School and Teacher Partners
Trusting relationships are the foundation of effective family-school partnerships. It is the ongoing responsibility of districts and schools to create conditions supporting the development of trusting relationships and to persist in efforts to connect with families not engaged. This requires everyone working with families to approach engagement from the beliefs that 1) every family loves their child(ren) and wants them to succeed and 2) all families are capable of supporting their children's learning if given sufficient opportunities for capacity building (Henderson et al., 2007).
CFEC views the family-school partnership as "one between equals": while schools are the education experts and retain responsibility to see that
students meet challenging State standards, families are the experts when it comes to their child. While these areas of expertise are different, they are of equal value.
Our approach to family engagement is based on the values of democratic participation, self-determination, and shared decision making. Including families in decisions regarding their children's education and school and district policy empowers families to take control of their futures and increases the likelihood that decisions will reflect what is in the best interests of students and families.
CFEC aims to build trusting relationships by partnering with schools and classroom teachers committed to family engagement efforts. Please find more information about our partnerships below.
School Partners
Teacher Team Partners
National Network of Partnership Schools
The Carolina Family Engagement Center has engaged with the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University through many of our school partners since 2018. Our involvement with NNPS provides partner schools and districts with the highest quality, research-based support for the development of strong and productive connections between schools, families, and communities. Research indicates that learners are most successful when their families and communities are supportive of and involved in the work of the schools.
Henderson, A.T., Mapp, K.L., Johnson, V.R. & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships. New York: The New Press.