Reaching Out to the Community
This section provides resources about recruiting and forming partnerships with constituents or stakeholders, such as parents, policy makers, civic leaders, and businesses or industries.
Click on the following issues related to reaching out to the community to see links and bibliographical references to resources that address those issues.
ISSUE: How can I encourage participation in our outreach program?
Students Against Drunk Drivers (SADD)
http://www.saddonline.com/pdf/03EventPlanW.pdf
SADD has produced an event planner that addresses, among other issues, ways of encouraging high participation in one of their events. Pages 32 and 33 of the following document provides tips for publicizing community events and for getting local media and businesses on board.
Partnership Planning Component of the National Network of Partnership
Schools Program
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/program.htm
Established by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, The National Network of Partnership Schools brings together schools, districts, and states that are committed to developing and maintaining comprehensive programs of school-family-community partnerships. Their Web site includes a range of planning and evaluating tools so that action teams can take stock of their current partnership activities, plan future work, and evaluate progress, all with the goal of increasing participation.
ISSUE: What kind of planning leads to successful outreach programs?
Planning and Evaluating Outreach Flow Chart
http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/guide/introduction.pdf
U.S. National Network of Libraries of Medicine Home Page created a Planning and Evaluating Outreach Flow Chart that is designed for groups focused on health education but is generic enough to guide most outreach program planning.
ParentNet
http://www.parentinvolvementmatters.org/
This Web site describes important steps towards implementing a successful parent involvement program and has a downloadable publication designed especially for educators.
Developing a Hispanic Outreach Program That Works
Anna Torres-Davis, reprinted from the A.T. Quarterly, Volume 5, Number
1, 1994
www.resnaprojects.org/nattap/library/atq/hispanic.htm
This article describes successful strategies that can be used to develop Hispanic outreach programs. The strategies, including persistence, sensitivity to audience response, and a willingness to learn, can be used to reach all kinds of target audiences.
Outreach Programs Handbook
Government of Alberta, Canada
http://education.alberta.ca/media/434525/outreach%20program%20handbook-revised%20april%208%202010.pdf
The purpose of this handbook is to assist school jurisdictions in establishing and operating outreach programs. This handbook is also designed to help educators, parents, and the community at large understand the practices and expectations of outreach programs.
ISSUE: How do I connect with parents, particularly those in low-income areas or rural areas, and parents with limited English?
Playing Their Parts: What Parents and Teachers Really Mean by Parental
Involvement
Public Agenda Online, 1999
http://www.publicagenda.org/files/playing_their_parts.pdf
Public Agenda surveyed parents and public school teachers to find out what they think parents should be doing in the public schools. This report explores the disconnect between teacher and parent expectations for parent/child relations.
An Assessment of Survey Data on Attitudes About Teaching: Including
the Views of Parents, Administrators, Teachers and the General Public
Public Agenda, 2004
https://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/5615
For this report, Public Agenda has reviewed and analyzed opinion research on teachers and teaching over the last decade. Requires user registration to view the entire report.
People's Chief Concerns
Public Agenda
http://www.publicagenda.org/citizen/issueguides/higher-education/publicview/people-concerns
A list of links to surveys and reports on Americans views on education.
Putting Partnerships Into Practice: Resources for Educators
National Coalition for Parental Involvement in Education.
http://www.ncpie.org/Resources/Educators.cfm
A list of resources for educators about parental involvement.
Keys to Success
National Coalition for Parental Involvement in Education.
http://www.ncpie.org/DevelopingPartnerships/KeysToSuccess.cfm
Tips for helping an ongoing family-involvement program be successful.
National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs
National PTA, 1997
http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/outreach/national-standards-parent.pdf
Guidelines for leaders of institutions with programs serving parents and families. The standards are designed to help direct leaders as they move from discussion to action in developing dynamic parent involvement programs that are meaningful, well planned and long lasting.
Family and Community
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/pa0cont.htm
A substantial list of links to resources about parent and community involvement in education.
Parent and Community Involvement in Rural Schools
Stan Maynard and Aimee Howley, ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education
and Small Schools, June 1997
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Parent_Community/
This article discusses the challenges involved with involving parents in rural areas and highlights several promising approaches.
ISSUE: How do I engage parents that have not historically been involved with the education system?
Partnering with Families and Communities
Joyce L. Epstein and Karen Clark Salinas, Educational Leadership, May
2004, 61 (8). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may04/vol61/num08/Partnering-with-Families-and-Communities.aspx
An article describing how effective programs of family and community involvement strengthen school learning communities. Suggests that an organized program of school, family, and community partnerships with activities linked to school goals can improve schools, strengthen families, invigorate community support, and increase student achievement and success. Highlights programs where educators, parents, and other partners work together to systematically strengthen and maintain their family and community involvement programs over time.
