Riverview School-Family-Community Engagement Plan

Patty Costis, PhD

Longwood University

May 5, 2018
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Introduction

The success of a school is measured by the strength of several important components. A

highly qualified faculty and support staff is essential for academic achievement. Shared vision

and collaborative leadership in decision-making promotes a sense of ownership in student

outcomes. Data-driven instructional programming and strategies maximize student potential.

Finally, healthy partnerships between the school, its families, and the community are essential to

a quality education for every child (Epstein & Sanders, 2002).

I examined multiple data points, interviewed the principal and assistant principal, and

spoke with members of the instructional leadership team in order to determine the strengths and

areas for growth at Riverview School. I assessed student academic achievement and

accreditation trend data; faculty qualifications and training; and the effectiveness of the

Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). In addition, I interviewed the principal, assistant principal,

members of the ILT, and a past PTA president. At the conclusion of my needs assessment, I

found a crucial component was missing from Riverview School’s success formula, parent and

community involvement.

Using Epstein’s (1995) School-Family-Community Partnership Model, three goals will

assist in establishing and strengthening family and community engagement in Riverview School.

The three goals include 1) to establish and build an active PTA program; 2) to recruit and retain

community organizations to serve as partners in education; and 3) to establish Riverview as a

landmark in and for the community.

Data Assessment and Goal Setting

Riverview School is a PK-8 school situated in a southern, urban school district.

Approximately 1,000 students are enrolled, and the population is culturally and linguistically
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diverse. Nearly 70% of the student population is comprised of students of color, 9% are English

Language Learners, ELLs) and 63% are economically disadvantaged (Table A, Appendix). The

district’s French NATO school, the alternative elementary program, and the district’s students

with multiple disabilities program all operate within Riverview School. Although the district

struggles with accreditation, Riverview has been fully accredited for the past two years. The

principal has set a tone for continuous growth among students and faculty.

The entire faculty worked together over the course of a semester to craft the Riverview

instructional focus statement. Each grade level and middle school department examined trend

data from student benchmark and SOL testing. Although the data show and upward trend in

reading achievement for grades 3-8 (Table B, Appendix), results are inconsistent for grades K-2

(Table C, Appendix). The instructional leadership team designed the following instructional

focus statement and School Improvement Plan focused on Reading, “The staff members at

Riverview School will ensure that all students in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth

demonstrate progress towards meeting grade-level literacy skills in all content areas by: using

nonlinguistic representations, justifying answers, and identifying similarities and differences as

measured by formative, state, and division-wide assessments.”

The current School Improvement Plan includes regular data collection and analysis

between and across grade levels. Quarterly meetings between each grade team and a

representative from the department of Assessment, Research and Accountability (ARA) assist

with data analysis and planning. Grade teams meet twice each quarter to monitor student growth.

Vertical teams meet each month to discuss progress toward academic goals and to plan strategies

to help areas of need. Additionally, an after-school remediation program is available for

struggling students in grades K-8.

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In my data collection and analysis, I discovered that organizations supporting family and

community involvement are completely missing from Riverview School. Currently, Riverview

has no PTA, and three local businesses serving as partners in education. However, their

participation is not evident in the school or the community. I asked the principal about the PTA,

and she stated that we were unable to garner any nominations for an elected PTA board, so the

organization became dormant for this school year. She said there was, at one time, an active PTA

but in recent years membership and participation have dropped off significantly.

I interviewed a past PTA president. She cited an overall lack of parent participation in the

school for the decline in PTA membership. Next, I interviewed the assistant principal regarding

Riverview’ community partners in education. She said Riverview had a committee last year

which focused on recruiting businesses and other organizations in our community to serve as out

partners in education. Finally, I reviewed each grade level’s monthly parent newsletter to

discover how school information and news is communicated to parents and the community. Each

newsletter includes a graphic representing the grade level’s academic progress in reading and

current reading strategies being used. Then, the newsletters highlight upcoming events, important

dates to remember, and news specific to the grade level.

Family engagement is an essential component of a child’s education (Epstein, 1995). Six

types of family involvement were developed by Epstein (1995) as a framework for establishing

family and community partnership programs. They include 1) parenting; 2) communicating; 3)

volunteering; 4) learning at home; 5) decision-making; and 6) collaborating with community.

The School-Family-Community-Partnership Model’s components (Epstein, 1995) form the basis

of the action plan that follows.

