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##  Engaging the Community To Support Student Achievement. ERIC Digest.          

School systems have long recognized the need for public support and             participation, but now many districts are renewing their commitment             to strengthen the ties with their communities. More than ever,                  school districts realize they are dependent on community support to             meet mandated state and national performance standards, develop                 innovative programs, and secure financial resources. 
To build                 lasting community support for schools that facilitates student                  achievement, school boards are developing communication strategies              that routinely reach diverse community groups. The process of                   building such partnerships, called public engagement, is ongoing,               two-way communication between a school district and the community it            serves (Resnick 2000). 
This Digest examines how public engagement             can foster student achievement, how school boards and administrators            can facilitate the public-engagement process, and how school leaders            can solicit enduring support from key stakeholders. HOW CAN PUBLIC            ENGAGEMENT PROMOTE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT?In one report,                       superintendents and board presidents advised communities just                   convening public-engagement efforts to focus their planning efforts             on student achievement (Wright and Saks 2000). Involving parents,               teachers, members of the business community, and others in the                  process of identifying academic goals and standards and measures of             progress can be a powerful vehicle for improving student achievement            and influencing the direction and success of school                             programs. 
Parents who understand and support educational standards            will help their children meet these expectations. When the community            supports the standards, it is more likely to provide the resources              to meet them. "Accountability is essential in maintaining public                confidence, and accountability begins with shared understanding of              desired results" (Gemberling, Smith, and Villani 2000). 
Public                engagement also gives school systems and stakeholders the                       opportunity to learn about trends among youth and in the community              that might influence academic outcomes. The entire community                    benefits from understanding social and health conditions that                   interfere with learning, such as teen pregnancy, inadequate                     nutrition, and lack of health care. In other words, public                      engagement can enhance the community's overall quality of                       life (Resnick). WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SCHOOL BOARDS AND DISTRICT                OFFICIALS IN PUBLIC

ENGAGEMENT?Student achievement -- and                community engagement that focuses on fostering achievement -- is now            recognized nationally as the primary agenda for boards of education.            School boards are charged with the responsibility of creating                   conditions within their districts that will help students meet                  today's more rigorous knowledge and performance standards. 
This               role represents a dramatic shift in responsibility for school                   boards, which previously held oversight roles and served as passive             reviewers of others' work performance. Now boards are expected to               share the responsibility for how well students and schools                      perform (Gemberling, Smith, and Villani). 
Although 78 percent of              superintendents in a recent Public Agenda survey reported they have             processes under way to encourage public engagement, only 41 percent             say they actually solicit the input of the community prior to                   formulating policy. Only 4 percent of the superintendents viewed                communication with the community as their most pressing concern.                Superintendents "absolutely believe in the concept of public                    engagement... but when it comes to the execution as opposed to the              intent, the reality is somewhat different," says Public Agenda's                president, Deborah Wadsworth (Deily 2001). 
Parents notice this                discrepancy between intent and action. More than half the parents in            an Education Commission of the States survey said they believe                  schools in their community have gotten off on the wrong track, and              fewer than four in ten think local schools are headed in the right              direction (in Solomon and Ferguson 1998). 
If raising student                  achievement is a district goal, school boards and superintendents               should begin by looking at whether their current processes actually             summon the dispersed knowledge of the community. If processes are               designed merely to endorse the status quo or influence a desired                outcome, the goal of improving student achievement will probably                fail. A school district should not simply view public engagement as             one of its projects but as a way of doing business. 
For example, a            school system might realize that it needs public input to implement             the district's goals for student achievement, such as improving                 state and district test scores, or raising graduation rates. Rather             than hold a series of traditional forums such as school board                   meetings and public hearings on an as-needed basis, the district can            initiate continuous methods of communication that sustain an ongoing            connection with the public (Resnick). 
Collaboration and                       participation are key elements in successful public-engagement                  efforts, what Anne Meek (1999) describes as "strategies that go                 beyond providing public information or ensuring good public                     relations, to promoting substantive, participatory roles for                    citizens in governance matters." Such efforts should be                         considered "a purposeful management tool," says L. Joan                         Brown (2001), whose definition of community includes all town                   government units, businesses, charitable organizations, and other               groups interested in the economic and social well-being of the                  community. WHAT IS THE PRINCIPAL'S ROLE IN PUBLIC                             ENGAGEMENT?Principals play a key role in promoting community                partnerships. Facilitating ongoing involvement with families, with a            clear focus on improving student achievement, is perhaps the most               critical step schools can take to engage the community. Toward this             end, the principal should let the staff know that family involvement            is a high priority by providing them the time and resources and                 training on how to work with parents (National Association of                   Elementary School Principals 2001). 
Principals can promote teacher            commitment by stressing the benefits of parent involvement: When                families are actively involved in schools, teachers learn more about            the students in their class, and students are more able and willing             to learn (NAESP). 
Creating stronger ties with families is                     accomplished by keeping parents informed about their children's                 progress and what they are learning, explaining how they can help               children budget their time for homework assignments, and describing             ways they can assist them with their school work. 
Involved                    families can effectively advocate for schools with the general                  public. In fact, informed parents are among the best ambassadors                when it comes time for the community to vote on bond issues (NAESP).            Only 24 percent of adults in the average community have children                enrolled in community schools. Obviously, the support and positive              votes of an entire community are critical to the passage of                     operating levies and school bond campaigns (Lyons 2001). HOW CAN              PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FACILITATE STUDENT SUCCESS AND                                ACHIEVEMENT?Inviting parents, members of the business community,            and service organizations to identify academic goals and standards              and quantify measures of progress "sends the message that what                  students learn and how well they learn it isn't an issue just for               teachers and administrators but is a real priority for the community            as well" (Wright and Saks). 
