Family, school, and Community Partnerships: How does your garden grow?

FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY

PARTNERSHIPS:HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Eric Schmitz – William H. Taft Elementary

Teacher Consultant, BSWP 2010

FAMILY-SCHOOL-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: This survey will help you take a look at the involvement and climate of yours school.

To help you go with first instincts you will only have five minutes to complete. Please tally your SA, A, N, D and SD responses.

Activity – survey

Boise, Idaho -- It was a proud moment for William Howard Taft Elementary School. Although bad weather forced the ceremony inside, they celebrated the creation of their new outdoor learning center and community garden Tuesday. It was created in partnership with the Boise Urban Garden School, also known as BUGS. The principal says it will be so much more than just a spot to grow things. "I feel it's going to have changes in our curriculum. It will impact he nutrition of students and it will allow our students to become better stewards of the environment," said Dr. Susan Williamson, Taft's principal. Over the last decade, Taft Elementary has gone from a struggling school to a top performer. With innovative programs like this, they won the U.S. Department of Education No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Award for closing the achievement gap created by childhood poverty. KTRV Fox 12 May 18, 2010

William H. Taft Outdoor Learning Center and Community Garden






Family and community participation in the schools recognizes the important role that families, communities, and schools play in helping all children succeed in school and in life. Partners bring their own strengths, skills, perspectives and knowledge to the educational process, and they all need to be welcomed and respected for their contributions. (dpi.wi.gov, 2009)

Community Partnerships – What?

The Epstein model of Six Types of Involvement provides a framework to review research that ties family and community involvement in schools to positive student outcomes. The Epstein model is the basis for the National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement developed by the National PTA and the National Coalition for Parent Involvement.


Type 6 - COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY:Coordinate resources and services for students, families, and the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups, and provide services to the community. (NCSE, 2005)


Identified a growing and unaddressed community need Had buy-in and participation at all grade levels Established a diverse Advisory Council Clearly set goals and division of responsibility Thought outside the box and remained flexible

Some keys to our success:

A partnership with CDHC – longitudinal surveyA partnership with Franz Witte – gardenA partnership with Edwards – plant materialA partnership with Sunset Rotary – raised bedsA partnership with two Eagle Scouts – buildingsA partnership with Foothills Learning – lessonsA partnership with Ace/Thriftway – materials

The Taft/BUGS partnership led to:

A partnership with the 2009-2010 AmeriCorps group that came and worked with our second grade to help make our new space beautiful and inviting to species of all sorts.

And one of my favorites was…

Higher grades and test scores Increased enrollment in more challenging academic programs More classes passed and credits earned Better attendance Improved behavior at home and at school Better social skills and adaptation to school

Benefits for students:

Increased feeling of support from school and other parents More interactions with other families in

school and community activities More effective responses to student problems Increased awareness of student progress and how to help student do better Increased feeling of ownership of school

Benefits for parents:

Increased respect for families’ strengths and efforts Greater readiness to involve all families in new ways Increased satisfaction with family involvement and support (Epstein, 2002)

Raise your hand if you need more convincing.

Benefits for teachers:

Next you will be asked to break up into four groups to brainstorm potential community partners that might help support an existing program or help implement a new one.

You will be seeking potential partners at the for-profit, non-profit and government sectors of your community.

Activity – The Four Corners

Here are your groups:Group One – Twin Falls areaGroup Two – Boise DistrictGroup Three – Treasure ValleyGroup Four – “The Outliers”

Activity – The Four Corners

Economic Impact“The sweeping changes that have occurred in families, schools, and communities require educators to collaborate with families and communities if they are to be successful in their primary mission of educating children” (Decker, 2001, p. 45). (directionservice.org)

Community Partnerships – Why?

Increased InvolvementParents are their children's first and most influential teachers. Research clearly shows the important role families play in the success of their child's learning, growth, and personal development in school. When families actively participate together, children do better in school and school becomes a better place for all children to learn. (dpi.wi.gov, 2009)


“When schools and communities work together, both are strengthened in synergistic ways and make gains that outpace what either entity could accomplish on its own:


• Families access community resources more easily; • Businesses connect education programs with the realities of the workplace; • Seniors contribute wisdom and gain a greater sense of purpose; and ultimately, • Students serve and learn beyond their school involvement.” (directservice.org)


Let’s move and take a mental stretch. In this activity we are going to think outside the box and find ways for all to utilize a community partnership. You will walk around and group three times for discussion in the numbers that I assign.

We will work from this question frame:How could a ______ teacher utilize a community partnership with a ______?

Activity – Clump __ Brainstorm

Action Steps: Bring together families, schools, and community organizations in a collaborative effort to meet the comprehensive needs of children, families, and the community.

Community Partnerships – How?

Action Steps: Open schools beyond traditional school hours and mission to become community learning centers for everyone in the neighborhood.


Action Steps: Cultivate school-business relationships that will benefit both school and business partners and sustain family-involvement programs. (directservice.org)


Your last activity will be to take some initial steps. I would like you to draft a letter or proposal to a colleague, an administrator or a potential community partner. If you are not in a place to begin taking action, then spend some time brainstorming or identifying needs you see in your community. Remember that just one flower has many petals.

So how will your “garden” grow?

Documents

Family, school, and Community Partnerships: How does your garden grow?