School and Community Partnerships: Effect on At-risk Elementary Student Populations

• Main Author: Tucker, Linda Cavazos
• Other Authors: Camp, William E.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of North Texas 2015
• Subjects: community partnerships; at-risk students; goal-setting approach; Children with social disabilities > Education (Elementary) > Texas.; Community and school > Texas.; Home and school > Texas.; Education > Parent participation > Texas.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822807/

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current practices of school and community partnerships in five North Texas elementary schools. In addition, the study focused on the influence community partnerships have on at-risk students based on at-risk indicators data. The literature revealed that when schools, parents, and families work together, students tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enrolled in coursework beyond high school. The target population included approximately 350 administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals from five North Texas elementary schools. Also included were the respective partners from each of the five elementary schools. This research included online survey instrument and data were gathered and analyzed through a combination of statistical procedures and descriptive and inferential statistics. The results may provide other schools with a profile of school and community partnerships that can be implemented as a method to help their at-risk student populations. Findings included a descriptive analysis of factors that contributed to the success of community engagement efforts as well as those factors that limited those efforts. A secondary purpose of this study was of continuous improvement in developing these approaches through a goal-setting approach. Schools included in the study provided a next steps plan by describing their major goal(s) for improving existing school and community partnerships over the next 3 years.