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Engaging Stakeholders
Including Parents
and the
Community to
Sustain Improved
Reading Outcomes
Welcome Sustainability is
the ability of a staff
Sustainability Series Number 6 to maintain the
core beliefs and
values (culture)
Including Parents and the Community to Sustain Improved Reading Outcomes of a program
S
chools seeking improved outcomes usually have one or more “champions for and use them to
change” on the inside of the organization, and these leaders can often engage other guide program
staff to produce better results in the short term. But these instructional leaders often adaptations
move to another school, climb the career ladder, or retire. When they do, gains that have over time while
been made often quickly fade away. If schools are going to build support for on-going maintaining
success, they also need advocates for improved program outcomes outside the immediate improved or
organization—constituents who understand the mission of the school, who share the enhanced
champions’ vision and passion for student success, and who have a personal stake in the outcomes.
performance of the school and its students. In this brief, we identify schools’ external -adapted from Century
stakeholders and offer ways in which these constituents can be a positive force for helping and Levy, 2002
school staff achieve improved outcomes for all students and sustain them over time.
This brief, sixth in a series addressing key aspects of sustainability, can help leaders in
your school, district, or state plan for active parent and community involvement and
sustain the success they have established through the Reading First initiative. Other
aspects of sustaining school-wide reading models that are based on scientific research will
be addressed in other briefs in this series. Please check the Reading First Sustainability
website at http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/support/sustaining.html for other
titles in this series.
This brief was written by Stan Paine of the University of Oregon and Richard McCann
of Research for Better Schools. Dr. Paine directs professional development and outreach
services to schools and districts to improve academic outcomes for students. Prior to
joining the University, Dr. Paine was an elementary school principal for 22 years. Mr.
McCann has provided technical assistance in school improvement to state, district, and
school leaders in the Mid-Atlantic region for a number of years.
Stakeholders and Sustained Outcomes 4
Who are the stakeholders? Why involve stakeholders? What does it take to
engage stakeholders?
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 3 S E R I E S
Stakeholders
and
Sustained
Outcomes
Who are the stakeholders?
A stakeholder is an individual or group with an interest in the success
of an organization in fulfilling its mission—delivering intended results and
maintaining the viability of its products, services and outcomes over time.
Who are the stakeholders in the endeavor to improve student outcomes in
reading and to sustain those increased levels of achievement? To whom does it
matter that more students learn to read well and to succeed in school—and that
improved outcomes hold up over time? Table 1 identifies key constituencies in
the realm of reading outcomes and suggests what members of each group have
at stake. Keep in mind that some “stakes,” of course, are held by more than one
constituent group.
Table 1: Key Educational Constituent Groups and their “Stake” in Students’ Reading Success
Parents Pride, success, and opportunity for the students they care about
School & district staff “Adequate yearly progress,” meeting accountability expectations
Business community Ability to hire graduates with skills needed, community economics
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 4 S E R I E S
Internal and External Stakeholders
Internal stakeholders are those who work within the school system on a daily basis and
who largely control what goes on there. They include school staff, district staff, and, to
some extent, school boards.
External stakeholders are those outside the day-to-day work of the schools who have
a strong interest in school outcomes but who do not directly determine what goes into
producing those outcomes.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 5 S E R I E S
Engaging
Stakeholders in
Education
To what extent can parent and community While all of these activities can enhance
involvement impact student success in school? the academic or social dimensions of a child’s
How might traditional involvement of external school experience and extend what the
stakeholders be extended such that these school can provide, most parent involvement
constituents become a force for successfully activities remain at a distance from the heart
implementing and sustaining effective of the elementary school’s mission—to impart
schoolwide reading practices? basic skills and foundational knowledge in
Historically, parent involvement in preparation for the more advanced learning
education has taken one of three forms: required in middle school, high school and
1. Parent training How to be a good parent; beyond. The gatekeepers this type of parent
how to promote the importance of involvement, of course, and those who
education to your child; how to talk to your determine its form and extent are the school
child about important issues. staff. It is incumbent upon educators to engage
parents and community members in ways
2. Parent support In terms of the school’s
that are aligned with critical outcomes and go
homework practices and the child’s
deeper to impact school outcomes at scale. Let’s
homework efforts (including student
examine how some educators are reaching out
independent reading outside of school).
to stakeholders to support the school’s mission
3. Parent volunteering Ranging from and to empower school improvement.
volunteering in the
classroom to helping
out with social
activities at school
(e.g., class parties,
school carnivals, field
trips,) or with fund-
raising activities.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 6 S E R I E S
Categorizing Types of Engagement and Setting
Standards.
