The National Network of Partnership Schools: How Research Influences Educational Practice

Abstract

The National Network of Partnership Schools was initiated in 1996 to assist schools, districts, and states in developing comprehensive programs of school, family, and community partnership as part of their school improvement efforts. Members of the National Network are provided with tools and strategies to implement partnership activities that promote students' success. These tools and strategies are based on over 15 years of research conducted by Epstein and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins University. Through a discussion of the development of the National Network, this article illustrates how research can be used to inform and improve educational practice in schools, districts, and states. It does so by highlighting the center's research on family and community involvement conducted since 1987 with elementary, middle, and high schools; school districts; and state departments of education across the United States. This research generated the knowledge needed to establish the National Network of Partnership Schools, which presently works with over 1,100 schools, 130 districts, and 12 states to help them develop permanent and productive school, family, and community partnership programs.