https://ebookmass.com/product/preparing-educators-to-engage-
Instant digital products (PDF, ePub, MOBI) ready for you
Download now and discover formats that fit your needs...
Preparing Educators to Engage Families: Case Studies Using an Ecological – Ebook PDF Version
https://ebookmass.com/product/preparing-educators-to-engage-familiescase-studies-using-an-ecological-ebook-pdf-version/
ebookmass.com
Teaching Strategies for Nurse Educators 3rd Edition, (Ebook PDF)
https://ebookmass.com/product/teaching-strategies-for-nurseeducators-3rd-edition-ebook-pdf/
ebookmass.com
Case Studies in Psychotherapy 7th Edition, (Ebook PDF)
https://ebookmass.com/product/case-studies-in-psychotherapy-7thedition-ebook-pdf/
ebookmass.com
5 Steps to a 5: AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based 2024
Christopher Bruhn
https://ebookmass.com/product/5-steps-to-a-5-ap-physics-2-algebrabased-2024-christopher-bruhn/
ebookmass.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/3d-printing-richard-sheng/
ebookmass.com
Power to Fuel: How to Speed Up a Hydrogen Economy 1st Edition Giuseppe Spazzafumo
https://ebookmass.com/product/power-to-fuel-how-to-speed-up-ahydrogen-economy-1st-edition-giuseppe-spazzafumo/
ebookmass.com
Hunted Heir: (Santorin University Book 1) K.J. Thomas
https://ebookmass.com/product/hunted-heir-santorin-universitybook-1-k-j-thomas-2/
ebookmass.com
The Origins of Science Fiction Michael Newton (Editor)
https://ebookmass.com/product/the-origins-of-science-fiction-michaelnewton-editor/
ebookmass.com
F. A. Hayek: Economics, Political Economy and Social Philosophy Peter J. Boettke
https://ebookmass.com/product/f-a-hayek-economics-political-economyand-social-philosophy-peter-j-boettke/
ebookmass.com
Isle of Beauty: An arranged marriage mafia romance (The Moretti Chronicles Book 1) C.J. Lucci
https://ebookmass.com/product/isle-of-beauty-an-arranged-marriagemafia-romance-the-moretti-chronicles-book-1-c-j-lucci/
ebookmass.com
Copyright © 2014 by SAGE Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Preparing educators to engage families : case studies using an ecological systems framework / Heather B. Weiss, Harvard Family Research Project, Harvard Graduate School of Education [and three others]. Third Edition
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4522-4107-4 (pbk )
ISBN 978-1-4833-1103-6 (web pdf)
1. Education, Elementary Parent participation. 2. Elementary school teachers Training of. 3. Home and school. 4. Child development. I. Weiss, Heather Bastow.
LB1048 5 P74 2014 371 19′2 dc23 2013024089
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
FOR INFORMATION:
SAGE Publications, Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320
E-mail: order@sagepub.com
SAGE Publications Ltd.
1 Oliver’s Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP
United Kingdom
SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044 India
SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd.
3 Church Street #10-04 Samsung Hub Singapore 049483
Acquisitions Editor: Reid Hester
Associate Editor: Terri Accomazzo
Editorial Assistant: Sarita Sarak
Production Editor: Libby Larson
Copy Editor: Terri Lee Paulsen
Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd.
Proofreader: Sally Jaskold
Indexer: Ellen Slavitz
Cover Designer: Karine Hovsepian
Marketing Manager: Terra Schultz
Brief Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Preparing Educators in Family Engagement
About the Editors
PART I. THE MICROSYSTEM
1. Theoretical Perspectives on the Microsystem
Motivation to Learn
Deborah Stipek
A Developmental-Contextual Perspective
Penny Hauser-Cram, Marji Erickson Warfield, Jack P. Shonkoff, Marty Wyngaarden Krauss, Aline Sayer, Carole Christofk Upshur, and Miriam Grill-Abramowitz Heyman
2. The Microsystem Cases
Case 1. Supporting Ignacio: A Mother Discovers How to Help Her Son Succeed
Georganne Morin and Holly Kreider
Case 2. A Special Education Plan for Anabela: Does Supporting Her Needs Mean Holding Her Back?
