Sanger Unified School District (SUSD) has been engaged in rigorous efforts to improve student outcomes through instructional and organizational innovations. While these efforts have facilitated important gains in student outcomes, schools sometimes struggle to engage with families as partners in efforts to foster students’ academic success and social-emotional health.
In both research and practice, family engagement is considered a strategy for improving student achievement as well as supporting families and schools. Researchers and practitioners have also highlighted the importance of believing that all families, regardless of income level, immigrant status, or other social factors, dream of success for their children and all families have the capacity to support learning.
The four case examples presented in this brief are drawn from the Gardner Center’s substantial experience conducting rigorous research in research-practice partnerships. The first case describes a partnership approach that enhances a school district’s capacity to use integrated longitudinal data to tackle persistent problems of practice and monitor students’ development. The second case exemplifies how an equitable research model, grounded in mutualism and sensitive to cultural nuances, can be leveraged to elevate the experience marginalized communities.
This brief reports findings from a needs assessment study conducted to inform project planning for a systemic, integrated, and sustainable family engagement initiative—the Family Engagement Impact Project—in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. The needs assessment consisted of two surveys administered to low-income, immigrant families and the providers who engage them. Approximately 800 families and 120 providers across six communities participated.
Since 2007, the Redwood City School District (RCSD) and Redwood City 2020 have partnered with the Gardner Center to examine how participation in community school programs shapes students’ outcomes. This brief summarizes the research literature and describes a 2011-2012 study that focused on family engagement practices as well as the factors that promote or inhibit family engagement in five of the district’s community schools. Gardner Center researchers conducted a total of 50 interviews and focus groups with school staff, families, and students.
Targeting students in grades K-8, Art in Action’s program consists of 12 age-appropriate lessons per year led by parent and teacher volunteers. The curriculum is based on historically significant artists and their works of art. Through semi-structured discussions, students examine a variety of masterpieces, learning about the artist as well as particular art styles and techniques. Students then apply the concepts they learned to create original works of art.
