Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
This template guides users through the processes of self-reflection, needs determination, and goal setting to develop an overall plan for improving implementation of the School, Family, and Community Partnerships principles and practices described in the Middle School Matters
Research Platform and Field Guide. Users should follow these steps for each principle.
Review evidence (i.e., reliable documentation) and indicate which instructional conditions are already in place. Next, determine the current level of implementation for the principle, according to the rubric below (adapted from Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005). This step helps users determine whether and why implementation of each principle requires improvement.
1.
No Implementation: There is no evidence of implementation of this principle in the school.
2.
Exploration: The decision has been made to implement the principle. Knowledge is being shared about the practices and conditions described. There is no systematic expectation of implementation, nor is there good evidence of it.
3.
Initial Implementation: The principle is beginning to be implemented. There is limited evidence of implementation of the practices.
Some of the conditions described are being met.
4.
Full Implementation: The principle is being implemented. There is strong evidence of implementation of all or almost all of the practices. All or nearly all of the conditions described are being met. There is a system in place for documenting and/or measuring implementation.
5.
Sustainability: The principle is being implemented, and processes are in place for getting new personnel up to speed. There is a system in place for providing feedback and support for improving implementation of the principle.
Classify the school’s types of need and indicate what can be done to address that need (e.g., determine which broad strategies can help). A
knowledge deficit exists when educators are not aware of the principle, nor the research or evidence that supports implementation of the principle. A translation deficit exists when educators need support in translating knowledge about the principle into instructional practice. A
resource deficit exists when there is a lack of systemic support (e.g., time, materials, money, staff) for implementing the principle. Finally, a
feedback deficit exists when educators are not made aware of the quality or success of their own implementation of the principle.
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org

Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
First, develop specific goals for improved implementation of the principles within each content dimension. Make sure to set “SMART” goals that fit the following criteria (adapted from Doran, 1981):

Specific: The goal is clearly stated, not vague, and includes the specific actions to be performed.

Measurable: The goal is evaluable. One can easily identify accomplishment of the goal.

Attainable: The goal is reasonable and can realistically be accomplished in a specific amount of time.

Relevant: The goal is important and produces significant benefit for your students, teachers, school, and other important stakeholders.

Timely: The goal is limited in time and has a due date associated with it.
Here is an example of a SMART goal: “ABC Middle School will conduct a back-to-school night—titled “Parents, an Essential Component”—on
August 8, 2014.”
Continuing current practices would be an appropriate goal for any principle determined to be at level 5 (sustainability). In this case, other principles should be the focus of improvement efforts for the upcoming school year. Schools should consider setting goals for four or fewer principles, per content dimension, in an academic year and looking for areas of alignment across principles and other content dimensions as a means of using resources most effectively and efficiently.
Second, indicate how your school will monitor progress toward goal completion and who is responsible for monitoring progress.
Finally, after developing all implementation goals, identify and describe a specific, measurable outcome at the school, teacher, or student level to achieve as a result of meeting the implementation goals developed for this content dimension. (You will complete this step on the last page of this form.)
Here is an example of a specific student outcome to achieve: “As a result of focusing on the School, Family, and Community Partnerships content dimension, 50% of all available parents will attend ABC Middle School’s end-of-year celebration. ”
Schools should consider using the MSMI Action Plan Template (available at http://www.meadowscenter.org/library/resource/msmiimplementation-plans ) to develop specific steps and deadlines to achieve each implementation goal. Detailed plans with focused effort promote timely goal completion.
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Principle 1: Focus the school-family partnership on communicating to students the importance of high academic and educational aspirations and showing the steps that need to be taken to actualize these aspirations.
Step 1: Self-Reflection
Review
Indicate which sources of evidence you will use to determine whether each practice is in place.
 Lesson plans
 Student assignments and activities
 Classroom observations
 Annual plan or school improvement plan
 School goals
 Student work samples
 Surveys and interviews
Practices
For each practice, select all conditions that have been met, according to the sources of evidence that you reviewed.
 The school provides parents, supportive adults, and students with information on the important role of the middle grades in high school readiness, high school graduation, and postsecondary success.
 The school stresses the importance of attendance and hard work in the middle grades to prepare for the future.
 Information on the importance of attendance, behavior, and course performance is provided to parents, supportive adults, and students at multiple times during the year (start-of-year meeting, report card conferences, and other school events).
 The school provides parents, supportive adults, and students with a set of easy-to-understand benchmarks for high school readiness.
 The school provides parents, supportive adults, and students with information on whether students are on track for high school readiness (missing 5 or fewer days in a year, B or better course performance, and positive academic and healthy behaviors).
 Schools provide parents, supportive adults, and students with information on whether students are off track for high school readiness
(missing 20 or more days in a year, failing core courses, and exhibiting sustained misbehavior).
 Schools provide parents, supportive adults, and students with tips for improvement related to the benchmarks for high school readiness.
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Principle 1: Focus the school-family partnership on communicating to students the importance of high academic and educational aspirations and showing the steps that need to be taken to actualize these aspirations.
 The school has a mechanism to foster parental and supportive adult participation that recognizes their interests but accommodates real-world constraints.
 The school has an action team that includes parents and supportive adults and that focuses on one core goal a year.
 Parents and supportive adults on the action team implement a yearlong action plan that focuses on sustained, clear, and meaningful tasks.
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Principle 1: Focus the school-family partnership on communicating to students the importance of high academic and educational aspirations and showing the steps that need to be taken to actualize these aspirations.
Evidence
Describe the evidence that helped you determine whether each instructional condition had been met.
Current Implementation Level for This Principle _1_
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Principle 1: Focus the school-family partnership on communicating to students the importance of high academic and educational aspirations and showing the steps that need to be taken to actualize these aspirations.
Step 2: Needs Determination
Deficit Types
Based on the evidence on the previous page, indicate the school’s types of need for this principle. Select all that apply.
 Knowledge  Translation  Resource  Feedback
Strategies
Select which (if any) of the following strategies you will use to improve implementation of this principle.
Knowledge:
 Provide professional development
 Add to team or staff meeting agenda
Translation:
 Create organizers or manipulatives as a group
 Review lesson plans
 Review classroom assessments, assignments, or activities
Resource:
 Review instructional programs
 Review curricula
 Review schedule or calendar
Additional Strategies
List any additional strategies you intend to use to improve implementation of this principle.
Feedback:
 Add to observation checklist
 Review school-level or required assessments
Step 3: Goal Setting
Develop specific goals to improve implementation of the principle in the school. Ensure that goals are specific, measureable, attainable,
reasonable, and timely (SMART). After typing each response, press the Tab key.
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Principle 2: Conduct student-need and asset analyses and select community partners and supports based on student need. Design and manage a plan to link community supports to success in school and use common metrics to gauge their impact.
Step 1: Self-Reflection
Review
Indicate which sources of evidence you will use to determine whether each practice is in place.
 Lesson plans
 Student assignments and activities