Margaret A. Vaughan
Case 3. My Favorite Subject Is Lunch: Motivating a Disengaged Student
Phyllis Blumenfeld
PART II. THE MESOSYSTEM
3. Theoretical Perspectives on the Mesosystem
Social Executive Functioning
Pamela Davis-Kean and Jacquelynne S. Eccles
The Family, School, and Community Relationship
M. Elena Lopez and Heather B. Weiss
4. The Mesosystem Cases
Case 4. Lunchtime at Sunnydale Elementary School: What Do First Graders Need?
Barrie Thorne
Case 5. Defining “Fine”: Communicating Academic Progress to Parents
Margaret Caspe and Holly Kreider
Case 6. Bilingual Voices and Parent Classroom Choices: Family Engagement in Language and Literacy
Margaret Caspe
PART III. THE EXOSYSTEM
5. Theoretical Perspectives on the Exosystem Media in the Lives of Families With Young Children
Lori Takeuchi
The Accommodation Model
Julia R. Henly
6. The Exosystem Cases
Case 7. Connections and Misconnections: Digital Media in Family Life and at School
Lori Takeuchi
Case 8. After School for Cindy: Family, School, and Community Roles in Out-of-School Time
Ellen Mayer
Case 9. Piecing It Together: Linking Systems to Support a Student and Family
Jennifer Romich and Jennifer Simmelink
PART IV. THE MACROSYSTEM
7. Theoretical Perspectives on the Macrosystem
The Promise of Parent-School Partnerships for Narrowing the Poverty Achievement Gap
Eric Dearing and Sandra Tang
Ethnic and Racial Diversity
Cynthia García Coll and Celina Chatman-Nelson
8. The Macrosystem Cases
Case 10. What Words Don’t Say: Talking About Racism
Ann Barger Hannum
Case 11. Raising Children Alone: Poverty, Welfare Reform, and Family Engagement
Eboni C. Howard
Case 12. Learning in the Shadow of Violence: Community, Culture, and Family Engagement
Cynthia García Coll
PART V. THE CHRONOSYSTEM
9. Theoretical Perspectives on the Chronosystem Families, Time, and Learning
Suzanne M. Bouffard and Heather B. Weiss
10. The Chronosystem Cases
Case 13. Bridging Worlds: Family Engagement in the Transition to Kindergarten
Margaret Caspe
Case 14. Tomasito Is Too Big to Hold Hands: The Developing Child and the Home-School Relationship
Ellen Mayer
Case 15. Staying on the Path Toward College: One Boy at the Crossroads
Catherine R. Cooper, Elizabeth Domínguez, Margarita Azmitia, Erica Holt, Dolores Mena, and Gabriela Chavira
Glossary
References
Photo Credits
Index
About the Contributors
Detailed Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Preparing Educators in Family Engagement
About the Editors
PART I. THE MICROSYSTEM
1. Theoretical Perspectives on the Microsystem
Motivation to Learn
Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding Children’s Motivation to Learn
The Three Cs: Competence, Control, and Connection
Conclusion and Implications
A Developmental-Contextual Perspective
The Research
Conclusion and Implications
2. The Microsystem Cases
Case 1. Supporting Ignacio: A Mother Discovers How to Help Her Son Succeed
Characters
Ignacio: The Beginning of the School Year (Translated From Spanish)
Viridiana and Mrs. Naylor: First Impressions in Class
Father Benedict: Parish Priest
Christina: Librarian
Paty: The Fall Parent-Teacher Conference
Viridiana: Providing the “Aha” Moment
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 2. A Special Education Plan for Anabela: Does Supporting Her Needs Mean Holding Her Back?
