A practical, hands-on primer on helping schools and families work better together to improve children's education.
Countless studies demonstrate that students with parents actively involved in their education at home and school are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher- level programs, graduate from high school, and go on to post-secondary education. Beyond the Bake Sale shows how to form these essential partnerships and how to make them work.
First published by the National Committee for Citizens in Education in 1986, Beyond the Bake Sale went on to sell more than 50,000 copies in nine editions. Packed with tips from principals and teachers, checklists, and an invaluable resource section, this updated and substantially expanded edition reveals how to build strong collaborative relationships and offers practical advice for improving interactions between parents and teachers, from insuring that PTA groups are constructive and inclusive to navigating the complex issues surrounding diversity in the classroom.
Written with candor, clarity, and humor, Beyond the Bake Sale is essential reading for teachers, parents on the front lines in public schools, and administrators and policy makers at all levels.
Includes answers to these questions:
What is a family-school partnership supposed to look like?
How can schools and families build trust instead of blaming each other?
How can involving parents help raise students' test scores?
How can teachers relate to families who don't share their culture and values?
Industry Reviews
"Beyond the Bake Sale provides compelling, practical ways to collaborate in building the partnerships necessary to create a culture of learning and achievement. It will become the seminal reference for school districts and schools that are serious about family and community engagement."
-Thomas W. Payzant, Senior Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
"Beyond the Bake Sale emphatically reminds us that the missing ingredient in closing the gaps in achievement is heaping measures of community and family involvement. In this one-of-a-kind book, even the most savvy experts will find novel advice and useful tools, surveys, sample school policies, checklists, and strategies."
-Wendy D. Puriefoy, president, Public Education Network, Washington, D.C.
"This outstanding resource recognizes and builds upon assets that parents and communities bring in creating partnerships for children's school success-rich in examples that help schools acknowledge the cultural strengths of families, and their important contribution to teaching and learning."
-Dr. Rosana G. Rodriguez, Director of Community and Public Engagement, Intercultural Development Research Association, Austin, Texas