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School Improvement Plan

Riverview School currently has a community-centered vision statement: “Riverview

School is a landmark in and for the community: a sustainable building that provides innovative

best practices for ALL students and a model facility for learning, recreation, and the arts!” The

statement is not currently in need of revision, as it reflects the function of the Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building and its intended position in the community.

Completed in 2011, Riverview was built as an environmentally friendly building. It includes

innovative features such as rain barrels that are used to water the baseball field, a rooftop garden,

and motion sensors which operate classroom lighting. An environmental science curriculum

written by NPS science educators and other Riverview faculty completes the necessary

components for the honor of being a LEED school.

The building also houses a community recreation center, staffed and operated by the City

of Newtown Department of Parks and Recreation. A before- and after-care program is offered

for Riverview students through the recreation center. However, no co-sponsored (between

Riverview and the recreation center) activities are currently scheduled. The Riverview School-

Family-Community Engagement Plan is proposed as a means for realizing Riverview School’s

vision statement. This strategic plan addresses three major goals, and the objectives and action

steps for their implementation and monitoring over a period of three years.
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Table 1
Riverview School-Family-Community Engagement Plan, School Year: SY 2018-2019
School Goal 1: to establish and build an active PTA program
Responsible Due Date,
Objective Activities Person(s) Monitoring Time Frame
Hold PTA Board Principal,  data report, October 15,
Establish Recruiting Drive via faculty PTA discussion at PTA- 2018
PTA Board communication systems, recruitment R meeting
social media, (PTA-R)  data report,
distribute candidate committee discussion at
information for election faculty meeting
Elect PTA Board Principal,  Election report November
faculty, from PTA-R 1, 2018
parents committee
Review and revise, or re- PTA Board  report, discussion December
establish PTA by-laws, at PTA-R meeting, 1, 2018
file papers with state PTA PTA meeting
 annual state PTA
audit
Direct marketing via fliers Principal,  report, discussion SY 2018-
Increase PTA sent home, faculty, PTA- at PTA-R meeting, 2019
membership communications systems R committee, faculty meeting ongoing
PTA  PTA membership
count display
Family Nights: Families Principal,  report, discussion fall, 2018
engage in hands-on Assistant at PTA-R winter, 2019
activities according to a Principal, meeting, faculty spring, 2019
theme or school subject. faculty, PTA meeting EOY, 2019
PTA membership is  PTA membership annual event
actively solicited count display

Fall Festival recruitment Principal,  report, discussion fall, 2018

event: Families enjoy Assistant at PTA-R meeting, annual event
games, food, music Principal, faculty meeting
PTA membership is faculty, PTA  PTA membership
actively solicited. count display

Spring Fling recruitment Principal,  report, discussion spring, 2019

event: Families enjoy Assistant at PTA-R meeting, annual event
games, food, music Principal, faculty meeting
PTA membership is faculty, PTA  PTA membership
actively solicited. count display
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Riverview currently has no organized program for engaging parents and community in

the life of the school. Establishing itself as a landmark in the community is a large undertaking,

and should be implemented in stages to maintain quality and fidelity. The most immediate need

is for the formation of a PTA. Establishing a strong parent-teacher organization in the school will

improve communication between school and home and will offer families the opportunity to take

a more active role in the education of their children. Moreover, a strong PTA will give parents a

voice in decision-making in the school. Therefore, a series of recruiting and family partnership-

building activities is scheduled (Table 1). Many are structured to become annual events, thereby

establishing customs, traditions and norms which will set a culture unique to Riverview School

and the community.

In year two, Riverview will work to establish Partners in Education by engaging with the

businesses and other organizations in the neighborhood (Table 2). Active recruitment efforts will

include an Open House during which potential Partners can tour the school and meet students.

The Partners in Education program will raise the visibility of the school in the community as

local organizations bring their staff and patrons to the school during events they will ultimately

sponsor. As Riverview’ visibility increases, the vision of becoming a landmark in the community

is realized.

The Partners in Education program will include activities in which local organizations

work directly with students to connect the curriculum to the real world. For example, Partners

will sponsor a Career Day during which they visit the school to show how student curriculum

applies to their particular careers. Representatives will stage demonstrations of the type of work

they do at their company. Partners may also designate a team of adult volunteers to act as student

