Evidence is drawn from a study of a school-community partnership in deep rural KwaZulu-Natal. There seems to be insufficient knowledge of what makes a successful school-community partnership.
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
- INTRODUCTION
- Focus and purpose of the study
- Statement of the problem
- Rationale for the study
- Key research questions
- Community
- School
- Partnership
- School-community partnership
- Social capital
- Research design and methodology .1 Research design
- The research setting
- Participants
- Ethical consideration
- Design limitation
Through purposive sampling, eight members of the school community partnership were selected to participate in the study. This chapter summarizes the findings regarding the nature of the school-community partnership and how it is self-sustaining.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
- INTRODUCTION
- Understanding the concept of school-community partnership
- Goals of school-community partnership
- Forming a school-community partnership
- Factors that enable school-community partnership
- Establishing a climate of collaboration
- Communication
- Teamwork
- An open door policy
- Commitment to teaching and learning
- The importance of knowledge, skills and capacity
- Some barriers to the formation and operation of school-community partnership
- Emerging issues
- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
- Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres of influence
The primary goal of any school-community partnership is to improve student achievement (Boullion & Gomez, 2001; Sanders & Lewis, 2005; Voorhis & Sheldon, 2004). Many researchers believe that distributed leadership is an integral part of school-community partnerships (Dotson-Blake, 2010; Kilpatrick & Johns, 2001; Larry, 2003).
SCHOOL
The model shows how the contexts, by intersecting with each other, also create areas of collaboration and enrichment with each other. The growth of the partnership is reflected by the increased size of the area of influence (Epstein, 2011). In Figure 1, “the external structure of the model shows that these contexts can be pulled together or pulled apart by the philosophies, policies, and selected activities operating in each context.
The internal structure of the model identifies the interpersonal relationships and connections among parents, children, educators, and others in the community that can influence student success in school” (Epstein, 2001). The internal structure represents the engine room or the junctions of the various components of the.
FAMILY COMMUNITY
The six types of involvement
School-community partnership should actively facilitate interaction between schools and their communities in areas of health, social, sports, cultural and learning activities. The theory models itself on high involvement and multiple interactions to ensure positive results within school-community partnerships (Ndahayo &. Epstein (2001) advocates that leadership positions should be distributed among those within school-community partnerships to ensure ownership of the process courageously
Furthermore, the six types of involvement provide a work plan for the school-community partnership team to create the conditions to sustain the partnership (Epstein, 2011). In the second part of my theoretical framework, I look at the asset-based approach as an additional lens through which to view school-community partnerships.
The asset-based approach
- A departure from the deficit perspective
- Tapping into latent resources
- Identifying and gathering assets
- Sustainability of school-community partnership through asset building
The asset-based approach is important to this study, which seeks to explore an inward-looking school-community partnership. School-community partnership therefore needs to look inwards to start developing itself as one of its choices. After recognizing and mapping the asset base, the process moves on to mobilize them for projects identified by the school-community partnership.
The process of mobilization begins by connecting expertise to improve their effectiveness in strengthening school-community partnership (Hands, 2010; Molloy, et al., 1995). A body of research shows that sustainability is a key feature of inward-looking school-community partnerships (Kilpatrick, et al., 2003; Miller, 2007; . Shapiro, et al., 2010).
CONCLUSION
Research shows that generating and accumulating social capital strengthens school-community collaboration and allows them to continually expand their work in new directions (Eloff & Ebersohn, 2001; Johns, 2003; Ndahayo & Gaikwad, 2004). The effect of the deliberate collaboration of school community partners to interactively improve student performance is clearly described. Much of the literature reviewed focuses on what needs to be done and the importance of factors such as building partnerships between schools and communities.
Most studies fail to explain the processes or transactions required to keep the school-community partnership operational and how to sustain it. Schools attempting to create a school-community partnership will be challenged by what to do after said partnership is established.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
- Introduction
- The interpretivist paradigm
- The research design
- The research setting
- The participants
- Gaining entry
- Data collection instruments
- Observation
- Document analysis
- Data analysis
- Ethical issues
- Trustworthiness
- Limitations
Central to the interpretivist paradigm is the effort to gain an understanding of the subjective reality of human experience (Cohen, et al., 2007). This was the vice-principal, who was the person in charge of communication and the administrative details of the school-community cooperation. Negotiating access to participants is an important part of planning in a case study (Cohen, et al., 2007).
It is about the consistency of the research into the phenomenon (Vithal & Jansen, 2006). Given the sample size, the study was limited to four school staff members and four community members.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
INTRODUCTION
The chapter begins with a background of the environment and the role players before the school-community partnership comes into play. It goes on to describe how the school-community partnership was initiated and examines the role of the core team that initiated the process. Projects that brought the school and the community together, the significance for the school-community partnership and the developmental role they played in the school and the community are then unpacked.
It started with semi-structured interviews, followed by observation of school community activities and concluded with document analysis.
Initiating the school-community partnership
He first met with the landowner who he found to be a visionary willing to support ideas to develop the school. The landowner had been here since 1978 and was chairman of the school committee when the principal arrived. He described how the school was not fenced and that people would use it for nefarious activities at the weekend.