Engaging Parents in Their Chidl's Earth Education
Tracy Keller, Shorter University
http://online.shorter.edu/education/engaging-parents-in-their-childs-early-education/
This site talks about the benefits of early childhood education and parental involvement.
Tips and Strategies for Increasing Parent and Family Involvement in Virginia Schools
Virginia Department of Education
http://www.partnership.vcu.edu/documents/Partnership__Tips_and_Strategies_for_Increasing_Parent_Involvement.pdf
This booklet was written with information gathered from a statewide questionnaire of parents, teachers, and administrators in Virginia public schools.
Engaging Parents in Education: Lessons from Five Parental Information and Resource Centers
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, 2007
http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/parents/parentinvolve/engagingparents.pdf
ISSUE: How do I find ways to bring parents from the STEM worlds into schools more regularly?
Resources for Scientists in Education and Public
Outreach
Cherilynn
A. Morrow, Space Science Institute
http://www.spacescience.org/Education/ResourcesForScientists/Workshops/Four-Day/Resources/Articles/Roles_M.pdf
A framework that describes the different levels of involvement scientists may have in a variety of education and public outreach activities that contribute to improving science education in both formal and informal settings. Various entry points into the system are listed and the roles of advocate, resource, and partner in different components of the educational system are explored.
Roles for Scientists and Engineers in the Schools
Resources for Involving Scientists in Education (RISE), The National
Academies
http://www.nas.edu/rise/roles.html
Links to information on ways scientists and engineers may contribute to schools. these are broken down into four categories of activities: working directly with students, working with teachers, supporting systemic reform, and helping develop instructional materials.
Science Education In Our Elementary and Secondary Schools: A Guide for
Technical Professionals Who Want to Help
Education Outreach Department, Sandia National Laboratories
http://www.nas.edu/rise/scied.htm
This guide was prepared by scientists and engineers at Sandia National Laboratories to help technical professionals become productively involved in enhancing K–12 science education.
NSTA Position Statement: Parent Involvement in Science Learning
National Science Teachers Association
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/parents.aspx
Engaging Families in Mathematics and Science Education
Jennifer Stepanek, Mathematics and Science Education Center, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/752
ISSUE: How do I reach local business/industry that work in STEM?
Partnerships with Business and the Community
Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education, ENC
Focus 8(1).
http://eric.ed.gov/?q=%22Partnerships+with+Business+and+the+Community%22&id=ED449973
This issue of ENC Focus includes articles on shaping the relationship between the school and its environment. Examples and suggestions for reaching out to the business community are provided.
Mathematics and Science Partnership Program
National Science Foundation
http://www.nsf.gov/ehr/MSP/
Department of Education
http://www.ed-msp.net/
This is a grant-making program largely for universities to build partnerships with schools and other community entities. The National Science Foundation makes some of the grants and the U.S. Department of Education makes others.
Program Pairs Local Teachers with Scientists
Steven Schultz, Princeton Weekly Bulletin, September 25, 2000, 90 (3)
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/00/0925/1b.shtml
This article describes a local professional development experience.
The Role of Scientists in the Professional Development of Science Teachers
Committee on Biology Teacher Inservice Programs, National Research Council
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=2310
This report from the NRC Committee on Biology Teacher Inservice Programs provides guidance for teachers and scientists based on a survey of effective professional development programs that most often involved partnerships. $46.12 for a paperback.
Making Science Make Science
Bayer Corporation
http://www.bayerus.com/MSMS/MSMS_About/About.aspx
This site, an initiative of the Bayer Corporation, is dedicated to bringing indusryy and STEM education closer together.
ISSUE: How do I build partnerships with business and industry that are more than “one shot,” isolated programs, but instead are systemic, comprehensive, and intensive?
Strategies for Engaging Prospective Community Allies
Translating Ideas Into Practice, Center for Science Education (CSE) at
Education Development Center, Inc.
http://teacherleadership.edc.org/02engagi.pdf
Types of partnerships and challenges to consider in the partnership process. Outline of various types of partnerships and information on challenges faced by partnerships.
Robot Contests and Competitions FAQ
Robots.com
http://robots.net/rcfaq.html
A list of links to robotics competitions that team up students with engineers from businesses and universities, giving students a hands-on, inside look at the engineering profession.
Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP)
Mars Education Program, NASA and Arizona State University
http://msip.asu.edu/
Provides information about this program which offers students nationwide the opportunity to be involved in authentic Mars research by working with scientists, mission planners and educators to image a site on Mars.
North Carolina Big Sweep
http://www.ncbigsweep.org/
Information about the statewide North Carolina waterways clean-up program.
