Community Partners with Math and Science Students
by Darcy J. Hutchins P
arents play important roles in their children’s scholastic success. Decades of research indicate that regardless of race, socioeconomic status, and other background factors,
students achieve greater academic and behavioral success in school when educators, families, and the community work together. Many schools are finding innovative ways to involve parents and the community in all subjects. This article focuses on how schools at all grade levels are involving parents and the community with students in math and science.
A Comprehensive Framework
One framework that hundreds of schools across the country are using to organize their pro- grams of family and community involvement is that of the National Network of Partner- ship Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University (see sidebar on page 25). NNPS guides schools to organize and implement four components of partnership program development:
1. Form an Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) with teachers, parents, an administrator, and oth- ers to work together as a committee of the School Council (in high schools, students also are on the ATP)
2. Write a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships 3. Include in the Action P lan activities from the Six Types of Involvement to engage parents in differ- ent ways (see back cover)
4. Evaluate the quality and progress of the program and activities each year.1
Schools that are guided by a district leader to
implement these structures and processes generally involve more families, work to meet challenges to engage families who were previously uninvolved, and reach results for student success.
Research on Family Involvement in Math and Science
Parental Involvement in
Math.Many studies indicate that positive parental involvement increases students’ math achievement. Studies show, for example, that parents’ involve- ment in math-related activities and discussions about math encouraged children to take more advanced math courses2 and increased students’ math achievement.3 Also, parents’ educational expectations and positive connections between home and school predicted high school students’ math achievement.4 School-based math interventions may engage more parents with their children on math
activities and math homework—including those who do not become involved on their own. Several studies investigated connections of parent involvement, homework, and
PAGE 22 • Connect ©SYNERGY LEARNING • 800-769-6199 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
Connecting Family and
NNPS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28