School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators
and Improving Schools addresses a fundamental question in
education today: How will colleges and universities prepare
future teachers, administrators, counselors, and other education
professionals to conduct effective programs of family and
community involvement that contribute to students’ success in
school?
The work of Joyce L. Epstein has advanced theories, research,
policies, and practices of family and community involvement in
elementary, middle, and high schools, districts, and states
nationwide. In this second edition, she shows that there are new
and better ways to organize programs of family and community
involvement as essential components of district leadership and
school improvement.
THE SECOND EDITION OFFERS EDUCATORS AND RESEARCHERS:
A framework for helping rising educators to develop
comprehensive, goal-linked programs of school, family, and
community partnerships.
A clear discussion of the theory of overlapping spheres of
influence, which asserts that schools, families, and communities
share responsibility for student success in school.
A historic overview and exploration of research on the nature
and effects of parent involvement.
Methods for applying the theory, framework, and research on
partnerships in college course assignments, class
discussions, projects and activities, and fi eld experiences.
Examples that show how research-based approaches improve
policies on partnerships, district leadership, and
school programs of family and community involvement.
Definitive and engaging, School, Family, and Community
Partnerships can be used as a main or supplementary text in
courses on foundations of education methods of teaching,
educational administration, family and community relations,
contemporary issues in education, sociology of education,
sociology of the family, school psychology, social work,
education policy, and other courses that prepare professionals to
work in schools and with families and students.
