Community Connections
Outside the classroom, democratic schools are connected to their parents and community through various ways. The broader community impacts who and what the children and school are and can be. On one level, schools should involve families and communities in the work of the school, developing means for parent input and guidance and educating students in civic participation. On a second level, it should involve itself in the work of the family and community, seeking connections and healthy environments for children within the community.

In addition, democratic schools and teachers should attempt to create more family-like schools (Epstein, 1995), viewing families and communities as partners in the educational process and having common and shared interests and goals in educating their children. The obligation of schools goes beyond just school-home communication, but extends to developing connections through which families and communities can collaborate throughout the educational process.

Community Connections Articles:

A New Wave of Evidence
A compilation of more than 50 studies that show the convincing link between student achievement and various approaches to parent and community involvement.

Building Home, School, Community Partnerships: The Planning Phase
A booklet for planning your work with families and the community.

National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools
A page with several resources for working with families. Several are downloadable.

enGauge
nGauge, a web-based framework, developed by NCREL addresses several critical issues in technology implementation and systems thinking is one of its foci and this area addresses community involvement in technology.

School and Family Involvement Surveys
Surveys for home and community.

Afterschool Education: A New Ally for Education Reform (Harvard Education Letter)

Making After-School Count (Education Week)

Six Types of Parent Involvement (Saskatchewan School Trustees Association)

Joyce Epstein's model for types of parental involvement provides an excellent structure for assessing and planning strategies to involve parents meaningfully.
Family and Community (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory)

This page contains several links that address Critical Issues in Family and Community Connections, including A Trip Planner Inventory that will help you analyze the parent involvement practices in your school or classroom and point you to specific resources within Pathways. Topics include: Supporting Ways Parents and Families Can Become Involved in Schools; Creating the School Climate and Structures to Support Parent and Family Involvement; Constructing School Partnerships with Families and Community Groups and much more.

For samples of useful surveys, go here.

Technology:

Community Technology
A project of Seattle Public Schools, this project connects the schools with other community organizations to create technology-related projects that are focused on the district’s mission of mutually beneficial, sustainable academic achievement for every child in every school. Partners include the U.S. Department of Education, Seattle Housing Authority/Hope VI, Seattle Community College District and South Seattle Community College, City of Seattle, Atlantic Street Center, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Seattle Public Library.

Sample Action Plan for Practice 8: WORD   PDF