Principals and central administration staff can encourage teachers working with parents to develop at-home learning activities as part of their curriculum. Principals and teachers may want to devote several professional development sessions to this task. Schools can also provide clerical and printing assistance to teachers who develop materials for parents. Many schools are developing voluntary agreements between the home and school to define goals, expectations, and shared responsibilities of schools and parents as partners in student learning. I parents a compact that outlines how parents, school staff, and students will work to improve student achievement and build partnerships to help children achieve to high standards.
Compacts incorporate the unique ideas and activities of different school communities.
They usually have sections for schools, parents, and their children to sign if they choose. As an example, the Title I requirements are paraphrased below. Students might also sign the parent's section or a more student- focused statement of home learning responsibilities. Compacts need to be used in combination with other family involvement activities, not as the only way schools communicate with parents. They are more likely to be effective when well planned, appropriate to the situation, sensitive to individual needs, flexible, and accompanied by supports of money, time, and teacher and parent training.