How can improving school, family, and community connections help my class?
	How do I get started using the partnership program?
	What kind of activities can be supported in a partnership program?
	What are some challenges I might face?
	How do I assess progress in developing better connections between my school and the community?
	How can technology be used to improve family and community involvement with schools?

How can improving school, family, and community connections help my class?

Kathy Giglio, a biology teacher at the Brighton High School, Rochester, New York, talks about involving parents in designing a new biology program.

When parents are actively involved in their children's education, the results may include improved attendance, higher report card grades, increased class participation, and higher quality of student questions, classwork, homework, and projects.

When teachers are involved in partnerships with parents, contact between parents and teachers does not occur only when there are problems. Teachers also design systems to help parents monitor homework, interact with their children about schoolwork, curriculum-related decisions, and course choices, and encourage learning at home.

Improved communication between parents and teachers also leads to a whole range of new ideas and resources becoming available to the school -- from experts for interviews to field trip ideas and other resources.