Research evidence shows that effective partnerships between schools and parents, whānau and communities can result in better outcomes for students. 1 The better the relationship and engagement, the more positive the impact on students’ learning.
In this evaluation, ‘engagement’ is defined as a meaningful, respectful partnership between schools and their parents, whānau and communities that focuses on improving the educational experiences and successes for each child.
This report complements ERO’s major evaluation, Partners in Learning: Schools’ Engagement with Parents, Whānau and Communities, published in May 2008. It presents case studies of eight schools, identified during ERO reviews, that were successful in engaging with their parents, whānau and the wider community. The report also discusses key factors that contribute to the success of this engagement.
Although all schools have differing ways of involving and communicating with parents and families, six key factors have emerged as critical to enhancing and strengthening engagement.
This report discusses what was happening in schools where engagement was working well. The first section gives an overview of what each of the eight schools was doing to engage parents, with a focus on particular strategies. The second section discusses the six common factors evident in schools where engagement was successful. It also includes further examples from other schools where practice reflected these factors.