A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement

This report from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools examines the literature on the effects of school, parent, and community connections on student achievement. Although the report includes students in all grade levels, the authors identify studies and report findings that are specific to high school students. The studies fall into three broad categories: (a) the impact of family and community involvement on achievement; (b) effective strategies for connecting school, families; and communities; and (c) organizational efforts of parents and the community to improve schools. Results suggest that students benefit from family and community involvement. Benefits include higher GPAs, better attendance, and improved behavior at home and school. The authors note that the positive results occur when family involvement is accompanied by additional factors, such as high standards and expectations, focused professional development, and effective leadership. The report also describes characteristics of programs that are successful at engaging families and communities and provides recommendations to aid stakeholders in the practical implementation of the findings.