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Citation:

Kreider, H. (2000). The National Network for Partnership Schools: A model for family-school-community partnerships. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~hfrp/projects/fine/resources/case_study/abstract.html.

Annotation:
This descriptive case study documents the organizational model of the National Network of Partnership Schools (National Network) founded by Dr. Joyce Epstein at Johns Hopkins University in 1996-97. Its purpose is to answer the question, Ò...how can the capacity of schools be strengthened to implement meaningful, effective, and sustainable family-school-community partnerships?Ó The author found that the National Network provides a theory-driven, research-based infrastructure designed to build school capacity by developing well-managed partnership programs between school, family, and community that will lead to increased student achievement. The author also found that the National Network is based on over 20 years of research, providing it with a solid foundation of theory and a conceptual framework specifying types of home and school involvement activities. She found that this research base has also been used in the development of the NetworkÕs technical assistance structure that supports schoolsÕ partnership efforts. The study is based on formal and informal interviews with Dr. Epstein and her colleagues, state, and district leaders of National Network schools, observation of a two-day National Network leadership meeting, and extensive review of the NetworkÕs published research, training materials, membership handbook, and website. This case study provides specific research citations that support the National NetworkÕs technical assistance and sustainability strategies for building the capacity of schools and districts to implement and sustain effective partnerships between family, school, and community. According to the authors, Dr. Epstein and her colleagues were invited to review multiple drafts of the article for accuracy and comprehensiveness, which may have led to a favorable bias about the theory, research, and implementation of family and school involvement partnerships.