Here are just a few of the many organizations that have identified ways
that parents and other educational stakeholders can get involved in the work
of their local schools.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 7 S E R I E S
Effects of Parent
and Community
Involvement
“Taken as a whole, these studies found
a positive and convincing relationship
between family involvement and
benefits for students, including
improved academic achievement. This
relationship holds across families of all
… backgrounds and for students of all
Much work (Henderson,
ages.”
has been done Jacob, Kernan-
Henderson and Mapp, 2002
over the past Schloss &
quarter century Raimondo, 2004)
to establish a and reported an
linkage between increase in parent
parent involvement and children’s and community organizing efforts to
learning. The National Committee improve schools.
for Citizens in Education (NCCE) Henderson’s work also notes that
summarized the results of nearly 50 “unlike traditional parent involvement,
studies on this topic and identified parent and community organizing
one group of studies which focused on [often] holds schools accountable for
building strong relationships between results,” a focus that often leads to
schools, families, and the larger “positive changes in policy, practice and
community. The authors concluded that resources” (Henderson & Mapp, 2002).
“the degree of parent and community Although the focus in these studies
interest in high quality education is the was not directly on improving reading
critical factor in the impact of the school achievement, the extension of parent
environment on the achievement and and community organizing to this goal
educational aspirations of students” seems a plausible one. When parents and
(NCCE, 1987). other community members advocate
More recently, and more closely for the kinds of systemic changes that
linked with our focus here, a review of can help sustain improved outcomes
research done by parent involvement (e.g., policies, goals, dedicated funding),
expert Anne Henderson and colleagues schools and districts are more likely to
established the link between parent focus on these changes and thereby be
involvement and children’s learning able to sustain recent improvements.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 8 S E R I E S
Examples of
Partnerships
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 9 S E R I E S
and other community adversarial. It can include the need to listen carefully,
leaders to serve as effective all interested stakeholders communicate transparently
advocates for higher student working in collaboration and operate from common
achievement statewide. This to provide leadership for values and goals. Where this
model has since been adopted improved school outcomes. can be accomplished—and
by a number of other states. As the Kentucky experience when egos, power concerns
The work being done in suggests, this requires training and control issues can be kept
Kentucky shows that parent for all parties, including in check—remarkable progress
and community involvement school personnel, in how to can be achieved, as can be seen
in the schools need not be work collaboratively, including in the Kentucky example.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 10 S E R I E S
Example 2: to remain steadfast in this district leaders realized the
Districtwide goal and in holding district
schools accountable for it.
need not only to welcome
parents and give them an
Community Also important were the opportunity to be involved
Partnerships efforts to provide strong in their child’s education,
community leadership and but also to give parents an
Work began more than clear communication around important role in preparing
a decade ago to improve the goal and to support this their children academically
student reading outcomes in priority for more than a for school and thereby help
the Kennewick, Washington decade through allocation of to reduce the readiness gap
school district (Fielding, Kerr funds for training, staffing, between children coming
& Rossier, 1998, 2007). It and materials. This is an to school. This parent role
began with the school board extraordinary example of is extremely important to
setting a goal that 90 percent mission-driven leadership by children’s success in becoming
of students would be reading the board and its top district a reader, but it is surprisingly
on grade level by the end of administrators, and it provides simple: Read to your child 20
third grade. Initially, many us with a strong example of minutes a day. This effort to
people thought that this goal what can be accomplished get parents to read to their
was unrealistic. Now, some ten when district leaders and young children regularly was
years later, district elementary school board members take formalized by establishing
schools are meeting this their charge seriously and a community reading
goal with considerable remain focused on their top foundation, and by engaging
consistency. What fueled this priority over an extended the community to get the
remarkable accomplishment? period of time. message out to parents. The
A large part of it was But there is also another model which has been highly
the school board’s initial powerful component at sucessful, has now spread to a
decision—and its continuing work in the success of the large number of other regions
commitment—to set a clear Kennewick district. Early on, and states.
goal for student achievement,
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 11 S E R I E S
Example 3: of supports that target student many children and collected
School Level needs in learning to read.
