Fostering Family–School and Community–School Partnerships in Inclusive Schools

Abstract

Partnerships between school staff, families, and community members are vital for ensuring the success of all students in inclusive schools. This article reports the results of a synthesis of two original studies: one study that examined the perspectives of family members and another study that examined the perspectives of community partners in developing partnerships with school staff at six inclusive knowledge development sites located in five geographic regions within the United States. The current synthesis study analyzes the original studies' overlapping themes to inform concentrated efforts aimed at strengthening family and community partnerships in inclusive schools. Themes of this synthesis study include positive, inviting, and inclusive school culture; strong administrative leadership driven by a clear vision of inclusion; attributes of trusting partnerships; and opportunities for reciprocal partnerships and involvement. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Developing Collaborative Partnerships With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families During the IEP Process

“…Ultimately, collaborative partnerships with CLD families are rooted in mutual respect during the IEP process (Haines et al, 2015). Parents indicated two components of this respect: a) that educators valued the child as a person rather than as a disability label, and b) that educators engaged in simple courtesy (e.g., being on time, acknowledging parents' efforts) with them during the IEP process (Blue-Banning et al, 2004).…”

“…Moreover, as today's public schools continue to become more diverse, the majority of pre-service teachers are still from White, middle-class backgrounds; this dynamic can result in a cultural divide in which teachers subsequently hold deficit views and lower expectations for CLD students (Castro, 2010;Sleeter & Owuor, 2011). We contend that positive outcomes for CLD students can be achieved and this divide can be bridged when schools and families engage in culturally responsive collaborative partnerships (Blue-Banning, Summers, Frankland, Nelson, & Beegle, 2004;Gay, 2002;Haines, Gross, Blue-Banning, Francis, & Turnbull, 2015;Harry, 2008). As Fults and Harry (2012) explain, "In a multicultural world, it is not possible to be family centered without being culturally responsive" (p. 28).…”

Developing Collaborative Partnerships With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families During the IEP Process

“…to CLD families, teachers should demonstrate through explicit statements and actions that their focus is on the best interests of the child (Haines et al, 2015). One way to do this is to maintain high expectations for the learning potential of the child (Larocque et al, 2011).…”

“…Regarding individualization of special education services, CLD families have reported wanting teachers to (a) avoid taking a deficit view of disability, and (b) understand the child's language needs (Wolfe & Duran, 2013). Thus, teachers should incorporate student strengths into instruction and discuss these with families rather than focusing only on the disability label or the student's deficits (Haines et al, 2015). Teachers should also develop a language profile for the student to understand and accommodate his or her language needs (Wolfe & Duran, 2013).…”

Different Disabilities, Different Attitudes Toward Parental Involvement In School In Israeli Teachers

“…Communication has been often defined as part of the components and dimensions that should exist in the partnerships between families and professionals in addition to professional skills respect, commitment, equality and trust (Blue-Banning et al, 2004;Turnbull et al, 2009;White & lever, 2017). The concept communication includes clear empathetic, respectful and ongoing discourse to pass on information relevant to families for decision-making purposes (Epstein, 2011;Francis et al, 2016;Haines et al, 2015;Kyzar et al, 2012;Murray et al, 2007;Murray & Mereoiu, 2015;Turnbull et al, 2015). Teachers usually understand that fluent and open communication with parents is a way of preventing conflicts with parents and a mean of bridging between home and school (Addi-Raccah & ArvivElyashiv, 2008;Haines et al, 2015).…”