Effective Home-School Partnerships

Although educators recognize that effective home-school partnerships play an important role in students’ behavior and academic achievement, few schools rely on comprehensive systems to harness this potential. Based on this finding, a new study highlights ways in which schools can foster the cooperation between all stakeholders in a child’s education.

Combining a review of international studies on home-school partnerships with surveys and interviews conducted in the UK, a recent study concluded that:

• Parental engagement has a positive effect on a child’s behavior and academic attainment, regardless of age or socio-economic status
• Educators are aware of this fact
• However, few schools rely on comprehensive systems (including teacher training) to collaborate effectively with parents

Based on this finding, the Education Endowment Foundation has put together a Guidance Report to help school leaders harness the potential lying in strong home-school partnerships. Its main recommendations include: 

• Critically review how you work with parents

Depending on their unique context, schools should articulate a vision for ideal home-school partnerships, assess their current state and develop an explicit plan to bridge the gap between the two, constantly monitoring their progress and making necessary adjustments.

• Provide practical strategies to support learning at home

Such strategies should be based on best classroom practices. Some examples include encouraging socratic conversations during shared book reading with young children and discouraging direct parental assistance with homework. Instead, parents should help their children regulate their own learning through proper time management, goals-setting and self-care. These and other ideas can be shared during collaborative teacher-parent workshops. More generally, common expectations help create consistent learning home-school environments.

• Tailor school communications to encourage positive dialogue about learning

Communication is effective when it is frequent, informal, personalized and positively framed. Text messages can be an interesting option. Importantly, home-school communication should be a dialogue: parents have important information to provide, including on how to best educate their children.

• Offer more sustained and intensive support where needed

When it comes to communication, schools should avoid stigmatizing and discouraging messages and focus instead on building relationships as well as parents’ efficacy. In the most difficult cases, including with hard-to-reach parents, home visits can be an option. Staff and faculty training on parental engagement should be at the core of professional development; and schools should differentiate their parent-partnership strategies for different home environments.

Reference: Education Endowment Foundation (2019), "Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning--Guidance Report."