It is no secret that large high schools face challenges in organizing their programs of family and community involvement. In all high schools – large and small – involvement declines if parents think that involvement is no longer needed. Involvement declines, too, if high schools are not welcoming places with well-planned partnership programs and practices.
There are many critical, age-appropriate family and community involvement activities at the high school level to improve students’ successful transitions to the new school, attendance, behavior, course choices, homework completion, and postsecondary planning. Parents need good information on high school programs and opportunities for students. Indeed, some think that families and the community should be more involved – but in different ways – as students proceed through the teen years.
Basic Structures for Partnership Programs
In NNPS, all high schools are guided to organize their programs with essential components. They must create an Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) with teachers, parents, administrators, and students; apply the framework of six types of involvement to select age-appropriate involvement activities; write a One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships; implement the planned activities; evaluate the quality of their work; and continually improve their partnership program every year.
Variations in ATP Organization
As NNPS Facilitators journey across school districts, we have learned that one challenge in large high schools with more than 2000 students is how to organize the ATP. Should there be one whole-school team or more than one team for major school divisions?1
One ATP with subcommittees. Large high schools may organize one ATP with representatives from the major school divisions. The representatives may come from grade levels (9-12), programs (college prep, vocational), career academies (by specialty), or other school-within-the-school groups. As a committee of the School Council or School Improvement Team, the ATP will have “subcommittees” headed by the division representatives for each grade level or for each career academy to ensure that involvement activities respond to the needs of the students and families in these divisions.
Multiple ATPs. Some large high schools may find it easier to have one ATP for each major division. If grade levels define the school, each grade can have an ATP. If career academies define the school, each academy can have its ATP to plan and implement family and community involvement linked to its program. When there are multiple ATPs, a representative from each team will report to the School Council or School Improvement Team or to a coordinator for the council.2
Examples from the Field
Frederick Douglass Senior High School and Patterson High School in Baltimore City Public Schools each started with one ATP. Both recognized, however, that the ATP needed representatives from major school divisions to work together to plan and reach all families. The ATPs are conducting activities to help students make successful transitions to the school, improve attendance, and plan for college or careers.
At Patterson, the counselor from each career academy serves on the ATP. This ensures that all academy principals and the whole school know about the ATP’s plans and have opportunities for input. Newsletters, for example, are distributed across academies. At Douglass, alumni serve as “community members” of the ATP. They bring experience, energy, and expertise to motivate students to stay in school and do well. They also have been “friendly watch dogs” to ensure that the school has qualified teachers and administrators in an excellent learning environment.
Focus on an Important Goal
Bridgeton High School, a Talent Development High School in Bridgeton, NJ, has one ATP for the whole school. After its team training, the ATP started to work on the goal to improve students’ postsecondary planning by involving ninth graders’ families in helping students decide which career academy to choose for the 10th -12th grades. Starting with appropriate involvement in the freshman year, this ATP can build a series of activities for families and students at each grade level on post secondary planning.
Create a Welcoming Climate
As one activity in its One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships, Middle Township High School in Cape May Court House, NJ, hosted a cultural fair for the whole community. The ATP planned and organized the event to foster positive school, family, and community communications with musicians, cultural booths, ethnic foods, and activities linked to teachers’ lessons and course credit. Students crafted “passports” that recorded their travel across cultures for community information. Over 500 parents, students, and community members and 600 students, teachers, and staff participated in (2007).
Keep Improving Programs
Because high schools vary greatly in size and structure, each one must decide how to organize its teamwork on family and community involvement. One ATP with representatives from each major school division or separate ATPs in each major division can be effective. In either case, the team(s) must write and implement thoughtful plans with activities that involve families and the community to help students succeed in their courses and plan for postsecondary education.
Brenda G. Thomas
bthomas@csos.jhu.edu
NOTES:
1 Small and medium-sized high schools should follow the standard NNPS guidelines for ATPs.
2 Variations in ATPs and committees in large high schools also apply to very large middle schools and junior high schools..