Measure of School, Family, and Community

Partnerships
Karen Clark Salinas, Joyce L. Epstein, & Mavis G. Sanders, Johns Hopkins University,
Deborah Davis & Inge Douglas, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

This instrument is designed to measure how your school is reaching out to involve parents,
community members, and students in a meaningful manner. The measure is based on the
framework of six types of involvement developed by Epstein (1995). At this time, your school
may conduct all, some, or none of the activities or approaches listed. Not every activity is
appropriate at every grade level. The selected items show that your school is meeting challenges
to involve all families in many different ways that will improve the school climate, strengthen
families, and increase student success in school. Your school may be conducting other activities
for each type of involvement. These may be added and rated to account for all major partnership
practices that your school presently conducts.

Directions: Carefully examine the scoring rubric below before rating your school
on the six types of involvement. As you review each item, please circle the
response that comes closest to describing your school. A score of 4 or 5 indicates
that the activity or approach is strong and prominent. A score of 1,2, or 3 indicates
that the activity is not yet part of the school’s program, or needs improvement.
The results provide information on the strength of current practices of partnership,
and insights about possible future directions or needed improvements in your
school’s partnership program.

Scoring Rubric

1 – Not Occurring: Strategy does not happen at our school.

2 – Rarely: Occurs in only one or two classes. Receives isolated use or little time. Clearly
not emphasized in this school’s parental involvement plan.

3 – Occasionally: Occurs in some classes. Receives minimal or modest time or emphasis

across grades. Not a prevalent component of this school’s parental involvement plan.

4 – Frequently: Occurs in many but not all classes/grade levels. Receives substantive time
and emphasis. A prevalent component of this school’s parental involvement plan.

5 – Extensively: Occurs in most or all classes/grade levels. Receives substantive time and
emphasis A highly prevalent component of this school’s parental involvement plan.

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I. PARENTING: Help all families establish home environments to support
children as students.

Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
1. Conducts workshops or provides
information for parents on child
development 1 2 3 4 5
2. Provides information, training, and
assistance to all families who want it or
who need it, not just to the few who can
attend workshops or meetings at the
school building. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Produces information for families that
is clear, usable, and linked to children’s
success in school 1 2 3 4 5
4. Asks families for information about
children’s goals, strengths & talents. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Sponsors home visiting programs or
neighborhood meetings to help families
understand schools & to help schools to
understand families. 1 2 3 4 5
6. Provides families with
information/training on developing
home conditions or environments that
support learning 1 2 3 4 5
7. Respects the different cultures
represented in our student population. 1 2 3 4 5
Other types of activities

__________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

__________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

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II.COMMUNICATIONS: Design effective forms of school-to-home and
home-to-school communications about school programs and children’s
progress.

Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
1. Reviews the readability, clarity, form,
and frequency of all memos, notices,
and other print and non-print
communications. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Develops communication for parents
who do not speak English well, do not
read well, or need large type. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Establishes clear two-way channels for
communications from home to school
and from school to home. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Conducts a formal conference with
every parent at least once a year 1 2 3 4 5
5. Conducts an annual survey for families
to share information and concerns
about student needs & reactions to
school programs, and their satisfaction
with their involvement in school. 1 2 3 4 5
6. Conducts an orientation for new
parents. 1 2 3 4 5
7. Sends home folders of student work
weekly or monthly for parent review
and comment. 1 2 3 4 5
8. Provides clear information about the
curriculum, assessments, and
achievement levels and report cards. 1 2 3 4 5
9. Contacts families of students having
academic or behavior problems. 1 2 3 4 5
10. Develops school’s plan and program of
family and community involvement
with input from educators, parents, and
others. 1 2 3 4 5
11. Trains teachers, staff and principals on
the value and utility of contributions of
parents and ways to build ties between
school and home. 1 2 3 4 5

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 Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
12. Builds policies that encourage all
teachers to communicate frequently
with parents about their curriculum
plans, expectations for homework, and
how parents can help. 1 2 3 4 5
13. Produces a regular school newsletter
with up-to-date information about the
school, special events, organizations,
meetings, and parenting tips. 1 2 3 4 5
14. Provides written communication in the
language of the parents. 1 2 3 4 5
Other types of activities

__________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

III. VOLUNTEERING: Recruit and organize parent help and support.

Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
1. Conducts an annual survey to identify
interests, talents, and availability of
parent volunteers, in order to match
their skills/talents with school and 1 2 3 4 5
classroom needs.
2. Provides a parent/family room for
volunteers and family members to
work, meet, and access resources about
parenting, childcare, tutoring, and other
things that effect their children. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Creates flexible volunteering and
school events schedules, enabling
parents who work to participate. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Trains volunteers so they use their time
productively. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Recognizes volunteers for their time
and efforts. 1 2 3 4 5
6. Schedules school events at different
times during the day and evening so 1 2 3 4 5
that all families can attend some
throughout the year.

