Signal Hill parents agree to volunteer at least ten hours a year at the school. Building capacity means helping school staff, teachers, and families develop the skills, motivation, and opportunities to work together to improve student learning. Few teachers ever receive formal training in working with families. Similarly, research shows that many parents want to help their children learn but are not sure what to do. Training and time spent engaged these are the ingredients that build and strengthen partnerships on behalf of children's learning.
Communities too are rich in untapped resources that can benefit children.
When families and community members volunteer their time and talent in the schools, both schools and students increase their capacity to do more and to do it better. Seventy-seven percent of parents said they believed teachers could learn more about involving them in their children's learning. The compact is an opportunity for all partners to accept the responsibility for helping children learn. Based on the compact framework, the matrix that follows offers some examples of what you can include in your compact. Notice how the commitments of each partner complement and build on one another.