Five methods that help school boards              and administrators engage the public are focus groups, telephone                polling, public meetings, email, and study circles(Resnick). 
Focus            groups, which bring together a diverse group of ten to fifteen                  people to discuss a specific topic, can help school systems                     understand what issues they are facing. School officials can learn              about hot issues that might derail a large public meeting. Focus                groups also pinpoint key issues that will establish agendas for                 larger public forums. 
Polling services are a relatively                       inexpensive way to engage the public. Although polling renders more             superficial input than focus groups, it can give the school district            an overview of the public's thinking. One advantage of poll                     questions is that they can be incorporated into the                             public-engagement process at any time. In the beginning they can be             used to monitor public sentiment on education reform issues, and                later, to gauge public understanding of and support for new                     curriculum development. 
Public meetings provide an opportunity for            diverse groups to talk about critical issues. These forums also give            districts and the general public a chance to understand opposing                sides of an issue, which can help to build consensus and create a               sense of participatory government. 
Email is a powerful, low-cost              tool that can be used to connect school personnel with parents,                 business people, and other audiences. Email responses on issues                 cannot be considered a representative sample of opinions, but they              are a convenient way to communicate with diverse audiences. 
Study             circles are a semi-structured, multi step method that convenes                  policy-makers and the public over extended periods in small-group               discussions. More than 200 communities have used this method in the             last decade to resolve issues ranging from education reform to                  racism. Policymakers say study circles give them the opportunity to             understand a variety of perspectives about key issues and to receive            a reality check on their policy direction (Rouk 2000). HOW CAN                SCHOOLS MAINTAIN THE LONG-TERM SUPPORT OF KEY                                   STAKEHOLDERS?Leadership teams comprised of key                              stakeholders-teachers, parents, students, and community members-can             contribute continuity and stability to the public-engagement                    process. These teams should include people who have an institutional            knowledge of the school district and who have access to top district            leadership (Solomon and Ferguson). 
Leadership teams monitor                   progress in reaching student goals and evaluate lessons learned from            successes and failures. What differentiates this method from typical            evaluation processes is that the teams do not wait until the end of             the project but focus instead on continuous feedback. 
To find out             what's being said about their schools, districts might also seek out            people who are willing to organize into special cadres. Cadre                   members should look for "a thousand little things done well" that               can be included in district marketing and communication                         materials (Carroll 2001). 
Board members and school leaders in one             report made other recommendations for maintaining community support:            Let the public know that district leadership is committed to public             engagement; be clear about roles and responsibilities for                       maintaining communication; let the public know that their input                 makes a difference in outcomes; and keep all publics informed of the            progress in strategic planning efforts (Wright and                              Saks). RESOURCESBrown, L. Joan. "Networking with the                      Community." School Business Affairs 67, 5 (May 2001): 23-26. EJ 629             307. 
Carroll, David J. "Respecting the Grapevine." Principal                  Leadership 2, 1 (September 2001): 21-23. 
Deily, Mary-Ellen                    Phelps. "Poll: Words, Actions Fail To Match on Public Engagement."              Education Week 20, 28 (March 28, 2001): 12. 
Gemberling, Katherine             W.; Carl W. Smith; and Joseph S. Villani. The Key Work of School                Boards: Guidebook. Alexandria, Virginia: National School Boards                 Association, 2000. 95 pages. 
Lyons, James E. "Using Data To Market            Public Schools." School Business Affairs 67, 5 (May 2001): 35-39. EJ            629 310. 
Meek, Anne. Communicating with the Community: A Guide for            School Leaders. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision               and Curriculum Development, 1999. 144 pages. 
National Association             of Elementary School Principals. Essentials for Principals:                     Strengthening the Connection Between School and Home. Alexandria,               Virginia: National Association of Elementary School Principals,                 2001. 75 pages. 
Resnick, Michael. Communities Count: A School                 Board Guide to Public Engagement. Alexandria, Virginia: National                School Boards Association, 2000. 26  pages. 
Rouk,                             Ullik. "Policymakers Build Bridges to the Public." Insights on                  Education Policy, Practice and Research 13 (November 2000): 12                  pages. ED 451 580. 
Solomon, Monica, and Maria Voles Ferguson. "How            To Build Local Support for Comprehensive School Reform." Getting                Better by Design Series. Volume 7. Arlington, Virginia: New American            Schools, 1998. 29 pages. ED 450 482. 
Wright, Anne, and Judith                 Brody Saks. The Community Connection: Case Studies in Public                    Engagement. Alexandria, Virginia: National School Boards                        Association, 2000. 67 pages. 
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A Product of the ERIC                    Clearinghouse on Educational Management, College of Education,                  University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon  97403-5207. 
This publication            was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research               and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract No.               ED-99-C0-0011.  The ideas and opinions expressed in this Digest do              not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI, ED, or               the Clearinghouse. This Digest is in the public domain and may be               freely reproduced. The text of this Digest may be viewed                        electronically at http://eric.uoregon.edu EA 031  613.                       **Title:** Engaging the Community To Support Student Achievement. ERIC Digest.          **Note:** Digest Number 157.                                                           **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, 5207 University of                Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5207. Tel: 800-438-8841 (Toll Free); Fax:              541-346-2334; Web site: http://eric.uoregon.edu. For full text:                 http://eric.uoregon.edu/publications/digests/index.html.                     **Descriptors:** Academic Achievement, Citizen Participation,  Community Support,                Elementary Secondary Education, Public Relations,  School Community             Relationship                                                                 **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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