Developing and maintaining a strong partnership program is an important goal and on-going challenge for all members of NNPS. Studies show that schools with strong programs of school, family, and community partnerships have more parental involvement, higher levels of student achievement, and better student behavior and attendance.1 Studies also indicate that when action teams evaluate their partnership activities, schools are more likely to improve the overall quality of their partnership program.2 Many Action Teams for Partnerships, however, are not sure how to evaluate their partnership programs and what tools are available to help them.
The process of evaluation is essential for gaining insight into a program’s strengths and weaknesses, and for planning improvements. Evaluating a program and activities does not mean passing judgment about whether the program is good or bad. Rather, the purposes of useful evaluations are to clarify program goals, show whether and how implemented activities are helping to realize the stated goals, and suggest improvements. This information is essential for developing stronger, more effective partnership programs.
Use UPDATE. To help Action Teams for Partnerships (ATPs) conduct meaningful and feasible program evaluations, NNPS provides several tools for schools and school districts. One of these is the annual UPDATE survey, which is mailed by NNPS to all members every spring. UPDATE gives ATPs the chance to reflect on the quality of key elements of program development and the involvement activities that were implemented during the school year. Members of the ATP are encouraged to meet to discuss how well the partnership program was organized, implemented, and supported by the entire school community. Open-ended questions ask the team to reflect on progress, challenges, and next steps for improving the quality of the program. The key to using UPDATE, like all evaluation tools, is to be honest in these assessments.
Use other assessments, inventories, and indicators. In addition to UPDATE, other evaluation tools are available in Chapter 9 of the NNPS handbook, School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Second Edition. Particularly valuable is the End-of-Year Evaluation (pp. 360-364). With this tool, ATP members can assess how well activities were implemented to involve families on each school improvement goal (e.g., to improve students’ reading, math, attendance, behavior, or other goals). Throughout the school year, the ATP should reflect on and rate the degree to which each activity was successfully implemented. When ATPs take time for these reflections, the strengths and weaknesses of a school’s partnership program and involvement activities become more visible.
Those who want to assess progress in meeting challenges to reach all families, also may use and chart the ATP’s annual responses to the Measure of School, Family, and Community Partnerships (pp. 330-334). This inventory asks whether actions for the six types of involvement are very successfully or need improvement. Along with the other NNPS tools noted above, this measure can help an ATP write the next Action Plan for Partnerships.
Finally, ATPs should take a look at the checklist on the quality of teamwork to help create the best ATP possible (p. 111 of the Handbook for Action). Starting the new school year with a well-functioning ATP will contribute to a stronger, more sustainable program.
A well-organized team will set aside time to complete UPDATE and conduct other useful evaluations as the school year ends. Plan to devote at least one action team meeting to discuss the year’s work. Encourage all ATP members to attend that meeting to incorporate diverse perspectives on how well the partnership program was implemented this year and what to improve next year. If there are other questions about evaluating your program, call an NNPS Facilitator to talk about how you can use UPDATE and the evaluation tools in the NNPS Handbook to chart changes in program quality from year to year.
1 See the Research and Evaluation section of the NNPS website, www.partnershipschools.org, to learn more about these studies.
2 Sheldon, S. B. & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2004). Partnership programs in U.S. schools: Their development and relationship to family involvement outcomes. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 15, 125-148.