mentors for older students, and perhaps reading buddies for younger students.
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Table 2
Riverview School-Family-Community Engagement Plan, SY 2019-2020
School Goal 2: to recruit and retain community organizations to serve as Partners in
Education
Responsible Due Date,
Objective Activities Person(s) Monitoring Time Frame
Open House: Assistant  report, discussion fall, 2019
Recruit Individual invitations Principal, at monthly PiE-R spring, 2020
local sent to potential PiE to faculty PiE meeting,
businesses, tour the school, speak Recruitment  feedback and annual event
organizatio with students, and committee, partner-building
ns to serve engage administrators, National via follow-up
as Partners teachers and staff. Junior Honor phone calls
in Focus is on the Society  thank-you cards
Education successes of the school (NJHS) from NJHS
(PiE) and how the PiE can students
add to them
Annual Student Art faculty  monthly PiE-R fall, 2019
Display PiE Contest: committee, art meeting
business Students will create a teachers,  schoolwide annual event
logos work of art to students student voting
incorporate logos of process
Partners in Education.
The winning piece will
be framed and hung in
a prominent location in
the school. Copies will
be sent to each of the
PiE entities in a format
suitable for display.
Include PiE logos on faculty  walkthrough by fall, 2019
fliers for events, school committee, PiE-R committee and as
webpage, and on media needed
banners hung specialist,
throughout the school custodial staff

A luncheon in honor of faculty  report, discussion spring, 2020

PiE our Partners in committee, at monthly PiE-R annual event
Luncheon Education NJHS meeting
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Finally, in year three, Riverview will reach out to the neighborhood by co-sponsoring,

with our Partners in Education, ongoing cultural, educational, and recreational events. A core

committee of science teachers from across the district created an environmental science

curriculum, aligned with the Virginia SOLs, especially for Riverview. At its center is a

community garden. Integrating the science curriculum as part of regular instruction will not only

promote student achievement, it will connect students with families and community members, as

all become involved in the various gardening projects.

Table 3
Riverview School-Family-Community Engagement Plan, SY 2021-2022
School Goal 3: to establish Riverview as a landmark in and for the community
Responsible Due Date,
Objective Activities Person(s) Monitoring Time Frame
Increase Plant a community faculty, PTA,  student product SY 2021-
visibility in green garden, PiE, students assessments 2022
the establishing  community
community partnerships with interest/ feedback
students, neighbors, survey
and PiE: Faculty will
use existing
environmental science
curriculum to engage
students
Arts festival: students, faculty Arts  community March,
families, community committee to feedback survey 2022
and PiE will include art,  focus group
participate in a festival music and discussion-
celebrating the visual PE teachers; comprised of
and performing arts in PTA, PiE students, parents,
the community. This PiE, PTA board
annual event will
coincide with Youth
Art Month
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The art, music, and physical education faculty will work together with the PTA and our

Partners in Education to host an annual arts festival beginning in March, 2022 as part of Youth

Art Month. Student work will be displayed alongside local artists. Student performances and

demonstrations will combine with community members’ presentations to complete the event.

The annual arts festival accomplishes the vision of becoming a model facility for learning,

recreation, and the arts.

As Riverview establishes itself and gains stakeholders, each entity will become part of

the planning and monitoring process. As Tables 1, 2, and 3 illustrate, each stakeholder group is

added to the monitoring and responsibility categories. Students are increasingly involved in the

implementation, planning, and monitoring of the plan as well.

Resource Management

Currently, no budget exists for family and community engagement. Therefore,

accounting must be established. The cost for initial implementation of the Riverview School-

Family-Community Engagement Plan is minimal. During the first year, printing and postage

costs are incurred. The school district has an in-house print shop at which documents and posters

can be printed at no cost to the schools. Postage costs can be absorbed into the operating budget.

Once the PTA Board is elected, they will follow established, state-mandated PTA accounting

and annual audit policies.

As each stakeholder group is established, their service to the school will include

fundraising efforts to defray the costs of hosting school and community events. For example,

costs for hosting the Open House for potential Partners in Education will be paid for by the

profits from fundraisers coordinated by the PTA during the prior school year. Funding for the

establishment and maintenance of the community garden will be provided by profits from PTA
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fundraisers and our Partners in Education. The costs associated with implementing the

environmental science curriculum are factored into the operating budget for the school.

Therefore, no costs are incurred to initiate the garden. Maintenance costs may arise, and will be

addressed by the PTA and PiE, in collaboration with the Principal.

The human resources required for implementing the Riverview School-Family-

Community Engagement Plan will include administrators and faculty initially. A PTA recruiting

committee will be formed as one of the school’s many faculty-run committees. PTA

representatives will be included on this committee once the PTA Board is elected and the PTA

established. During year two, students and parents will join the committees from the beginning

of the school year. Partners in Education will have the opportunity to designate company

representatives to sit on the faculty committees as well.