Classroom observations
Annual plan or school improvement plan
 School goals
 Student work samples
 Surveys and interviews
Practices
For each practice, select all conditions that have been met, according to the evidence that you reviewed.
 The school selects support programs based on an analysis of student needs.
 Community support organizations are held to common outcomes, aligning the impacts of each program against a common set of metrics linked to student success in school.
 The school maintains on-site, in-school coordination of community support programs.
 The school monitors and evaluates community support programs for student participation.
 The school monitors and evaluates community support programs for impact on student outcomes.
 The school monitors and evaluates community support programs to ensure that the right students receive the right support with the intensity required.
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Principle 2: Conduct student-need and asset analyses and select community partners and supports based on student need. Design and manage a plan to link community supports to success in school and use common metrics to gauge their impact.
Evidence
Describe the evidence that helped you determine whether each instructional condition had been met.
Current Implementation Level for This Principle _1_
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Principle 2: Conduct student-need and asset analyses and select community partners and supports based on student need. Design and manage a plan to link community supports to success in school and use common metrics to gauge their impact.
Step 2: Needs Determination
Deficit Types
Based on the evidence on the previous page, indicate the school’s types of need for this principle. Select all that apply.
 Knowledge  Translation  Resource  Feedback
Strategies
Select which (if any) of the following strategies you will use to improve implementation of this principle.
Knowledge:
 Provide professional development
 Add to team or staff meeting agenda
Translation:
 Create organizers or manipulatives as a group
 Review lesson plans
 Review classroom assessments, assignments, or activities
Resource:
 Review instructional programs
 Review curricula
 Review schedule or calendar
Additional Strategies
List any additional strategies you intend to use to improve implementation of this principle.
Feedback:
 Add to observation checklist
 Review school-level or required assessments
Step 3: Goal Setting
Develop specific goals to improve implementation of the principle in the school. Ensure that goals are specific, measureable, attainable,
reasonable, and timely (SMART). After typing each response, press the Tab key.
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Implementation Goal Summary
Principle 1: Focus the school-family partnership on communicating to students the importance of high academic and
Implementation Goal
Method for
Monitoring Progress
Person Responsible for Monitoring
Progress
Principle 2: Conduct student-need and asset analyses and select community partners and supports based on student
Implementation Goal
Method for
Monitoring Progress
Person Responsible for Monitoring
Progress
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
10

Content Dimension: School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Identify and describe a specific, measurable outcome at the school, teacher, or student level to achieve as a result of meeting the implementation goals developed for this content dimension.
Outcome
Method for
Monitoring Progress
Person Responsible for Monitoring
Progress
Middle School Matters Institute, 2014
An initiative of the George W. Bush Institute in partnership with The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk www.middleschoolinstitute.org
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