Spring, 1998 No. 4  National Network of Partnership Schools

Issues and Insights
Committees Help Action Teams
Make Progress with Partnerships

Joyce L. Epstein, Director

All schools in the National Network have Action Teams for School, Family, and Community Partnerships. District facilitators and state coordinators and their leadership teams guide and assist school Action Teams with their work. But, how do Action Teams make the most progress in improving partnerships? They do so with focused and efficient committees.

Committees help organize the work of Action Teams; reduce the number of meetings that everyone must attend; build the expertise and leadership of each team member; prevent the "burnout" that occurs if one person tries to run all activities; and increase the involvement of families and communities in productive ways. There are two common ways to organize committees.

Committees Focused on
Six Types of Involvement

In some schools, members of the Action Team for School, Family, and Community Partnerships become co-chairs or chairs for each of the six types of involvement (parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community). The co-chairs or chairs for each type of involvement develop expertise in that type, oversee activities for that type in the One-Year Action Plan, and delegate leadership and tasks to other parents, teachers, students, and community members who conduct specific activities for each type of involvement. Action Teams that create committees for each type of involvement usually use Team Structure #1 and Form A of the One-Year Action Plan in the manual, School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action.

Committees Focused on Goals

In other schools, members of the Action Team for School, Family, and Community Partnerships become co-chairs or chairs for three or four specific school improvement goals (e.g., improving math, reading, writing, science, or other academic skills, attendance, behavior, and school, family, and community partnerships). These co-chairs or chairs organize their committees to identify and implement activities from the six types of involvement that will help reach the identified goals. Action Teams that create committees for school improvement goals usually use Team Structure #2 and Form B of the One-Year Action Plan in the Handbook.

Choose Committee Structure
to Meet Needs

These two committee structures can be adapted to fit school needs. For example, some large middle and high schools are beginning their work by implementing family and community involvement activities mainly with incoming students and their families. They expand their committees each year to inform and involve families and communities in successive grade levels until the whole school's partnership program is implemented.

Before the end of this school year and before completing the One-Year Action Plan for partnerships for the 1998-99 school year, school Action Teams, district leaders, and state coordinators should discuss and select the committee structure--focused on the six types or on school improvement goals--that will help them develop comprehensive programs of school, family, and community partnerships.

 

Return to top

Choose another edition of Type 2