of the reviewed assessments coupled with the intervention research works that followed was to curb the implications of a disability or curb negative implications associated with poor environmental conditions. The research was realized in the immense majority of research works by professionals intervening and interacting with children or those teaching or informing guardians or parents how to supplement their children’s experiences to leverage their overall functioning in the society.

The assumption that guides most early childhood interventions during the 1960s and 1970s relied on the baseline that children, the environment, or their parents are in some manner deficit most of them went ahead to recommend some remedial measures. The studies also assumed that the interventions stipulated in the studies towards children would reduce or alleviate the consequences of the presumed deficits (Dearing, Sibley, & Nguyen, 2015). Various scholars also challenged the assumptions determining the foundations of these interventions, and in the process, the critiques formed the new foundations of conceptualizing early childhood interventions. For instance, Dunst & Trivette (2009) mentioned that the chances of this successful initiative are dependent on some supporting parents. They would possess the energy and time to promote the development of the young children.

Victorian Early Years Learning And Development Model

The framework acts as a baseline for early childhood professional guidance. Flottman, McKernan, & Tayler (2011) indicate that the model framework is set in Victoria. The model is essential in identifying eight practice principles required for development and learning. The practiced principles are also focused on the P-12 ripples of teaching and earning. The practice principles are also designed and interrelated to inform each other, and most of them are classified as effective, collaborative, and reflective. The model indicates that family-centered techniques are instrumental for leveraging learning outcomes. Studies such as Flottman, McKernan, & Tayler (2011) indicate that parents’ involvement in their child’s education is linked with improved learning outcomes for their young ones. Engaging in a family-centered practice makes it possible to foster continuity for children’s care in early childhood environments. By respecting and comprehending family relationships and routines, many professionals can offer children an extensive level of continuity and secure connections (Flottman, McKernan & Tayler,2011). In the process, they can develop responsive learning initiatives based on the prior children’s learning. The influential family-centered practice comprises diversity, sensitivity, and flexibility.

The implications for research extracted from this model’s research are that early childhood professionals must be accountable for developing and initiating family-centered practice. Besides, maintaining and starting family-centered practice may also be challenging. This, there is a growing demand for professional partnerships to evaluate their life and cultural values. Families also possess an essential role in children’s development, and they will need to be respected at all costs, which makes communication an essential facet in family-centered practice.

The Victorian framework acknowledges the significance of family-centered practice in leveraging children’s outcomes (McKernan & Tayler (2011). The framework also postulates that children learn based on the context of their families since they are the primary source of inspiration and influence. Therefore, professionals should rely on their children’s understanding to support the decision-making process regarding children’s development and learning progress (Cohrssen, Church, & Tayler, 2009). The professionals may also use this model to establish a culturally inclusive and welcoming environment where all families are encouraged to engage and contribute to developing and learning experiences.

Approaches

Community-Based Approach

The initiative relied on the community-based approach since it is vital in conveying a much more human, intimate, and self-defined space. It relies on validating its explanations. the project focuses on creating a relationship with the general public over a certain period due to another primary school initiative (Knoche et al., 2010). However, the project chose to focus heavily on community collaboration, following cultural protocols and adhering to the community’s rules and regulations since it formed its basis on the community and not the learning institution.

Community-based approaches are primary service delivery initiatives in early childhood initiatives, especially n developing and under-resourced contexts. They offer scope for analyzing and identifying specific community issues for designing,m prioritizing, and managing activities at the domestic level (Cohrssen, Church, & Tayler, 2009). For this reason, they are heavily linked with grassroots efficiency, accountability, empowerment, community participation, and sustainability. Nonetheless, there are also future challenges. The dependency on voluntary engagement can sometimes result in the exclusion of the marginalized population and skewed representation. In other words, the program may also incur challenges in establishing capacity, which in the process may cause overreliance on imported technical help (Rouse, 2012). In some instances, there is also a danger that the organizations representing the program may misrepresent the actual demands of the community or curb issues to fit their references.

Strength-Based Approach

The strengths-based practice revolves around a collaborative process between an individual’s support by the program and the support that fosters a good partnership. The approach has its roots in social work, and it primarily concentrates on aw3ork-practice theory, whose primary focus is strength and determination. It bases its argument on the strengths by viewing clients are resilient and resourceful when facing adverse environments (Hornby, 2011). Another distinct attribute of the strengths-based approach is that most of its analysis and baselines revolve around the client and the future outcomes of individuals’ collection of solid points.

The strengths-based approach is essential because the client is the agent or the actor of the change by offering the right setting for managing change (Hornby, 2011). The methodology is highly resilient on the emotional and individuals thought process. It also permits for open interaction and through the process of individuals to assemble or identify their capacities and strengths in the change process (Griffin, & Steen, 2010). It also establishes an environment where individuals may view themselves at their most memorable moment to see their value to society and the community.