Marketing strategies and information will be maintained using all available technology at

Riverview. The district’s telephone robo-call system will be utilized to recruit PTA members,

Partners in Education, and community participants in annul events. In addition, the district’s

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts will be utilized for recruitment and information.

Finally, the school’s webpage will be updated regularly to keep stakeholders informed of

upcoming events. We will make full use of the language translation software available to us so

our parents can more fully participate in the life of the school. Printed copies of all materials will

be available for any family who may not have access to Internet and social media services.

Conclusion

Riverview School has a rich history in the neighborhood where it is situated. As the times

have changed, so has the school, acquiring a new building and expanding from a PK-5 to a PK-8

school. However, the need for family and community engagement has not changed. This
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essential component in the education of children is currently missing. With some recruitment

efforts, Riverview School will send the message that our doors are open. They are open for

students, open for families, open for the community as a gathering place for learning, recreation

and the arts.

Reflection

I was excited about working on this project. At first, I found myself overwhelmed by the

lack of data on school-community partnerships at Riverview. However, after talking about it

with my assistant principal, the excitement returned. I realized I had the freedom to build these

programs from the ground floor. There were no old habits to break, and no mistakes to account

for. I am grateful to my assistant principal who check in with me regularly to ask how the project

was progressing, and to offer advice and experiences. She loaned me the paperwork on Partners

in Education which she had found buried in a file cabinet. She also loaned me some books which

were useful is gaining some background information about working with parents, and how strong

partnerships with families and community fostered a safe and secure learning environment for

students.

The most surprising aspect of this project was my investigation of the PTA. I was

concerned about the lack of paperwork left by the last PTA Board. The past PTA president I

interviewed said she turned everything over to the secretary who submitted all of the necessary

paperwork for their annual state PTA audit. The former secretary has since died, and I was

unable to locate any information she may have left. I was very surprised at the frustration felt by

the past PTA president I interviewed. She seemed soured by her experience working with the

PTA. I tried to be careful in my questioning as the interview progressed. I did not want to upset
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her, and I did not want to ask her to talk about issues that she was uncomfortable discussing. I

am unsure if she will become involved in a PTA board after this experience.

Although I enjoyed creating the many activities and events that serve to create a

community culture through the school, in reality, I would not be so heavily involved. As

administrator, I will ask the planning committees to create the activities. If asked for my advice, I

would be happy to offer advice, but I am hopeful that will not be the case. Each of the

committees outlined in this School Improvement Plan will ultimately have multiple stakeholders

involved with them. They will form stronger partnerships and traditions by planning and creating

together. Further, collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a far more powerful way to build

a community culture than simply executing a single person’s directive.

I learned that creating a School Improvement Plan is a large undertaking, involving the

cooperation of many different stakeholders. This project showed me that as a building

administrator, it will be imperative for me to establish and maintain a strong sense of trust and

shared vision in order to effective accomplish the goals stated in the School Improvement Plan.

Although the greatest beneficiary of the plan will be the students, it is essential for the adults to

collaborate and work together on their behalf. Everyone must have a vested interest in the

success of students and of the school. I look forward to setting the tone for my colleagues to

bring about transformative change, as suggested in this School Improvement Plan.

I have neither given nor received help on this work, nor am I aware of any infraction of the

Honor Code. Patricia A. Costis, PhD

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References

Curran, D. (1989). Working with Parents. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

Epstein, J. L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships. Phi delta kappan, 76(9), 701.

Epstein, J. L., & Sanders, M. G. (2002). Family, school, and community partnerships. In

Bornstein, M. H. (Ed.) Handbook of Parenting Volume 5 Practical Issues in

Parenting, 406-437.

The YGS Group (2018). After school learning: Implementing a program for success. Principal,

1-32.
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APPENDIX A

Table A
Riverview Demographic and Socio-Economic Composition
70 63.5
60 49 51
50 42.3
40 31.9
30
14.4 15.8 15.5
20 8.6 8.8
10 2.1
0

Percentage of Crossroads Student Population

Note: SWD = students with disabilities. ELL = English language learners. ED = economically
disadvantaged
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Table B
Reading SOL Pass Rates by Grade Level by Year
100 94
90 85 82 85
80 81 80 79
77 78 75 74 74 76
80 72 73
64 66 67 66
70 60
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 School
2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
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Table C
Reading Grade Level Proficiency

90 84
80
71
70 66
58 58
60
50 45
40
30
20
10
0
Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2
2015-2016 2016-2017