8.8 Conclusion

Educational research has provided compelling evidence to demonstrate the powerful effects that families and communities can have in promoting student success in school. In the light of this research, many schools have sought to find ways to build collaborative relationships with parents, individually and collectively, and to work toward realizing a true educational partnership between home and school. Such efforts have often involved a painful struggle to overcome deeply ingrained suspicions on both sides. Yet despite the fact that co-operation has often proven to be a fragile state of affairs, working effectively with families and the community remains one of the critical elements of the work of today’s teacher and school administrator.