Involving parents, families and whānau
Effective partnerships between schools and parents, whānau, and communities can result in better outcomes for students. The better the relationship and engagement, the more positive the impact on students' learning.
Aiming for Student Achievement: How Teachers Can Understand and Better Meet the Needs of Māori and Pacific Island Students
by Jan Hill and Kay Hawk
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This SET article examines the development of the AimHi project and research. The research explores the links between the world(s) of the student; the world(s) of home, and the world(s) of school, and how the collision of these worlds can impact on learning and achievement.
Leading Under Pressure: Leadership for Social Inclusion
by Daniel Muijs, Mel Ainscow, Alan Dyson, Carlo Raffo, Sue Goldrick, Kristin Kerr, Clare Lennie, and Susie Miles
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This article looks at ways to improve educational attainment for all students through the removal of barriers to engagement and achievement. It examines the types of school leadership that might assist in improving social inclusion for young people and their families. There is a useful discussion about what is meant by social inclusion.
Partnering with Families and Communities
by Joyce L. Epstein and Karen Clark Salinas
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This article discusses the difference between a professional learning community and a school learning community, and suggest ways of engaging parents to enhance student learning. Includes an explanation of Epstein's 'Six Types of Parental Involvement'.
Best Evidence Syntheses
by Ministry of Education
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The New Zealand Ministry of Education’s Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) iterations draw together, explain and illustrate through vignette and case, bodies of evidence about what works to improve education outcomes, and what can make a bigger difference for the education of all our children and young people. The BESs are intended to be a catalyst for systemic improvement and sustainable development in education.
Six Types of Parental Involvement
by Joyce Epstein
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This page provides links to two web sites. The first is to an overview of Joyce Epstein's work on parental involvement in schools. The second site links to a checklist, based on Epstein's work, that teachers can use to evaluate how well their schools are connecting with parents. Professor Joyce Epstein is a world authority on school-family-community partnerships. She teaches at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Kenakena School
Bruce McDonald discusses bringing the focus of the school back to curriculum.
James Cook High School
Bryan Smith is leading change at James Cook High School by encouraging interaction between primary and secondary teachers, and through hosting and participating in the Manurewa Enhancement Initiative (MEI).
Te Kura Kaupapa o Māori Manawatu
Debbie Marshall-Lobb discusses how relationships are everything and how the principal plays a really powerful role in terms of shaping culture.
Cobden School
Jill Cogger-Mathieson is building relationships with the Greymouth community and actively supporting families of children with special needs.
Kaitangata School
Joyce Beck is building the capacity of Kaitangata School, in South Otago, to raise student achievement by involving parents as learning partners.
Oranga School
Juliet Small discusses moving towards the culture of Oranga School.
Gisborne Girls High School
Gisborne Girls High school is part of a local, a national, and an international community. Karen Johansen feels celebrating success is an integral part of the school culture.
Lincoln High School
Linda Tame has discovered the power of teacher learning. The staff and the students realise that learning at Lincoln High School is changing.
Frimley School
Malcolm Dixon shares his ideas for building a culture of success through teacher professional growth and digital technologies.
St Patrick's School, Kaiapoi
Maureen Kerr discusses changing from management to professional leadership.
Selwyn Ridge School
Merryn Muir discusses developing the culture in a new school.
Nawton School
Hauraki Plains College
Ngaire Harris is leading innovative changes and creating pathways to the future for her students in Hauraki Plains College, a college that she herself attended as a student.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe
Noema Williams discusses building on a whānau/marae model.
Ashhurst School
Shona Oliver discusses leading people and building community relationships.
Improving relationships within the schoolhouse
by Roland Barth
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This article is a very readable comment on the importance of quality professional relationships among the adults within a school. Roland Barth has considerable experience as a principal and as someone who mentors principals in a leadership programme.
Pakaraka School
Vee Singh is leading a culture change at Pakaraka School, based on clustering with other schools to develop professional practices, and which values the individual.
Finlayson Park School
Shirley Maihi is leading change in Finlayson Park School, a large school with a high percentage of Māori and Pacific Islands students. She explains the importance of focusing on her students' social and academic development and total well-being, and of nurturing the relationships between the student, the school and the parents.
Springlands School
Des Hedley took a group of staff to visit other schools wanted to build the staff team and be able to come back and reflect on good practice.
Whitney Street School
Alan Straker discusses understanding and supporting quality in an environment of school isolation and rapid change.
Fairhall School
Simon Heath discusses leading change and achievement.
