Dedication Acknowledgments About the Author Questionnaire: Before We Get Started... 1. Introduction Case Study and Reflective Questions 2. Best Practices in Reaching Out to Parents Learning Together Empower Parents Provide Training Establish Parent Coordinators Foster Parental Success Publicize Student Presentations Solicit Parent and Community Involvement Develop Parent Involvement Activities Conclusion 3. Best Practices in Building Community Alliances Consider Six Types of Involvement Form a Community Advisory Committee Undertake Community Building Plan Together Develop an After School Program Involve Parents and Community Avoid Barriers to Implementation Become Media Savvy Become Part of a Professional Development School (PDS) Initiative Conclusion 4. Using Community Resources and Reforms to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap School-Community Clinics Early Childhood Education Centers After School Programs Conclusion Conclusion: Making School-Community Relations a Reality Resource A: Realities of School-Community Leadership: In-Basket Simulations Resource B: Assessing Your Role in School-Community Relations Resource C: An Annotated Bibliography of Best Resources References Index
Harness your community's powerful resources to support achievement! Every school exists within the broader context of its community. By tapping into the wealth of resources that abound beyond campus grounds, principals can weave a tightly knit safety net that buoys student learning. If the adage "It takes a village to raise a child" is true, then certainly raising schoolwide achievement is largely dependent upon the active involvement of local businesses, organizations, institutions, and parents. Cultivating strong alliances with community members entails a systemic, goal-centered outreach program-and this comprehensive guide outlines proven, practical strategies for effectively launching, implementing, and sustaining mutually beneficial partnerships. It highlights straightforward best practices for: Reaching out to parents, including specific involvement activities; Building community relationships that support school initiatives, plus tips for leveraging the media; and Closing the achievement gap through community resources and reforms. This fourth volume in a seven-part leadership series features: Insightful questionnaire and response analysis Case study with reflective questions "What You Should Know About" sections framing each chapter Self-Assessment resources "In-basket Simulations" exploring real-life examples
Jeffrey Glanz currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for University-School Partnership, Director of the Masters Program and the Raine and Stanley Silverstein Chair in Professional Ethics and Values at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University. Prior to coming to YU, Dr. Glanz served as Dean of Graduate Programs and Chair of the Department of Education at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York. He also coordinated the educational leadership program that led to New York State certification as a principal and assistant principal. Prior to arriving at Wagner, he served as executive assistant to the president of Kean University in Union, New Jersey. Dr. Glanz held faculty status as a tenured professor in the Department of Instruction and Educational Leadership at Kean University's College of Education. He was named Graduate Teacher of the Year in 1999 by the Student Graduate Association and was also that year's recipient of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Scholarship. He served as a teacher and assistant principal in the New York City public schools. He has conducted numerous workshops and seminars internationally. Dr. Glanz has authored, coauthored, and co-edited 20 books and has many peer-reviewed article publications.