Characters
Teacher to Teacher: Talking Over Anabela’s Progress
Anabela’s Cumulative Record
Anabela’s Mother, Magda
Special Education at La Paz
Jean Harfleur, Anabela’s Teacher, on Anabela and Her Family
Connie York, Anabela’s Resource Room Teacher, on Anabela and Her Family
Anabela on Family, Learning, and School
Putting the Pieces Together
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 3. My Favorite Subject Is Lunch: Motivating a Disengaged Student
Characters
Anthony Barbarin at School
Anthony
Jason Mitchell and Cynthia Hague, Anthony’s Teachers
The Barbarin Family
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
3. Theoretical Perspectives on the Mesosystem
Social Executive Functioning
Conclusion and Implications
The Family, School, and Community Relationship
Types of Family and School Relationship
Principles of Relationship Building
Conclusion and Implications
4. The Mesosystem Cases
Case 4. Lunchtime at Sunnydale Elementary School: What Do First Graders Need?
Characters
Beatriz, Rosa and Maria’s Grandmother
Linda Chang, Principal
The Grandmother Encounters School Staff
The PTA Meeting
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 5. Defining “Fine”: Communicating Academic Progress to Parents
Characters
The Principal, Dick Leonard
The Parents, Molly and Margot
The Teacher, Tammy Gray
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 6. Bilingual Voices and Parent Classroom Choices: Family Engagement in Language and Literacy
Characters
Mother and Daughter Battle Over Homework
Choosing an English-Only Classroom for Nina: Inés, Nina’s Mother (Translated From Spanish)
A Bilingual Classroom May Suit Nina Better: Sonya Chesin, Nina’s Teacher
Identifying Bilingual Issues at Morrison Elementary: Andy Beber, Principal
Inés Wonders What to Do Next
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
5. Theoretical Perspectives on the Exosystem
Media in the Lives of Families With Young Children
The Interplay Between the Digital Media Industry and Family Interactions
Digital Media for Learning
Conclusion and Implications
The Accommodation Model
The Accommodation Model of Parental Child Care Decision Making
Precarious Employment Contexts: A Critical Exosystemic Influence on Children
The Influence of Precarious Work Environments on Family Practices and Child Care
Conclusion and Implications
6. The Exosystem Cases
Case 7. Connections and Misconnections: Digital Media in Family Life and at School
Characters
Alejandra Sanchez: Meet Me at the Nightclub
George Sanchez: I Want Her to Have a Childhood as a Child as I Did
Carmela Sanchez: The Computer Is a Tool, and It’s Not a Toy
Eileen Kato: Here Things Only Seem to Move Backward, Not Ahead
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 8. After School for Cindy: Family, School, and Community Roles in Out-of-School Time
Characters
Perspectives on Cindy and Her Mother: Nikki, Cindy’s Teacher
Marla
Cindy
Shellie, Cindy’s School Counselor
Ed, the Principal
An Encounter Between Parent and Teacher in the Community
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 9. Piecing It Together: Linking Systems to Support a Student and Family
Characters
Fall 1999: Dee Johnson, Dionte’s Teacher
Early Winter 1998 (One and One-Half Years Earlier): Karen Carson, Dionte’s Mother
Spring 1998: Dionte Carson
Fall 1998: Riverside Medical Center
Winter 1998: Kofi Hunter, Social Worker
Spring 1999: Karen Carlson
October 19, 1999: Dionte
October 19, 1999: Dee Johnson
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
PART IV. THE MACROSYSTEM
7. Theoretical Perspectives on the Macrosystem
The Promise of Parent-School Partnerships for Narrowing the Poverty Achievement Gap
How Does Poverty Limit Children’s Achievement?
Why Do Family-School Partnerships Hold Promise for Children Who Are Growing Up Poor?