The principal then gathered this core group and told them about his plans to improve the school. This core group would meet regularly from here on out to chart the way forward for the school.
Project One- building two additional classrooms with Rural Foundation
The school-community partnership entered its next phase – one that included a parent component as tuition payers and a community that is informed and supportive of the idea. A rural foundation that joined the school-community partnership immediately rewarded the community's interest in their school. Due to the remoteness of the school, it was not possible for external members to stay permanently after the project.
These would actively participate in the school-community partnership during a project, but leave after the project ends, returning occasionally for support purposes. Some of the old guard who remained reluctantly fell in line as the school gained increased community support.
Project Three- six classrooms with Renaissance Foundation
While the construction of the two classrooms was underway, the principal had started the process of replacing the teachers who started to leave because he was hiring them. He was used to collecting the teachers' checks at the end of the month instead of the liquor account they had opened. The skills learned while building the classrooms were now used in a smaller but important project.
Although the community was initially alarmed by the exodus of the older teachers, they now saw the changes in a positive light and were reassured. While the communication between the school and the new partner took place, a new and.
Project Four- building another school with Renaissance Foundation Mr Bapo said
Project Five- school uniform to school hall
The project was intended to have a multiple effect on the school, the community and two new members who would enter the school-community partnership. The core team, after discussing the issue, came up with a plan to further strengthen the school-community partnership. The school-community partnership was rapidly building the value of its assets while steadily increasing its social capital.
The new member of the school-community partnership is also contributing to improving literacy among students at the school. They bring a mobile library to the school once a term for students and teachers to borrow books.
Project Seven- computers and a computer room
The Chinese group then returned to the school with their donors from China and formalized their partnership with the school. The school now uses only natural pesticides, kraal manure and is trained in subsistence farming. The sponsor said: "We are glad that everyone is involved in this project, including school children".
The members identified a room in a safe part of the school and in turn prepared it by cleaning, painting and storing the thief. The landowner's son worked with the bank to bring in another partner to network computers for the school.
Ongoing projects that provide continuity and sustainability
The most important of these is the garden project which keeps all stakeholders involved in the school-community partnership process on a daily basis. Phuza Wise" is a project started by the school to understand why alcohol abuse is so common in the community. While this project was underway, the school came across old women who could not help themselves, as well as disabled people who had been neglected.
The program was rounded off with a delicious lunch sponsored by the nutrition service provider for the school and community members who attended. For me, it was a celebration of the school-community partnership that richly rewarded the members as they harnessed the young minds entrusted to them to focus on their lives ahead with discipline, respect and learning.
DISCUSSION
- The multi-faceted school-community partnership
- The impact of the school-community partnership .1 Positive influence on teaching and learning
- Leadership
- Communication
- The school’s practice of inclusivity
These themes also reveal what key factors have sustained the school-community partnership over the past twenty-three years. The creation of offices for management staff through a partnership project had a positive impact on teaching and learning according to deputy principal, Ms Bele, "The school management team was able to do their job better. The SBL vice-chairman also contributes to the leadership strength of the school -community partnership.
Zinhle refers to this as 'open communication' and says, "The counselor comes here, we go into the community, parents are. Both programs that I was privileged to observe showed how this school-community partnership has grown and cemented itself through the welcoming attitude of the school.
Conclusion
The school-community partners surveyed reported that they were equally satisfied with whoever initiated school-community partnership projects or ideas. The school is happy to entrust the deputy SGB (the president works and is unavailable during the day) to visit parents at home and encourage them to bring their problems and suggestions to the school. The committee welcomes partners who approach the school and start a project, as was the case with the group.
It was borne out of a need to survive, a home-grown response to challenges faced by a visionary headmaster who partnered with an equally visionary landowner and a core group of community members determined to lead their community and their school to achieve what many still consider impossible today: to improve student achievement, to develop the school and to develop this community. The thread that holds these themes together in this school-community partnership is the principal's support and vision for community involvement and development.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- INTRODUCTION
- Summary
- CONCLUSIONS
- Building social capital and holding its interest
- Positive influence on teaching and learning
- Leadership
- Communication
- The school’s receptiveness and openness to community involvement
- RECOMMENDATIONS
- School and community history
- Initiating the school-community partnership
- Building the school-community partnership
- Goals of the school-community partnership
- Translating the vision and goals into collaborative action 1 How do you go about making things happen?
- Sustaining the school-community partnership
- What makes your school-community partnership successful?
- NAICKER
Staff meetings, SMT meetings and SGB meetings should include progress reports on school-community partnership projects on the agenda. Such a study would explore how the school-community partnership is supported and how it affects teaching and learning. PROVISIONAL INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEW Interview schedule for school-community partnership members.
The purpose of the research is to examine the working partnership between the school and the community in a rural context. The study aims to explore and determine the nature of the school-community partnership and how the partnership is maintained.
REPLY SLIP
PERMISSION GRANTED PERMISSION NOT GRANTED