Actions

Family-School Consultations

Family school collaborations are partnership interactions and activities revolving around parents, the school staff, and other family members. The partnerships will revolve around respect, trust, and shared responsibility for the children’s education and young individuals who attend school. Families are seen as the first people to pump knowledge in children, and they continue to play an influential role in their development and learning during school years and even in their future life. Learning institutions possess an instrumental responsibility in ensuring that the children are nurtured and enlighten future generations (Grace et al., 2017). On the other hand, families will also entrust instructors and teachers to offer an educational baseline to guarantee future success. Simultaneously, learning institutions will also need to acknowledge the role of the family in education. For these reasons, it is instrumental for schools and families to collaborate in partnerships.

Research postulates that schools that perform exemplarily involve the community and parents in their endeavors. The interaction and involvement are robustly associated with improved performance in school, behavior, and attendance (Grace et al., 2017). Family involvement can play a crucial role in student learning and development regardless of their ethnic, cultural, or social background. Thus, family involvement will ensure high-quality education hence forming an essential facet in learning institutions.

The school consultations’ primary objective is to establish sustainable and effective partnerships between the community, such as students, families, and teachers. The partnership will focus on viewing each partner in the relationship as contributing equally to the development and learning while respecting each other’s ideas (Grace, Hayes, & Wise, 2017). The partnership will also respect the preferences and needs of every student. The school consultation will also address any hindrances and barriers to involvement in families, especially indigenous families, and ensure that the communities or families that have failed to get involved in the partnership initially find a way to participate.

Developing school consultations as an action plan may sometimes be challenging. It needs time and commitment because of circumstances and pressures. Many families will require additional support and special arrangements to become actively involved in their activities and learning modules and their children’s lives (Hornby, 2011). The findings of such efforts will be vital and significant. Families that comprehend the education structure while simulates acknowledge the challenges learning institutions incur are valuable sources of support that learning institutions cannot afford to underestimate (Rouse, 2012). Learning institutions that engage communities and families in some of the activities their children do in school are tapping into a rich source of knowledge and skills, which is vital in building communities.

School consultations are different from what already exists in learning institutions. Learning institutions are different based on the family-school, partnerships, and the skills and energy they apply. As such, moving towards school consultations as an action plan needs an extensive level of change in behavior by some families and schools to establish relationships where they view each other as colleagues (Rouse, 2012). The school-consultations framework will involve a vision for improved collaborations between schools and families. It will also encompass a collection of principles that offer schools and families guidance in developing partnerships (Hornby, 2011). The school consultations will also explore strategies for providing practical guidance to learning institutions systems and communities in fostering and implementing school-community-family partnerships.

Possible Challenges That May Be Faced And Strategies In Addressing Those Challenges

Shortage of time is one of the challenging issues facing parental involvement in school. Some parents must engage indifferent occupational responsibilities to maintain their financial stability and standing in the community. Some of them have to engage in reasonably long hours of work from morning until evening. Mainly, if the parents have been engaged in a divorce or lost one of their family breadwinners, some would probably experience difficulty handling their issues financially (Ewing, 2012). For this reason, some of them lack enough time to attend to their children in school or get involved in some of the issues affecting the learning and development of their children in school.

Bad experiences on the part of parents may also hinder them from engaging in school-family-community partnerships. Some of them may feel unwelcomed in places where their children attend school. They may also experience some nasty attitude or behavior from the school fraternity or may have bad memories such as school violence or have performed poorly in their academic performance while at school (Ewing, 2012). For this reason, they may lack the required desire and attitude to return to a place that gives them bad memories or experiences or sometimes reminds them about their nightmares and failures.

Illiteracy is another essential element since some parents may not want to attend school consultation meetings because they assume they cannot read and write. Some of them lack the courage and confidence to talk or lack words to express themselves effectively in front of teachers. Others may also not comprehend how the school system operates. Most parents may use this as an excuse to ignore their child’s development and learning experience in school. Besides, some may be unaware of the importance of learning and education, making them not bother about their child’s progress (Rouse, 2012). For this reason, some of them will assume that it’s only the responsibility of the teachers to ensure that their children are educated. Thus, if their children fail to perform admirably in their school performance, they will blame the instructors or teachers. In other words, such parents may not comprehend their role and obligation towards the development and learning of their children.

Lack of sensitiveness on the part of the learning institution may also hinder the school-family and community partnership. When the learning institution fails to care about parents and the community’s involvement in the children’s education, some of the parents may not care about the progress. There is a need to encourage some parents to participate in their children’s learning (Rose, 2012). The learning institution needs to comprehend their personal, socioeconomic level, and financial problems. Additionally, when some parents get interested in their children’s progress, some teachers may assume that they interfere with the learning.

Strategies in Addressing the Challenges

Creating a parental involvement policy may be crucial in addressing some of the program’s challenges. It is the responsibility of the school to establish an apparent policy to smooth the parent’s involvement in their children’s learning and ensure that the parents are encouraged to discuss and talk about the challenges that their children may be experiencing. The task is sometimes daunting because of the commitment and dedication it requires (Grace, Bowes, & Elcombe, 2014). For this reason, there is a need to engage highly committed teachers or principles to make this a reality. Besides, the school may also offer consultation services since it may be crucial in addressing their financial, personal, and children’s problems. Suppose most of the community partnership members are less privileged in society (Rouse, 2012). In that case, it should attempt to offer short-term development programs and training about the skill most parents will require to leverage their lives. Whenever they have a quality life, there is a high chance that the children will have a reasonable amount of time to focus on their learning.

