Donna Walker James and Glenda Partee, American Youth Policy Forum
September 2003
Since the seminal works of Daniel P. Moynihan and James Coleman in the 1960s, it has been understood that there is a clear and positive relationship between family involvement and positive outcomes for children and youth. For the authors of this 152-page report, sponsored by McKnight Foundation, positive outcomes include higher student grades and test scores, better attendance, more homework done, fewer special-ed placements, more positive attitudes and behavior, higher graduation rates and greater college enrollment. Strong families breed better students than do weak families. Trying to build on this truth, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Workforce Investment Act, and other federal laws now "require" family involvement in both school and youth programs. In offering guidance for turning federal requirements into reality, the authors assert that "young people should not be treated as 'islands' by schools and youth programs, separate from the context of their families and neighborhoods." "No More Islands" describes 27 school and youth programs, showing how they involve families in decisions and activities that impact on children's learning and well-being. These 27 programs employed four main (and rather obvious) family involvement strategies, including: communicating with families and reinforcing program goals; designating staff to coordinate with families and professional development; designing and implementing family member-related services and activities; and expanding family roles and relationships. In sum, the report encourages schools and youth programs, and those who support them, to see family involvement as an asset to build upon on rather than to ignore or discourage. To read the report, surf to http://www.aypf.org/publications/nomoreisle/index.htm.