Participating groups include
reading books for them. The
financial institution paid for
Collaboration with the county Literacy Council, all the materials and training
Community the city Lifelong Learning needed to implement a
Council and the city Rotary supplemental reading program
The Sharon City, Club. and even hosted the teacher
Pennsylvania school district Individual schools are training sessions in their
is small in area and in the most visible reminders corporate board room—all
enrollment, but rich in ideas to parents and community because someone asked them
and in its commitment to members of the importance if they would help. The school
identify and connect with and presence of the went on to engage the local
stakeholders. School leaders educational mission within the parks and recreation district,
have made a concerted effort community. Each school has the mayor, and their local
to get the word out to parents, its own constituency, which U.S. Congressman as partners
school board members and includes families of currently in supporting their reading
community groups about enrolled children, neighbors, program.
their efforts to improve nearby business and other Sometimes a school’s
student achievement. Student organizations within the stakeholders are not
successes are made visible community. Each school must immediately apparent. But
within the neighborhood, the identify and reach out to its when we stop to think about it,
school district office, to the constituents to inform them there are many people who care
school board, and within the of the school’s mission, vision about the success of children
community. As a result, the and successes and seek their and are willing to support that
school board members have support. They can ask, “Who cause. Helping children learn
come to understand what is lives in this neighborhood?”, to read is not a difficult thing
needed to sustain success and “What stake do they have in to sell—if only we identify the
are working to fund reading the success of our students?” local stakeholders and reach
coaches out of the district and “How can we engage them out to them with a compelling
budget when Reading First in supporting our students and message and an opportunity to
funds expire. our programs?” get on board.
The Sharon City schools Many schools are in To capture the full potential
have also increased their neighborhoods that are low of stakeholder groups in
efforts to reach out to income and have few apparent supporting sustained success
parents. They have launched resources. Where, then, can of school reading initiatives,
parent workshops on how to school staff turn for support? parent and community
support children’s success in In one Oregon school, staff involvement in schools must
school, incorporated similar scanned the neighborhood go beyond social activities and
information into the parent and saw many elderly people, fund-raising efforts to address
conference process and a fire station and a small student achievement head-on,
connected parents with such financial institution. Some and school staff must lead this
community resources as the might think that there is not effort. When schools, districts,
local family center, the county much support to be had from parents and community
library and ESL programs for such meager resources. But groups collaborate and align
adults. In addition, school staff this school recruited a number their efforts around student
members have recruited several of elderly neighbors to form a achievement, more students
community organizations to corps of senior volunteers to will succeed, success can be
commit time and resources to tutor children in reading. The sustained, and public education
help schools provide a range firefighters became mentors to will be at its best.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 12 S E R I E S
How can
“Society has a stake
in the well-being of
children down the block
stakeholders
…Whether or not kids
eat well, are nurtured
and have a roof over
their heads (and are
help sustain
well-educated) is not
just a consequence
of how their parents
reading
(provide for them). It is
also a responsibility of
society….”
outcomes?
Richard B. Stolley (1995),
U.S. editor and child advocate.
How can we engage our external return on tax dollars invested: “Are our schools
stakeholders in the challenge of improving accomplishing what we, as a community,
student reading outcomes? What messages do expect and need them to accomplish?” This
we want to give them? What do we want to role need not be adversarial; if managed well, it
ask of them by way of support for our students can be seen simply as a steady presence capable
and our efforts? What efforts on their part will of helping to sustain the focus on the school’s
help us sustain an effective school-wide reading primary mission and seeking ways to help
model over time? accomplish that purpose. Constituents can be
Stakeholders can begin by asking school seen as important partners who are there to
boards and district leaders whether the help push the mission and to help pull the load.
community is realizing a strong educational
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 13 S E R I E S
From the beginning, school leaders What do we want stakeholders to do?
