programs : family partnership
Working effectively with families to support underachieving students.
The Family Partnership Program focused on narrowing the achievement gap. Research clearly shows that:
When schools work with families to support learning, children are more likely to succeed.
Economically disadvantaged and minority students under-perform academically when compared to their more affluent peers.
Embracing this research, the FPP attempted to form an intentional and formal partnership with the key family members of underachieving students to enhance their child’s academic achievement. With guidance from an impressive external advisory team (Ron Ferguson, Karen Mapp, Heather Weiss, Penny Hauser-Cram) , the program’s co-leaders interviewed BHS parents, students, and staff to guide their final program design. In November 2006, program leaders attended a national symposium at the Harvard Graduate School of Education aimed at identifying current best practices in family partnerships. A pilot study took place in spring 2007 with fourteen families of freshman to test drive program design before implementing a broader program.
The first year highlighted a need for increased staff to design and implement program components — family support circles, home/school contracts, and intensive teacher mentoring. Results after one year demonstrated improved grades among pilot participants.
In its third year, the Family Partnership Program included twenty families, whose participating children were juniors at BHS. While students met regularly in school with their teacher-mentors, monthly parent gatherings built a community of involvement and mutual support.
This program has enormous potential to impact all families at Brookline High School. Program leaders are reviewing this initiative and identifying the most effective strategies for improving family-school relationships. Best practices for engaging parents are currently being compiled into a handbook for use by guidance counselors and other support staff at The High School.
“The Family Partnership leaders helped explain high school expectations to my mother. My history teacher, Ms. Martin, agreed to be my mentor and gave me weekly advice on what I should be doing in my classes. She kept my mother up to date on my school progress and helped her stay in touch with my teachers. Helping my mother be more relaxed about my schoolwork made things much better for me at home. I am now giving more time to my studies, and working at the level the teachers want to see from me. When my report card comes out in two weeks, it is going to look totally different from last year. I’m not sure what it would look like if it were not for the Family Partnership program.” Alex Potapov, BHS 11th grader
This program is no longer active.
Ron Ferguson, Co-leader and Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative, Harvard University;
Karen Mapp, Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education;
Heather Weiss, Senior Research Associate, Harvard Family Research Project;
Penny Hauser-Cram, Professor of Education, Boston College.
