Guiding Principles and New Directions: A Multilevel Examination of the Research Literature on School–Community Partnerships

• In Event: 35.054 - Commmunity–School Partnerships in the Era of Educational Reform: Current Practices and Future Directions

Abstract

This paper examines the research literature of school-community partnerships (SCPs) in K-12 educational settings in the United States (US), particularly those in urban areas serving culturally and linguistically diverse students. A conceptual framework is created to illustrate three levels of SCPs in the research literature. Each level is then examined in greater detail by reviewing representative texts and highlighting respective contributions to the literature. Using critical perspectives, the current discourse of SCP research is reviewed, providing recommendations for how SCP research can expand and continue to contribute to the field. These recommendations include greater attention to process and relationship in SCP development and a new emphasis on the role of SCPs in instruction and student learning.

Author

• Michael T. O'Connor, Providence College