Pathways to Community Engagement in Education: Collaboration in Diverse, Urban Neighbourhoods

Description

This book takes a comprehensive look at community engagement strategies in education to demonstrate the diverse nature of school-community relations and their value to promote their effective development. The author brings twenty years of experience in various educational settings in Ontario and California to examining community involvement policies and their interpretation, as well as school-community collaboration in practice. Chapters include recent research on school-community collaboration from the perspective of teachers, school district leaders, administrators, and support staff within two school districts in a low-income and culturally diverse urban community. The book also includes perspectives from community members involved in organizations across the city with a mandate to work with youth. In a time where students’ academic, social, and emotional support needs are on the rise, this book offers a valuable resource for strengthening school-community relations and demonstrating the power of collaboration. Foreword References Preface Acknowledgements Contents About the Author List of Figures Chapter 1: Introduction to Pathways to Community Engagement in Education: Collaboration in Diverse, Urban Neighbourhoods A History of Community Involvement in Schooling The Roles of Those Not “Profiting From Instruction”: Community Members’ Historical Involvement in Schooling Citizens Cast as “School Disturbers” Contemporary Relations Between Schools and Communities A Snapshot of Collaboration: What, Who, and How School-Community Collaborators and Cultures that Make Partnering Possible The Need for More School-Community Relations Research and Knowledge-Sharing Methods Data Sources The City of Stirling A Sketch of the Schools in the Study Concluding Thoughts and an Overview of the Book Appendix: Community Engagement in Education Research Participants References Chapter 2: Interpreting the Map and Navigating to Destinations: Using School-Community Policy to Influence Practice Map Makers and Map Readers The Policy Mediator The Policy Critic The Policy Constructor Mediators, Critics, and Constructors in the Stirling School Districts Policy Mediators Translators and Narrators Act as Policy Interpreters Policy Enthusiasts, Entrepreneurs, and Transactors Policy Critics and Constructors Responding to Policy Flexibility: Shaping Practices with More Policy at the District Level Principals as Critics and Constructors: Circumventing Existing Policy and Creating New Policy at the School Level Principals as Critics: Ignoring Policy Policy Interpretation: Summary and Recommendations Considerations for Collaboration Policy Interpreters and Implementers Need Flexibility Schools’ Vision and Goals Play a Key Role in Which Community Engagement Policies Are Promoted and to What Extent Just Because District- and School-Level Administrators Can Mediate Policy on Their Own Does Not Mean They Should Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 3: Sustainable Partnerships: The Ecology of Community Engagement Initiatives The Ecology of Collaboration The Lifecycle of the School-Community Collaborative Process Stage 1: Who Initiates School-Community Relationships and Why Stages 2 and 3: Partner Identification, Contact, and Communication Stages 4 and 5: Negotiation and the Anatomy of a Win-Win Partnership Stages 6 and 7: Engaging in and Sustaining Collaboration Collaboration: Meeting Needs Together Stage 1: Identifying Student, School, and Community Partner Needs and Goals Stages 2 and 3: Identifying and Contacting Potential Collaborators Stage 4: Negotiating Partnership Terms Stage 5: Creating a Win-Win Situation Stages 6 and 7: Engaging in Collaborative Activities and Assessing Collaborative Practices A Collaborative Process: Summary and Recommendations Considerations for Collaboration Be Prepared to Accommodate Partners’ Needs and Goals Get Everyone Impacted by the Collaboration to the Table Effective Communication Involves Open Conversations and Clearly Explained Expectations Assessment Is an Important Part of the Conversation Among Collaborators Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 4: The Social Contexts and Permeable Borders that Influence Partnerships Intertwined Open Systems: A Depiction of School-Community Interaction School and Community on the Path to Collaboration Stirling: A Community in Transition Community Context Determines Schools’ Visions and Priorities for Community Partnerships School Personnel’s Inclination Toward Partnering Impacted Permeability Principals as Gatekeepers Teachers’ Understanding of Their Role and Its Impact on Collaboration with Community Exchanges of Human and Material Resources Across Permeable Borders Social Context and Permeable Borders: Summary and Recommendations Considerations for Collaboration Create a Vision for the School that Addresses Its Unique Needs and Incorporates Opportunities for Community Engagement School Personnel, and Principals in Particular, Make the School Permeable or Impermeable Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 5: Networks: The Importance of Who and What You Know Networks and Social Capital: Linking Schools and Communities Building Social Capital by Cultivating Interpersonal Relationships Building and Maintaining a Network The Importance of a Social Network Different Types of Networks and Their Impact Formal Networks Informal Social Networks Using Others’ Networks Challenges to Networks and the