That's why what works in one place cannot always be grafted directly into another. The best family involvement plans are always shaped by the people they will affect-families, school staff, students and others. Training and staff development are essential investments. Parents and school staff need knowledge and skills to work with one another. Effective partnership programs offer professional development and training to both groups.
Communication is the foundation of effective partnerships.
Even the best planned school-family partnerships will fail if the participants cannot communicate effectively. Flexibility and innovation are key. Effective family involvement can take many forms. The presence of parents at a workshop, meeting or school really isn't the ultimate goal. Good programs place an emphasis on parents helping children learn-and this can happen in schools, homes or elsewhere in the community.