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Citation:

Sheldon, S. B., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2004). Partnership programs in U.S. schools: Their development and relationship to family involvement outcomes. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 15(2), 125-148.

Annotation:
The purpose of this study is to identify school characteristics that predict partnership program quality over time and to examine whether program quality can predict family and community involvement. Analyses indicated that elementary schools had higher quality programs than middle or high schools. In addition, higher quality partnership programs were associated with an on-going evaluation process and with greater support from parents, teachers, and community members. Results indicate that partnership program quality is associated with higher levels of parent volunteerism, more parents who served on school committees, and higher levels of parent-child interactive homework assignments. These results were obtained from 332 schools in 23 states; all schools had been members of the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) for two to four years. Sample schools returned an end-of-year survey monitoring partnership program progress and problems. The majority of the schools were elementary schools, with middle and high schools also represented. Schools were located in large urban (34%), small urban (21%), suburban (25%), and rural (20%) locations. Student demographics in the sample schools were 60% White, 30% African American, and 6% Latino. This study suggests that schools may increase the quality of their partnership programs through enlisting support from both inside and outside of the school and by evaluating their progress. Further research should be conducted in order to identify how program evaluations contribute to improvement in partnership programs and to identify characteristics that can predict partnership program quality at the secondary school level.