This edited book showcases the lessons, successes and challenges of starting and growing a fully bilingual school. Reflecting on the first 10 years of Dos Puentes Elementary School in New York City, it explores the evolution of the school through its four founding pillars: (1) "bilingüismo, biliteracidad y multiculturalismo," (2)…

Thomas J. Capretta, Jingyang (Max) Zhang, Eric M. Anderman, and Barbara J. Boone revisit Joyce Epstein's 1995 Kappan article on overlapping spheres of influence and family-school partnerships. They highlight one idea from the article that has been largely overlooked -- the role of student voice and leadership. To refocus researchers' and…

Parental engagement today changes the future of education for the students and parents of tomorrow. In "Building Parent Capacity in High Poverty Schools," the educational leader known as "the woman who makes schools work for the poor" shares insightful strategies and personal stories to guide educators in fostering meaningful…

This qualitative content analysis of course descriptions and syllabi examines how family and community engagement are addressed in principal preparation programs. Relying on a conceptual framework that centers four areas of practice, the analysis determined only half of programs had a substantial focus on families and communities. Many programs…

While higher educational institutions prize interdisciplinary research collaboration, how it is supported is key to its success. In this discussion paper, we explore the evidence base to support interdisciplinary research collaboration in relation to our team's experiences with our project, output and impact. Project end-users are those who…

During the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and continuing racial injustices, many literacy clinics pivoted to online instruction. Educators were now in students' homes for virtual literacy lessons. To understand how literacy clinics responded, teacher educators analyzed a national survey of clinic directors' perspectives. Analysis regarding family…

Over the first 18 years of life, students spend a large portion of their time in school and at home. Having a good relationship between the adults at home and school is vital for the success of children throughout their schooling. This relationship can often feel one sided, but what if there is another reason why the relationship between home and…

National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) defines family leadership as strategies and services that improve and enhance the leadership skills of parenting adults and that are designed to support families in becoming advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. This work is accomplished alongside the education and community…

Members of school learning communities and researchers recognize that partnerships between families and schools are critical to the success of student learning (Epstein et al., 2018; Galindo & Sheldon, 2012). This qualitative descriptive multiple case study aimed to understand how five school superintendents from culturally and linguistically…

Community schools integrate a range of supports and opportunities for students, families, and the community through a set of partnerships between the education system, the nonprofit sector, and local government agencies. They are an evidence-based strategy for implementing whole child education, which addresses the full scope of children's…

Preschools and public libraries are natural partners in that they share similarities in their support for early learning and family engagement for the young children and families in their communities. Because of this, public libraries often partner with preschools to offer rotating book collections and storytimes to increase book access and…

Family-professional partnerships are essential for promoting positive outcomes for students with and without disabilities. However, the extent to which professional preparation standards address skills to cultivate family-professional partnerships is unclear. Without this knowledge, it is challenging to understand the preparation of education…

In 2016, the California State Board of Education (SBE) approved performance standards for local indicators for which no data had been collected at the state level. Under these performance standards, each local education agency (LEA) is to annually measure and report its progress to its local board and to the California School Dashboard, using the…

By intentionally implementing strategies to partner with caregivers before, during, and after the evaluation process, school psychologists can empower families and improve student outcomes. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP, 2019) has advocated for engaging families as active partners, emphasizing the importance of forming…

"Just Schools" by Dr. Ann M. Ishimaru examines how schools can achieve educational equity through collaborative leadership and actively involving historically marginalized families and communities in the decision-making process. Dr. Ishimaru's book emphasizes the importance of rethinking traditional power dynamics and transforming…