Building exemplary communication may also be instrumental in addressing the challenges. Many individuals find it easier to communicate or talk to individuals they trust. Creating trust with such people may be vital in implying that the school comprehends and cares about their wellbeing and children’s welfare (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). As such, the school should contact the parents about the advancement and progress of their children’s learning and offer recommendations of some of the techniques or avenues that the parents could offer assistance to their children’s progress. The school should show sympathy and be friendly. By ensuring that they are more aware of the circumstances of the community and the parents, it is possible to establish exemplary communication.

In certain situations, the schools should organize consultation conferences or meetings with the parents to update the school information and their children’s education. Although it might not be helpful during the first few moments since the parents may need a reasonable amount of time to comprehend the algorithms and some other school information, the school may involve others later on in their life, especially after comprehending the functioning of the school system (Epstein, & Jansorn, 2004). In doing so, they may also create a reasonable level of courage and confidence to share, share and talk about some of the children’s affecting their children’s learning and development (Grace, Bowes, & Elcombe, 2014). Getting involved in th4e community outreach initiatives is also important. It will ensure that the school goes directly to families to discuss and make follow-ups concerning the challenges and engage in recruiting new students into the initiative.

Conclusion

Surveys will be instrumental in assessing the success of this plan. The surveys will be chosen because they are vital in gauging individuals’ representativeness and views. When conducted effectively, they can offer reliable information on individual’s behaviors and opinions which are vital in making instrumental information. The surveys will also be used in making instrumental benchmarks which will be crucial in uncovering the why in any trend. The project management success is mainly established by whether the plan stuck to the initial schedule. Experienced project managers comprehend how challenging this task is, but conducting a survey will ensure that it’s a bit easier to assess the progress of the project.

Quality ranks among the most crucial things that determines the performance and success of any project. The completion of a plan welcomes an opportunity for review. Individuals can assess both the project management practiced quality and some of the issues that revolve around it, such as the change management process. The quality evaluation is vital in determining if the initiative or plan will realize its objectives.

The primary objectives of the plan are to assess the efficacy of the family-school-community partnerships and how they can be used to leverage quality education. Research has shown that professional partnership programs play a crucial role in leveraging student performance and quality of education. However, there is a need for more research in these areas since the field is still struggling to create empirical models that may completely capture the mechanisms of professional partnerships. The research should also specify some of the system components instrumental for making family-school and community partnerships effective.

References

Clarke, K., & Denton, M. (2013). Red Dirt Thinking on Child Wellbeing in Indigenous, Rural and Remote Australian Communities: The SpICE Model “I just don’t want my kid to struggle like I did at school”. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 42(2), 136-144.

Cohrssen, C., Church, A., & Tayler, C. (2009). Victorian early years learning and development framework: Evidence paper.

Dearing, E., Sibley, E., & Nguyen, H. N. (2015). Achievement mediators of family engagement in children’s education: A family–school–community systems model. In Processes and pathways of family-school partnerships across development (pp. 17-39). Springer, Cham.

Dunst, C. J., & Trivette, C. M. (2009). Capacity-building family-systems intervention practices. Journal of Family Social Work, 12(2), 119-143.

Epstein, J. L., & Jansorn, N. R. (2004). School, family and community partnerships link the plan. The Education Digest, 69(6), 19.

Ewing, B. (2012). Mathematics funds of knowledge:’Sotmaute’and’Sermaute’fish in a Torres Strait Islander community. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 52(1), 134-152.

Flottman, R., McKernan, A., & Tayler, C. (2011). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework Evidence Paper. Practice Principal 2: Partnerships with Professionals, 24.

Grace, R., Bowes, J., & Elcombe, E. (2014). Child participation and family engagement with early childhood education and care services in disadvantaged Australian communities. International Journal of Early Childhood, 46(2), 271-298.

Grace, R., Cashmore, J., Scott, D., & Hayes, A. (2017). Effective policy to support children, families and communities. Children, families and communities, 358-382.

Grace, R., Hayes, A., & Wise, S. (2017). Child development in context. R. Grace, K. Hodge.

Griffin, D., & Steen, S. (2010). School-family-community partnerships: Applying Epstein’s theory of the six types of involvement to school counselor practice. Professional School Counseling, 13(4), 2156759X1001300402.

Hornby, G. (2011). Guidelines for Implementing Parent Involvement Activities. In Parental Involvement in Childhood Education (pp. 79-98). Springer, New York, NY.

Hornby, G. (2011). Parental involvement in childhood education: Building effective school-family partnerships. Springer Science & Business Media.

Knoche, L. L., Sheridan, S. M., Edwards, C. P., & Osborn, A. Q. (2010). Implementation of a relationship-based school readiness intervention: A multidimensional approach to fidelity measurement for early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(3), 299-313.

Rouse, L. (2012). Family-centred practice: Empowerment, self-efficacy, and challenges for practitioners in early childhood education and care. Contemporary issues in early childhood, 13(1), 17-26.

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