innovative home-school communication practices

8th ERNAPE CONFERENCE MILANO 2011
ISBN 978-88-96026-74-8
INNOVATIVE HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
PRACTICES
Catherine Dumoulin, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Canada
Pascale Thériault, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Canada
Traditional home-school communication practices typically reach few parents from
underprivileged backgrounds (Gagnon, Bilodeau & Bélanger, 2006; Lévesque &
Dumoulin, 2009). This project aimed to implement innovative practices for
developing closer communication between home and school. First, the school board
formed a committee composed of academic researchers as well as community and
government partners. The committee designed and implemented activities to improve
home and school communication (Cowan, Swearer Napolitano & Sheridan, 2004;
Deslandes, 2004; Epstein, 2009, 2010). These activities were proposed to four
elementary school staff members including teachers and school directors. Data show
that schools have implemented new home-school communication practices such as:
1) adapting written material from school to the reading abilities of low
socioeconomic/underprivileged parents, 2) providing a secure, confidential method
of contacting parents via phone, 3) engaging pupils in writing home-school notes, 4)
diversifying types of communication (e.g., web based), 5) involving more school
staff members in communication practices, 6) creating welcoming schools, etc.
Finally, a questionnaire validated by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du
Sport du Québec entitled “Bringing families and elementary schools closer together”
http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/ecolemontrealaise/Rapprocher_fam_prim.htm)
completed by about a hundred parents revealed a high level of parents’ satisfaction as
regards these latest innovative practices.
References:
Cowan, J.R., Swearer Napolitano, S. and Sheridan, S.M. (2004). Home-School
Collaboration. In C. D. Spielberger (Editor-in-Chief): Encyclopedia of Applied
Pscyhology, Oxford: Elsevie/Academic Press, vol. 2, 201-208.
Deslandes, R. (2004). « Collaboration famille-école-communauté pour une inclusion
réussie. » In N. Rousseau et S. Bélanger (Dir.): La pédagogie de l’inclusion
scolaire, Presses de l’Université du Québec, 326-346.
Epstein, L.J. (2009). School, family, and community partnerships : your handbook
for action. (3rd ed.), Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.
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8th ERNAPE CONFERENCE MILANO 2011
ISBN 978-88-96026-74-8
Epstein, L.J. (2010). School family and community partnerships: preparing educators
and improving schools. (2nd ed.), Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press.
Gagnon, F., Bilodeau, A. and Bélanger, J. (2006). La collaboration école-famillecommunauté et les mesures innovantes de soutien à la réussite scolaire en milieux
défavorisés : le cas Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Montréal : Québec.
Gouvernement du Québec. (2004). Bringing families and elementary schools closer
together. Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport. Montréal : Québec.
Lévesque, P. and Dumoulin, C. (2009). Innover et rassembler pour accroître
l’expertise du personnel enseignant en matière d’intervention éducative en milieu
défavorisé. Paper presented at the Carrefour national de l’insertion
professionnelle en enseignement (CNIPE). Centre des Congrès Sheraton Laval, 30
avril au 1er mai 2009, Montréal : Québec. 60.
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