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PARTNERS IN LEARNING: STATEWIDE INITIATIVE AIMS TO BOOST STUDENT LEARNING through family, school and community partnerships   The research is clear: when parents are involved in their children's education, children do better in school. In reality, however, effective family-school partnerships are few and far between. Schools lament poor parent participation; parents feel shut out by the schools their children attend. Federal and state guidelines emphasize (and often insist upon) active parent involvement in school planning and decision-making, but give little guidance on how to make this happen. Too often the barriers--to school personnel and parents alike--seem insurmountable. The U. S. Department of Education hopes to close the gap between research and practice by establishing statewide parent information and resource centers throughout the country. To date, centers have been established in forty states. This fall, the new Indiana Center for Family, School & Community Partnerships was among the most recent beneficiaries of funding awarded under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act. Plans for the Center, which is funded through the Indianapolis-based Indiana Parent Information Network, Inc., grew out of a broad-based statewide coalition of organizations that are committed to raising the academic achievement of Indiana's children through meaningful family-school partnerships. Specifically, the Indiana Center for Family, School & Community Partnerships will focus on the following areas: ~ Promoting local family, school and community partnerships by providing information and assistance on how to overcome barriers, build strong relationships and develop effective programs. ~ Increasing the availability of effective parent education programs, such as Parents As Teachers, Links to Learning, Family Math and Family Science, to parents of children at all ages and educational levels-from birth through high school graduation. ~ Encouraging teacher education programs in Indiana colleges and universities to include family-school partnership principles and practices in their regular curricula and practicum experiences. ~ Disseminating information about family involvement and partnership-building to families, educators and other community members in a variety of formats, including written materials and an on-line directory of family resources available in Indiana. ~ Coordinating conferences, workshops and forums for parents, educators and other community members to foster partnership-building and family involvement in schools. ~ Building networks and sharing information about effective partnership programs and practices among family centers, parent educators, schools, parent groups, and interested individuals. Written by The Family Connection for Partners in Learning [Vol 1:1, 1998] a newsletter of the Indiana Center for Family, School & Community Partnerships. If you would like more information about involving fathers in their children's education, contact the Center at 317-205-2595 or email: fscp@indy.net Back to Partners in Learning Contents | Return to top | Next Article: Partnership Center Priorities