PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community—Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.

 

Standard 2: Communicating effectively—Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning.

 

Standard 3: Supporting student success—Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

 

Standard 4: Speaking up for every child—Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.

 

Standard 5: Sharing power—Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.

 

Standard 6: Collaborating with community—Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

 

See below for more information and resources to build family-school partnerships.

 

Background

• Report: The Positive Relationship Between Family Involvement and Student Success
  A discussion of the finding connecting parent involvement to higher levels of student achievement.
• National Standards for Family-School Partnerships (339k)
  What parents, schools, and communities can do together to support student success.

Third Party Resources

• A Parent Checklist
  This guide provides families with questions, tips and resources to use to partner with their children’s teachers, support their children’s success, and make sure their children are getting a high-quality education.
• Family Guide to Getting Involved With Correctional Education (NDTAC): Example of the Standards in Action
  This guide was written for individuals with children who have been placed in a juvenile justice facility.

Additional Resources

• Family-School Partnerships poster
  Promoting the National Standards for Family-School Partnership
• Action Steps for the Local PTA Leader
  Ready, Set, Lead! National Standards action steps excerpted from the Implementation Guide
• Estándares Nacionales para la Asociación de la Familia y la Escuela por PTA: acciones para el líder local de PTA
  En susmarcas, listos, ¡guíen
• National Standards Assessment Guide: Full Version
  Includes introduction and information on all six standards for family-school partnerships
• Estándares Nacionales Para las Asociaciones Familia-Escuela
  Lo que los padres, escuelas y comunidades pueden hacer unidos para apoyar el éxito del estudiante
• National Standards Assessment Guide: Introduction – Measuring Success
  A guide to facilitate local schools’ implementation of programs, practices, and policies that are grounded in the National Standards
• Standard 1: Welcoming All Families into the School Community
  Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.
• Standard 2: Communicating Effectively
  Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning.
• Standard 3: Supporting Student Success
  Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.
• Standard 4: Speaking Up for Every Child
  Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.
• Standard 5: Sharing Power
  Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.
• Standard 6: Collaborating with Community
  Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.
• National Standards, Goals, and Indicators for Family-School Partnerships
  Overview of the National Standard
• The Power of Partnerships Family Survey (PDF)
  An assessment tool for PTAs to measure the success of partnership programs
• The Power of Partnerships Family Survey (Word document)
  An assessment tool for PTAs to measure the success of partnership programs.
• The Power of Partnerships Family Survey (Spanish)
  Spanish-language version (Word Document)