Principals Matter

'Addresses specific populations that are often alienated by schools: fathers, parents of children with disabilities, and families of poverty. It provides a good overview of key research on the topic of family involvement in schools, its impact, and practices for obtaining involvement' -William Ruff, Assistant Professor Montana State University 'An excellent book. Each chapter opens with relevant research and presents suggestions for practical applications. I would buy this book for a task force or professional learning community' -Julie C. Burger, Principal Frederick Leighton Elementary School, Oswego, NY Research has shown that strong principal leadership is critical to developing effective school partnerships that include diverse school, family and community members. This book provides administrators with a clear road map for initiating partnership programs that are goal-focused, equitable, and sustainable. In this research-based resource, the authors highlight the work of principals who have cultivated successful partnerships across many settings to show other school leaders how they can develop the necessary supportive school cultures. Examining the administrator's role in the success and quality of home-school partnerships and student outcomes, this guidebook: - Synthesizes research on principal leadership, school and community partnerships, and urban education reform - Discusses the role of fathers in children's learning and working with families that live in poverty, are linguistically diverse, or have children with disabilities - Offers practical recommendations for evaluating and refining partnership programs to ensure they are linked with student achievement goals.

Mavis G. Sanders is assistant professor of education in the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education, research scientist at the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), and senior advisor to the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of many articles on the effects of school, fam­ily, and community support on African American adolescents' school suc­cess, the impact of partnership programs on the quality of family and community involvement, and international research on partnerships. She is interested in how schools involve families that are traditionally hard to reach, how schools meet challenges for implementing excellent programs and practices, and how schools define "community" and develop mean­ingful school-family-community connections. Her most recent book is Schooling Students Placed at Risk: Research, Policy, and Practice in the Education of Poor and Minority Adolescents (Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000). She earned her PhD in education from Stanford University.

Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction: Standards for School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Part I. Laying the Foundation
1. Policy, Theory, and Research on School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Partnerships and Academic Outcomes
Partnerships and Nonacademic Outcomes
Why This Matters for Principals
Reflection Questions
2. Reculturing Schools for School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Schools as Community Institutions
Developing a Coordinated Program of School, Family, Community Partnerships
Principal Leadership and School Outcomes
Obstacles to Effective School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Steps Toward Recultured Schools
Why This Matters for Principals
Reflection Questions
Part II. Responding to Diversity
3. Fathers and School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Why Fathers Matter
Father Demographics
The Role of Fathers
Guidelines for Developing Partnership Efforts to Involve Fathers
Why This Matters for Principals
Reflection Questions
4. Families of Children With Disabilities and School, Family, and Community Partnerships
IDEA and Children With Special Needs
District and School Outreach to Families of Children With Disabilities
Specific Needs and Experiences of Families of Children With Disabilities
Engagement Strategies for the Families of Children With Disabilities
Creating Inclusive Environments for Special Needs Populations
Why This Matters for Principals
Reflection Questions
5. Linguistically Diverse Families and School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Growth in Immigration and Limited English Proficient Students and Families
LEP Students and Families
LEP Students and NCLB
Strategies to Facilitate the Involvement of LEP Families
Culturally Intelligent Principal Leadership
Why This Matters for Principals
Reflection Questions
6. Families Living in Poverty and School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Challenges Faced by Low-Income Families
Avoiding a Deficit Perspective
A Collaborative Approach
Why This Matters for Principals
Reflection Questions
Part III. Maximizing Outcomes
7. Evaluating Programs of School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Planning an Evaluation
Collecting Data
Presenting the Findings
Why This Matters for Principals
Reflection Questions
Concluding Thoughts
References
Index