Researchers in Portugal are working to understand and improve comprehensive programs of school, family, and community partnerships. Dr. Adelina Villas-Boas of the University of Lisbon conducted a survey of principals and teachers in a random sample of 1195 schools in Portugal. She also studied the effects of helping teachers at 25 elementary schools selected randomly from the larger sample to implement strong programs of partnerships.
The survey data indicated a serious gap between what teachers and principals said about the importance of family involvement and the activities that they implemented. It was clear that the schools needed help to plan and conduct activities that involved families in their children’s education. Extensive evaluations were conducted of 20 of the 25 schools that completed two years of program development.
The schools improved the quantity and quality of partnerships. Villas-Boas reports that parent and teacher relations improved, the number of parent-teacher meetings increased, parents become more involved at school and at home, and more “hard-to-reach” parents became involved. With the help of on-site facilitators and training in partnerships, teachers improved their attitudes toward parents, carefully prepared for meetings with parents, and designed “interactive homework” (akin to the Network’s TIPS approach). The teachers observed positive effects in student achievement due to parental involvement, and fourth graders’ achievement test scores improved.
Villas-Boas concludes, "It is possible to modify schools and improve the quality of teaching and learning by developing a culture of partnerships. This helps the students, families, teachers, and the community." She sees a key role for facilitators, a need to provide teachers with professional development on partnerships, and the need for schools to work over time to plan and sustain good partnerships. She also notes that "enforcing legislation" may be needed to encourage reluctant educators to develop strong programs of home-school partnerships.
The successful application in Portugal of the research and approaches of the National Network is particularly exciting.
From: Adelina Villas-Boas (2000.) A prospective overview on the school/family/community relationship: A three-year study. University of Lisbon, Portugal.