For decades research findings have suggested the important role families have in their child’s learning and development (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Sheridan et al., 2019). The purpose of this brief is to describe defining features of family-school partnerships, review research that supports family-school partnerships, and identify how family-school partnerships can be aligned and integrated in school mental health systems and practices.
Family-school partnerships are relationships wherein parents and school professionals work together to promote children’s learning and development (Garbacz et al., 2020). Family-school partnerships are distinguished by the following defining features: collaboration, multi-directional communication, shared decision making, co-equal roles, and commitment to positive student outcomes (Garbacz, Minch, et al., 2020). Each of these features occurs along a continuum with the goal to continually working toward authentic partnerships between parents and school professionals. Throughout the relationship, there are times when a parent might take the lead and times when a school professional might take the lead.
There are many elements of each defining feature of family-school partnerships. Collaboration refers to family members and school professionals working together to achieve outcomes that are mutually determined. Multi-directional communication suggests that there are multiple and varied ways for families and school professionals to share information back-and-forth. Shared decision-making means that families and school professionals make decisions together through a transparent process, with outcomes communicated to all parties. In family-school partnerships, parents and school professionals have co-equal roles, sharing power and influence. While hierarchies are acknowledged, efforts are made to eliminate them (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001).