must take the initiative in forming strong
partnerships. This begins with identifying what As illustrated by the examples and
we want constituents to know about our work sources cited above, external stakeholders
(see list on the previous page) and our results can do a number of things to support
to date and articulating what they can do to schools’ efforts to increase student
achieve and sustain improved results. achievement. Stakeholders in all roles can
Schools exist to serve the educational make important contributions.
needs of the community. A community’s
schools are at their best when they are Parents can…
sharply focused on specific, mission-oriented
outcomes, such as empowering all students read to their young children at home;
to become successful readers, and when they learn the key information to know
are consistently successful in delivering on about supporting the school’s
the mission. The community itself is at its best effort to improve student reading
when its stakeholders know how the schools outcomes;
are performing and when they advocate for and follow the progress of their own
collaboratively support improved outcomes. children and of the school as a whole,
Educators know a great deal about “what talking with teachers and school
works,” but they can’t bring about or sustain leaders about how the parent can
improvement on their own. Parents and help when results fall short of goals;
community members must have a strong and
vested interest in the success of the schools and
must co-own the outcomes produced. What advocate at the school, district, and
is needed now is for schools to identify and state levels for systems supports
actively engage all stakeholders in fulfilling the which will help produce and sustain
mission and enacting the vision of all students improved results.
succeeding in school, starting with success in
reading. Community citizens and business leaders can…
learn the key information to know
about supporting the school’s
efforts to improve student reading
outcomes;
collaborate with school leaders
to identify the variables they
can influence which can make a
difference in student outcomes;
advocate at the community and state
levels for systems supports-policies,
priorities, training, and resources
which will support improved
outcomes; and
support and promote the
improvement agenda of the schools
and district.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 14 S E R I E S
References
Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. Downloaded National Parent-Teacher Association. National Standards for
January 18, 2009 from http://www.prichardcommittee.org/ Family-School Partnerships. Downloaded January 18, 2009
CIPL/tabid/31491/Default.aspx). from http://www.pta.org/1216.htm.
Epstein, J. (1995). School/Family/Community Partnerships: The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Top 20 by
Caring for the Children we Share. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(9) 2020 Initiative. Downloaded January 18, 2009 from http://
701-712. www.prichardcommittee.org/Top20by2020/tabid/45541/
Default.aspx
Fielding, L., Kerr, N. and Rossier, P. (2007). Annual Growth
for All Students, Catch-up Growth
for Those Who Are Behind.
Kennewick, WA: The New
Foundation Press.
Henderson, A., Jacob, B., Kernan-
Schloss, A., & Raimondo, B.
(2004). The Case for Parent
Leadership. Arlington, VA: KSA
Plus Communications.
Henderson, A. & Mapp, K. (2002).
A New Wave of Evidence: The
Impact of School, Family and
Community Connections on
Student Achievement. Austin,
TX: Southwest Educational
Development Corporation (SEDL).
Downloaded January 18, 2009
from http://www.sedl.org/
connections/resources/evidence.
pdf.
National Children’s Reading
Foundation. Downloaded January
18, 2009 from http://www.
readingfoundation.org/
National Committee for Citizens in
Education (1987). The Evidence
Continues to Grow: Parent
Involvement Improves Student
Achievement. An Annotated
Bibliography. (A. Henderson,
Editor) (ERIC document number
ED315199) Downloaded January
18, 2009 http://eric.ed.gov:80/
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nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_Se
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 15 S E R I E S
Additional
Resources
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform (http://www. National Network of Partnership Schools (http://www.csos.
annenberginstitute.org/) jhu.edu/P2000/)
The Center for Parent Leadership (CPL (http://www. National Parent Teachers Association (http://www.pta.org/)
prichardcommittee.org/CPL/tabid/31492/Default.aspx)
National Reading Foundation (http://www.
Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (CIPL) (http:// readingfoundation.org/)
www.prichardcommittee.org/CIPL/tabid/31491/Default.
Parent Information and Resource Centers (http://
aspx)
www.nationalpirc.org/)
Henderson, A., Mapp, K., Johnson, V.
The Prichard Committee for
and Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the
Academic Excellence (http://www.
Bake Sale: The Essential Guide
prichardcommittee.org/)
to Family-School Partnerships.
New York: The New Press.
National Coalition for
Parent Involvement
in Education (NCPIE)
(http://www.ncpie.org/)
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 16 S E R I E S