Consequences of Not Having One How to Build a Network Networks: Summary and Recommendations Personal Connections Are the Glue Holding the Network Together Considerations for Collaboration If Network Connections Are Lost, It Is Well Worth the Time It Takes to Develop New Relationships Policymakers at Government and District Levels Should Consider Creating Spaces and Providing Funding for Teachers and Administrators to Forge Their Own Relationships Access to Multiple, Diverse Networks Improves Access to Resources and Encourages the Kind of Innovation Needed to Address Complex Issues Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 6: Building Bridges and Crossing Boundaries Social Networks and Boundary-Spanners Boundary-Spanners Create Bridges to Resources School-Level Bridges Board-Level Liaisons for School Personnel and Community Members Community Members with Mandates to Liaise The Importance of a School-Community Liaison Boundary-Spanning Capacity Bridges and Boundary-Spanners: Summary and Recommendations Considerations for Collaboration Educational Administrators Need to Dedicate Funds to Designated Liaison Positions Educators Would Benefit from Building Their Community Contacts by Liaising Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 7: Facilitating or Frustrating Efforts to Collaborate Social Contexts that Facilitate or Frustrate Collaborative Efforts Structure Culture Behaviour Social Contexts’ Characteristics Facilitated or Impeded Collaboration Structural Features Impact Relationship Development and Maintenance Time Limitations Impacted Partnering Money: A Hindrance to Collaboration When Lacking Partnership Flexibility Was Needed to Establish and Maintain School-Community Relations A Failure to Build Feedback into the Relationship Limited Future Collaboration Organizational Cultures Shape Collaborative Opportunities An Organization’s Cultural Norms, Beliefs, and Values Influenced Possibilities for Collaboration A Welcoming Environment Paved the Way for Collaboration Individuals’ Mindsets and Behaviours Affect Collaboration Flexible Personalities and Attitudes Were Important to School-Community Relations Building a Reputation Impacted Opportunities for Collaboration Having Someone to Champion a Partnership Impacted Its Longevity Respect Among Collaborators Affected Partnership Formation and Relationship Longevity Collaboration Enablers and Challenges: Summary and Recommendations Considerations for Collaboration Administrators Should Provide Time and Money for Collaborative Initiatives Partners Must Have the Flexibility to Negotiate Terms Through Two-Way Communication Avoid Deficit Thinking Find a Champion Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 8: Collaboration to Support Vulnerable Populations Collaboration as a Gateway to Social Capital An Overview of Diverse Students’ Needs in Stirling Students Living in Poverty Newcomers to the Country Indigenous Children and Youth 2SLGBTQIA+ Students Students with Developmental Delays, Mental Health Challenges, and Behavioural Issues Accessing Social Capital for Vulnerable Groups Through School-Community Partnerships Schools as Intermediaries District-Level Support for Community Engagement Community Organizations Provide Care, Opportunities, and Insight Preparing to Transition into the Community: The Roles of School- and Community-Based Programs Supporting Vulnerable Populations Vulnerable Populations: Summary and Recommendations Instrumental and Expressive Resources Available Through Community Engagement Considerations for Collaboration Resources for Youth with Behavioural Challenges Are Needed and Can Be Used with All Students, Not Just Youth At-risk Schools Are Important Meeting Places for Youth and Community Partners Consultation with Community Groups Representing Students at the Schools, and with the Students Themselves, Can Create Greater Understanding and Programming that Best Reflects Students’ Needs Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 9: Thriving and Not Just Surviving: Support for Mental Health in a Networked Community Social Networks Promote Wellbeing Mental Health Issues and Their Prevalence in Schools The Expanding Role of Schools and the Growing Need to Collaborate A Solution: Grass-Roots Network Creation Challenges to Networks: More Work to Be Done A Networked Approach to Child and Youth Mental Health: Summary and Recommendations Considerations for Collaboration Know Your Community, Including the Resources Available, and Co-ordinate the Available Services Provide More Opportunities for Educators to Learn from Mental Health Professionals Get Parents Involved in Their Children’s Mental Health Develop District-Level Criteria to Refer Students for Psychoeducational Assessments Concluding Thoughts References Chapter 10: Creating Schools as Community Hubs Through Collaboration A School-Community Relations Continuum Type A: Family and Interagency Collaboration Type B: Full-Service Schools Type C: Full-Service Community Schools Type D: Community Development Readiness for Greater Integration of School and Community Services A “One-Stop Shop” Encouraged Service Uptake Planning a Path Towards Wrap-Around and Full-Service Community Schools Existing Structures and Structures to Add Shifting Current School Cultures to Encourage Collaborative Behaviour Recommendations to Support Schools as Community Hubs Successful Collaboration Is Built on Broad Consultation with All Constituents Look Beyond “the Usual Suspects” When Seeking Out Collaborators Future Research Concluding Thoughts References Index