Immigrant Children, a Particularly Vulnerable Group
Conclusion and Implications
Ethnic and Racial Diversity
Theoretical Issues
Cultural Considerations in the Development of Ethnic and Racial Minority Children
Minority Status and Social Disadvantage
Conclusion and Implications
8. The Macrosystem Cases
Case 10. What Words Don’t Say: Talking About Racism
Characters
Martin’s Situation
Lorreen and Rhona, Martin’s Mother and Grandmother
Joan Taylor, Martin’s First-Grade Teacher
The Meeting
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 11. Raising Children Alone: Poverty, Welfare Reform, and Family Engagement
Characters
Introducing Aiesha
Aiesha
Samantha, Aiesha’s Mother
The Children’s Fathers
The Children
Aiesha’s Life at Home
Aiesha’s Life at School
Back to School on Monday
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 12. Learning in the Shadow of Violence: Community, Culture, and Family Engagement
Characters
Perspectives on Thandi
Thandi
Sak, Thandi’s Father (Translated From Khmer)
Maryna, Thandi’s Mother (Translated From Khmer)
Thandi’s Community: Alice, Principal
Seyha, Community Member
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
9. Theoretical Perspectives on the Chronosystem
Families, Time, and Learning
Family Engagement Across Ages
Family Engagement Across the Day and Year
Family Engagement Across Historical, Political, and Cultural Periods
Conclusion and Implications
10. The Chronosystem Cases
Case 13. Bridging Worlds: Family Engagement in the Transition to Kindergarten
Characters
Nicole, Maya’s Mother
Ms. Teresa, Maya’s Former Preschool Teacher
Tanya Robinson, the Kindergarten Teacher
Esther Lasher, the Head Start Educational Director
Nicole Prepares to Meet With Tanya Robinson
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 14. Tomasito Is Too Big to Hold Hands: The Developing Child and the Home-School Relationship
Characters
Tomasito’s Portfolio
Linda Brady, Tomasito’s Second-Grade Teacher
Ria, Tomasito’s Mother (Translated From Spanish)
Tomasito
Linda, Tomasito’s Second-Grade Teacher
Tomasito
Tomás, Tomasito’s Father (Translated From Spanish)
Ria, Tomasito’s Mother (Translated From Spanish)
Communicating About Tomasito’s Math
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Case 15. Staying on the Path Toward College: One Boy at the Crossroads
Characters
Introducing Paulo
Paulo’s Family
Comadre Alicia (Madrina) and Her Son Miguel
Nancy Brown, Paulo’s Math Teacher
Rachel Marquez, Community College Outreach Program Director
Discussion Questions
Recommended Reading
Glossary References
Photo Credits
Index
About the Contributors
Preface
We created this casebook with a clear mission: to encourage the integration of family engagement in the training of teachers and school administrators. Despite the importance of family-school partnerships in contributing to student achievement, teacher education programs continue to face serious challenges incorporating family engagement adequately into the curriculum. Consequently, teachers too often lack the preparation, confidence, and comfort level necessary to relate effectively with families, and therefore enter the classroom unprepared to do so. This is especially unfortunate because, when teachers communicate specific actions that family members can take to engage in their children’s education, families are more likely to support classroom instruction.
The book is intended primarily for an audience of teachers and others who will be working directly with preschool and elementary school children and their families, especially families who are typically marginalized in school settings and where there is a need to improve the family-school relationship. In its entirety or in selective parts, the book is ideal for students enrolled in a wide range of upper-division undergraduate and graduate-level courses with concentrations in education, social work, and psychology. The content is particularly relevant for students and others interested in such areas as child development; school leadership; instructional practice; family, school, and community partnership; urban education; special education; and antibias education.
One of the distinguishing features of this book is that it connects theory and research to practice in family engagement. Using ecological systems theory, described in detail in the Introduction, we organized the casebook around the multiple contexts of children’s lives and the ways that families, schools, and communities can best support child development. Within the ecological framework, theoretical perspectives serve as “lenses” through which to analyze family engagement practice. An additional feature of the book is the use of cases that capture the complexity of the relationships
among families, schools, and communities. The cases are based on original research as well as practitioner experience with families and schools. They focus primarily on characters that represent low-income, ethnically diverse children and families, who have, in many instances, been underserved by our educational system. We paid special attention to developing cases that present dilemmas of practice difficult and ambiguous situations in which educators and parents must negotiate their differences. Our aim was to demonstrate the range of skills critical to communicating and building trust with families in such situations. In particular, the casebook highlights the importance of reflective practice in all communications with families, which helps ensure successful outcomes for children.
NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION
The third edition of this book grew out of the steady demand across disciplines for the first and second editions over the years. We have been greatly encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive reviews we have received the cases are rich and compelling; they represent a broad range of real-life situations that challenge families and educators alike; aspiring educators learn important problem-solving skills through the use of the cases; the book is easily adopted in its entirety as well as in sections in order to represent course-relevant issues; and the book situates family-school relationships in the context of language, culture, and poverty, issues that concern educators as school demographics change. The thoughtful critiques and feedback that university faculty and other readers have shared with us have been valuable in helping guide the direction of the current volume.
This edition reflects these comments and also takes into consideration a number of changes that have occurred within the education landscape since the last volume was published. We have retained the same basic structure of the book, including the use of teaching cases and an organizing ecological framework. Because of the continuing need to develop educators’ creativity, flexibility, and problem-solving skills, the teaching cases continue to be a desirable learning tool. Furthermore, an ecological framework is indispensable in understanding such important issues as the education of immigrant children, the pathways that led to dropping out of or remaining in
school, and the implementation of education policies at the school level. However, we have also added cases and questions for discussion and analysis that address significant recent developments in the education arena. Early childhood education, for example, has become more salient in education reform, with several federal funding streams making it a priority and inviting innovative strategies. Policy makers and educators, concerned that children who do not read proficiently by third grade are at risk of not graduating from high school, are now focusing on engaging families and communities to create rich learning opportunities for children starting from birth and continuing through the elementary grades. The transition to kindergarten becomes a pivotal point to ensure that schools welcome and partner with families and that families maintain their engagement in children’s learning.
Additionally, the notion that children learn anytime and anywhere has taken root and elevates the roles of families and communities in enriching children’s learning opportunities. This idea is particularly evident in the growing use of digital media for learning and socializing. Computers and handheld devices profoundly impact the way that children spend leisure time, learn cultural norms and values, and gather information. It is easy to lose sight of how important these changes have been to children’s daily life experiences; it is also easy to underestimate the degree to which they influence children’s development. Adult guidance from parents, teachers, librarians, and afterschool workers is essential so that children use new media safely and responsibly and in ways that enrich their knowledge and creativity.
Moreover, rigorous, longitudinal research on education reform by the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago confirms that family-school-community connections are an essential element in transforming low-performing schools. To yield positive results and enhance student performance, school leaders need to embed these connections within school improvement goals, prioritize family and community partnerships, integrate these partnerships into teacher professional development, and continuously improve on them based on the experiences of families and the school community.
In order to underscore the importance of these and other changes, we have added new theoretical perspectives and cases that focus on preschool children so that the book now looks at family engagement issues across the full
continuum, from the early years through preadolescence. We invited leading researchers and practitioners with many years of experience working with families to add to the initial set of research and case topics. New research in this volume includes four theoretical perspectives poverty and family engagement; workplace conditions and child care arrangements; principles of family, school, and community partnership; and children’s use of digital media in the home and school. Three new cases within this third edition address current issues about the roles of families and the contexts of their engagement in children’s literacy development, the transition to kindergarten, and the use of digital media as a learning platform.
Although the cases in this volume are generally based on real-life situations, they have been partially fictionalized so that actions, dialogues, and multiple perspectives represented within each of them contribute to multilayered discussion and analysis as effective teaching tools. We have also changed names and identifying information to ensure confidentiality of research participants.
In addition to the cases in this book, other teaching cases are available online from Harvard Family Research Project (www.hfrp.org/publicationsresources/publications-series/family-engagement-teaching-cases). These cases offer opportunities for educators to explore family engagement issues among populations not covered by the cases presented in this book, such as adolescents, gay youth, grandparent-headed households, and middle-class families.
I Introduction
nés didn’t know what to do. Her daughter Nina sat under the kitchen table crying, refusing to continue with her homework. Inés was exasperated. Nina had been working on her homework assignment for the past three hours and was beside herself. “I don’t like it. I don’t know what to do,” she cried.
In the beginning of the year, Nina had been placed in a bilingual first-grade classroom. Inés went to the school and talked with the principal to request an all-English setting. Inés felt it was good for her daughter to be in an allEnglish classroom so that Nina could avoid the struggles with English that her mother faced. She felt that her daughter had to be fluent in English to become a professional in America. Inés herself had enrolled in English classes at the community high school and, at the advice of her close friends from church, spoke to her daughter only in English. Inés was grateful that the principal had permitted the switch but then faced the problem of not being able to help her daughter with homework.
