Spring 1997 No. 2  National Network of Partnership Schools

School Report

School-Wide
Interactive Homework Project
Involves Families in Enfield, Connecticut

The Family Connection, an interactive homework project, was submitted to the Network's Sharing Best Practices by Action Team Chair Juliette Leith and Principal Linda Cavanaugh of the Eli Whitney School in Enfield, Connecticut. As homework, The Family Connection is a Type 4 Activity - Learning at Home that aims to improve students' writing skills and parent-child interactions.

Because it is a well-organized school-wide project, it also incorporates other types of involvement such as helping educators know their families (Type 1 - Parenting), improving school-to-home communications (Type 2 - Communicating), and increasing volunteers (Type 3 - Volunteering). The activity is co-organized by the Action Team called the Partners in Education (P.I.E.) Group and the PTO (Type 5 - Decision Making).

Started in the fall of 1995, The Family Connection has been conducted and improved each fall and spring. Presently, about 75% of the 480 students and families complete the voluntary homework on such topics as: About My Family or Favorite Family Fun.

The topics are discussed and selected by all 23 teachers at a staff meeting to ensure that they are involved and satisfied with the assignments. Students and families at all grade levels receive the same assignment and complete it in the same time period.

The writing assignments and pictures that the students draw are shared in classrooms and displayed in hallways. The result is a celebration and appreciation of all families.

The school leaders explain: "Implementation of these activities was really quite easy. The most difficult part of the school-wide project is finding an activity that will appeal to the K-6 range of grade levels, and one that can be attractively displayed in our hallways."

Interactive homework projects are described as "low cost" and "non-threatening" with "strong interest from parents." Leith and Cavanaugh state: "The Family Connection has not only been a best practice, but is fast becoming a tradition in our school culture!"

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