Keep American Beautiful, Programs and Activities
City of Rocky Mount, NC
http://www.rockymountnc.gov/kab/programs.html
Information about community clean-up activities related to Earth Day.
Seven Steps to Building School-to-Industry Partnerhips
Kathy Baron, Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-career-technical-education-community-partnerships
ISSUE: How do I establish partnerships with parents that go beyond “traditional approaches”?
Supporting Parents as Leaders: Stories of Dedication, Determination,
and Inspiration
Parent Leadership Exchange Project. Institute for Responsive Education.
http://www.ncpie.org/pubs/SupportingParentsLeadersAug2002.pdf
An extensive article with stories of parent leaders as well as three educators who share their thoughts on how to have successful school, family, and community partnerships that improve student outcomes.
Getting Parents Involved in School
The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/25979/
This article offers research-based advice and resources designed to help schools and districts foster successful parent involvement.
ISSUE: What do business and industry expect high school graduates to know and be able to do if they are going to be hired for STEM positions?
Industry’s Wish List for Academia: Hamline University
Reshapes Science Curriculum to Better Meet the Needs of Industrial
Employers
Sophie Wilkinson,Chemical and Engineering News, September
16, 2002, Vol. 80, No. 37, American Chemical Society
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/education/8037/8037education.html
This article describes a project where a university surveyed professionals to develop a list of characteristics that they would value in graduates whom they would consider hiring: communication skills, technical course development, industrial organization, team problem solving, and cultural competency. University faculty then revised their curriculum to address those needs.
What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for America 2000
The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S.
Department of Labor, June 1991
http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/whatwork/whatwork.pdf
This report from the Department of Labor describes the characteristics of today and tomorrow’s workplace and outlines competencies that high school graduates need in order to be successful in that workplace.
SCANS Skills
SCANS 2000: The Workforce Skills Web Site, Institute for Policy Studies,
Johns Hopkins University, 2001
http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/
This site provides a list of the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) workplace competencies and foundation skills, some with examples in various jobs.
ISSUE: How do I get community help in sustaining programs and/or developing new ones?
Mobilizing Citizens for Better Schools
Robert Sexton, Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence, 2004
http://www.prichardcommittee.org/media-center/mobilizing-citizens-for-better-schools
Guidance for citizens of all states who are interested in implementing school reform. Topics such as initial organizing, building credibility, working with business and the media, the ins-and-outs of school reform politics, organizing the public, including parents, and communications strategies are covered. An order form is included on the page. $18.95 each.
Making the Case
Center for Science Education (CSE) at Education Development Center, Inc.,
2000
http://teacherleadership.edc.org/11making.pdf
Seven overhead transparencies to use in discussion about making the case for systemic science education reform to various groups (parents, school board, central office, teachers, principals/school leadership teams, site-based decision making team).
See the interview with Dwight Sieggreen for some helpful tips!
ISSUE: How do I get the support of government, legislatures, city agencies (e.g. public works)?
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: Grant Sources
Kathy Schrock. DiscoverySchool.com. 2004.
http://schoolnew.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/business/grants.html
This site supplies federal, state, and private funding opportunities, and provides links to individual states' Web sites.
U.S. Department of Education: Grants and Contracts
http://www.ed.gov/fund/landing.jhtml?src=rt
This site provides information and links for all federal grants and initiatives issued under the DOE.
Attracting Support for Specific Programs
Contributed by Chris Hampton to the Community Toolbox
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1332.aspx
This article answers many questions, including, Why try to attract support for specific programs (as opposed to the whole initiative? When should you try to attract support for specific programs? From whom should you try to attract support?
ISSUE: How do I get financial support (grants, materials, etc.) for community-based experiences?
SchoolGrants.org
http://k12grants.org/
Devoted to preK-12 teachers, this site offers a wealth of information and services for grant seekers. A Bring Home the Bacon listserv facilitates discussion about the grant-writing process and offers a forum for sharing tips and experiences.
Grant Seeking Primer
David Bauer. Scholastic Inc. 2004.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/grants/grantprimer.htm
Well-organized and user-friendly, this site offers an overview of what's needed to help you develop a winning proposal.
Finding Resources to Support Mentoring Programs and Services for Youth
The Finance Project
http://www.financeproject.org/publications/FindingResources-MentoringPrograms.pdf
See the interview with Dwight Sieggreen for some helpful tips!
Disclaimer:
The Web resources collected on these pages are not maintained by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), nor does EDC make the claim that they are accurate. As with all Web-based information, links change from time to time. To our knowledge, all links were functional as of October 2013. Please notify Kerry Ouellet at kouellet@edc.org if you experience any problems.