At the parent-teacher conference in the beginning of the year, Inés was afraid to tell the teacher, Ms. Chesin, about her difficulties helping Nina with homework and understanding what was sent home. Nina had translated throughout most of the meeting. When Inés asked the teacher for more direction on how to help, Ms. Chesin encouraged Inés to read with her daughter in Spanish at home.
With the spring parent-teacher conference coming up in the next few weeks, Inés was prepared to ask again for help with the homework, but she also anticipated Ms. Chesin’s recommending a bilingual placement. She wondered if she had made the wrong decision by choosing a monolingual classroom for her daughter. Would Nina be better served in a bilingual classroom? How could Inés know? (See Case 6: “Bilingual Voices and Parent
Classroom Choices,” this volume).
The case of Inés points to some of the many facets of family engagement in education, including supporting a child’s learning, valuing education, holding high aspirations for a child’s success, and communicating with the school. Family engagement refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and activities of families to support their children’s learning, whether at home, at school, or in the community. This definition reflects the fact that families play significant roles in education such as ensuring their children’s learning, guiding their children successfully through a complex school system, advocating for their children, and campaigning for effective public schools.
As the story of Inés illustrates, family engagement has multiple dimensions, including parental aspirations, parenting behaviors, and school relationships. Inés had high hopes that her daughter would succeed by going to school and learning English. She acted as a role model for her daughter by taking English classes, she approached the principal to request her daughter’s classroom, and she participated in parent-teacher conferences. Even so, Inés questioned the outcome of her engagement and continued to have difficulty helping with her child’s homework. Like Inés, many parents want to be engaged in their children’s learning but find it challenging: They may lack adequate information from schools to base their decisions, they may not have the confidence to approach teachers, or they may not possess practical skills to help their children.
This casebook is about family engagement in early childhood through the elementary years. It is a book written for college and graduate-level students who plan to teach or work with children. The casebook addresses common difficulties that early childhood programs and schools face in establishing communication and meaningful relationships with families, especially those whose social and cultural backgrounds differ from those of teachers and administrators. The book uses teaching cases, such as that of Inés, to illustrate these difficulties and suggest theoretical perspectives to inform analysis and problem solving.
The cases expose prospective educators to the perspectives of parents and other family members with whom they may not otherwise interact in their daily routine. They present situations that require them to use criticalthinking skills to solve problems. Through discussion-based learning,
aspiring educators are able to think critically and creatively and also gain a broad understanding of the constraints on and opportunities for engaging families in children’s education.
ABOUT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Family engagement has three important dimensions (Weiss, Bouffard, Bridglall, & Gordon, 2009). First, it occurs as a result of shared responsibility and co-construction. Second, to be effective, it requires continuity of engagement from birth to young adulthood. Third, it occurs across contexts, not only in the home and in school but in other settings, such as afterschool programs, community centers, libraries, and faith-based institutions. This representation of family engagement expands the notion of family involvement, which has come to be associated with a school-centered definition of family roles, to one of engagement, whereby families’ commitment to promote their children’s learning in and beyond the classroom setting makes them equal educational partners with schools (Pushor, 2007). However, because much of the research literature uses the term “family involvement,” it is kept in this book whenever reference is made to the research base. It is also to be noted that some researchers use the terms involvement and engagement interchangeably.
If family engagement efforts are to succeed, early childhood programs, schools, and school districts must embed them within their organizational goals rather than merely offer an assortment of well-intentioned, but one-time activities. These educational entities often consider family engagement as an “add-on” and as disconnected from their core mission of school readiness and school success. However, based on school reform research, an organizational approach to improve student achievement, especially in low-performing schools, offers a promising direction to transform family engagement into an effective strategy for student success. This approach acknowledges that schools are complex organizations composed of interacting components. Evidence from Chicago’s school reform suggests that there are five essential elements in the organization of schools (Bryk, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, & Easton, 2010). Leadership is the force that drives change in the other four key elements in the system: teacher professional capacity, school
