Principals Matter: A Guide to School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Research has shown that strong principal leadership is critical to developing effective school partnerships that include diverse school, family and community members. This book provides administrators with a clear road map for initiating partnership programs that are goal-focused, equitable, and sustainable.
In this research-based resource, the authors highlight the work of principals who have cultivated successful partnerships across many settings to show other school leaders how they can develop the necessary supportive school cultures. Examining the administrator's role in the success and quality of home-school partnerships and student outcomes, this guidebook:

• Synthesizes research on principal leadership, school and community partnerships, and urban education reform
• Discusses the role of fathers in children’s learning and working with families that live in poverty, are linguistically diverse, or have children with disabilities
• Offers practical recommendations for evaluating and refining partnership programs to ensure they are linked with student achievement goals

Mavis G. Sanders is assistant professor of education in the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education, research scientist at the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), and senior advisor to the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Steven B. Sheldon is a research scientist with the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships and director of research of NNPS at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of many publications on the implementation and effects of programs for family and community involvement. His work explores how the quality and outreach of school programs of partnerships affect parents’ responses and student outcomes, such as student attendance, math achievement, student behavior, reading, and state achievement test scores. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.