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 Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
7. Reduces barriers to parent participation
by providing transportation, childcare,
flexible schedules, and addresses the
needs of English language learners. 1 2 3 4 5
8. Encourages families and the
community to be involved with the
school in a variety of ways (assisting in
classroom, giving talks, monitoring
halls, leading activities, etc.) 1 2 3 4 5
Other types of activities

__________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

IV. LEARNING AT HOME: Provide information and ideas to families

about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-
related activities, decisions, and planning.

Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
1. Provides information to families on
how to monitor and discuss schoolwork
at home. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Provides ongoing and specific
information to parents on how to assist
students with skills that they need to 1 2 3 4 5
improve.
3. Makes parents aware of the importance
of reading at home, and asks parents to 1 2 3 4 5
listen to their child read or read aloud
with their child.
4. Assists families in helping students set
academic goals, select courses, and
programs. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Schedules regular interactive
homework that requires students to
demonstrate and discuss what they are
learning with a family member. 1 2 3 4 5

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 Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
Other types of activities

__________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

V. DECISIONMAKING: Include parents in school decisions, developing

parent leaders and representatives.

Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
1. Has active PTA, PTO, or other parent
organization. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Includes parent representatives on the
school’s advisory council,
improvement team, or other
committees. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Has parents represented on district-
level advisory council and committees. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Involves parents in an organized,
ongoing, and timely way in the
planning, review, and improvement of
programs. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Involves parents in revising the
school/district curricula. 1 2 3 4 5
6. Includes parent leaders from all racial,
ethnic, socioeconomic, and other group
in the school. 1 2 3 4 5
7. Develops formal networks to link all
families with their parent
representatives. 1 2 3 4 5
8. Includes students (along with parents)
in decision-making groups. 1 2 3 4 5
9. Deals with conflict openly and
respectfully. 1 2 3 4 5
10. Asks involved parents to make contact
with parents who are less involved to
solicit their ideas, and report back to
them. 1 2 3 4 5

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 Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
Other types of activities

__________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

VI.COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY: Identify and integrate

resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs,
family practices, and student learning and development.

Rating
Our School: Not
Occurring Rarely Occasionally Frequently Extensively
1. Provides a community resource
directory for parents and students with
information on community services,
programs, and agencies. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Involves families in locating and
utilizing community resources. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Works with local businesses, industries,
and community organizations on
programs to enhance student skills and
learning. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Provides “one-stop” shopping for
family services through partnership of
school, counseling, health, recreation,
job training, and other agencies. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Opens its building for use by the
community after school hours 1 2 3 4 5
6. Offers after-school programs for
students with support from community
businesses, agencies, and volunteers 1 2 3 4 5
7. Solves turf problems of responsibilities,
funds, staff, and locations for
collaborative activities to occur 1 2 3 4 5
8. Utilizes community resources, such as
businesses, libraries, parks, and
museums to enhance the learning
environment. 1 2 3 4 5
Other types of activities

__________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

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A. What major factors have contributed to the success of your school’s family and community
involvement efforts?

B. What major factors have limited the success of your school’s family and community
involvement efforts?

C. What is one of your school’s major goals for improving it’s program of school, family, and
community partnerships over the next three years?

References:

Salinas, K.C., Epstein, J.L. & Sanders, M.G. (1997). Starting points: An inventory of present
practices of school-family community partnerships. In J.L. Epstein,.L. Coates, K.C. Salinas,
M.G. Sanders, & B.S. Simon. School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for
Action (pp.122-125). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Epstein, J.L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share.
Phi Delta Kappan, (76): 701-712.
Yap, K.O. & Enoki, D. (1995) In search of the elusive magic bullet: Parental involvement and
student outcomes. The School Community Journal. 5(2), Fall/Winter 1995: 97-106.
Note: For information on the National Network of Partnership Schools at John Hopkins University, visit the
Network’s Website: www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000.
For information about NWREL’s services, call 1-800-547-6339 ext.568, or access the Website at www.nwrel.org.

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