by Nell K. Duke
University of Michigan
November 20, 2014

Many International Reading Association members recognize the important role that families, as well as classroom teachers, play in developing students’ literacy. In fact, IRA has a position statement specifically on this topic:  Family-School Partnerships: Essential Elements of Literacy Instruction in the United States.

Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Education launched an initiative to strengthen family and community engagement practices in U.S. schools. The initiative rests on The Dual Capacity Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships.

“The purpose of the framework is to establish a U.S. Department of Education (ED) wide strategy of family and community engagement (FCE) efforts by collaborating FCE resources across ED, increase awareness about FCE, and highlight the importance of parents working as partners with schools to achieve academic success,” according to the document.

The Framework is based on a larger document developed by the Southeast Educational Development Laboratory in Collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education. The report and the Framework emphasize the need to build capacity for school and program staff as well as families in four areas:

• Capabilities (skills and knowledge)
• Connections (networks)
• Cognition (beliefs, values)
• Confidence (self-efficacy)

The outcome of this is anticipated to be families who can play multiple roles in schools and programs, and school and program staff who can:

• Honor and recognize families’ funds of knowledge
• Connect family engagement to student learning
• Create welcoming, inviting cultures.

The report includes three case studies of effective family-community partnerships, each of which involves literacy. It seems likely that literacy will be a focus of many family-community partnerships inspired or supported by this initiative. IRA members can play an important role by providing research-based information about literacy practices in schools, homes, and communities and about how to foster literacy development in children and youth.

This article is from the International Reading Association’s Literacy Research Panel. Reader response is welcomed. E-mail your comments to LRP@/.