School+Family Alliance - A Holistic Approach to Tackle Learning Disadvantage through School-Family Collaboration

School+Family Alliance – A Holistic Approach to Tackle Learning Disadvantage through School-Family Collaboration
EU Programme: Erasmus+ KA2 Cooperation Partnership, School Education
Reference: 2022-1-BG01-KA220-SCH-000088314
Start date: 09/01/2022
End date: 31/08/2025

The project’s primary objective is to address a pressing issue in Europe: the high rate of early school dropout among students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those with low socio-economic status, migrant/refugee backgrounds, and Roma origins. This problem arises from a complex interplay of personal, social, economic, cultural, educational, and familial factors and often leads to cumulative disadvantages. As adults, they continue to face persistent and enduring disadvantages in terms of their participation in the social, economic, and cultural aspects of society, which ultimately results in their exclusion.

It is crucial to address the underlying causes of early school leaving, with a particular focus on the role of the family. The School+Family Alliance project seeks to bring about a substantial shift in the current landscape, transforming the notion of family-school cooperation from a mere aspiration into a tangible reality. The goal is to establish a new paradigm where the responsibility for supporting disadvantaged students is shared by the entire school community, with a particular emphasis on involving the students’ families.

Objectives

To reduce the number of students who leave school prematurely, due to obstacles related to the disadvantaged socio-economic background of their family
To achieve effective parental involvement in the educational process of these students by designing and implementing a whole school approach with the active involvement of teachers, thus promoting inclusive education across Europe
To integrate excellence in education for disadvantaged learners with high prospects of leaving education prematurely

Activities

Designing a comprehensive model for school education and training interventions for parents and teachers.
Delivering workshops training parents on the ways to better interact with the school environment and to effectively engage into the educational processes.
Implementing seminars training teachers on the best ways to approach, interact and engage parents, especially the disadvantaged ones, in the support of their students.

Resources

School+Family Alliance Strategy: Guidelines and Action Plans: an analytic prescription on how schools can develop and implement a comprehensive school wide reform that aims to actively involve parents in the educational pathway of their children.
School+Family Alliance Educational Support: training curricula and educational materials to be implemented for the training interventions for parents and teachers.
The School+Family Alliance Paradigm: a comprehensive approach for the successful future transfer of the project experience to other schools throughout Europe.

Results

Teachers’ acquired skills and competences to cooperate with the parents of their disadvantaged students and will become familiarised with methodologies, tools and initiatives to build a strong family – school relationship.
Parents’ changed attitudes towards their role in the educational progress of their children and the role of the school as a partner for the educational and socio-psychological support of their children. They also gained skills and competences to contribute to a positive school- family relationship.
Participating schools became more welcoming and inclusive environments for all students, especially those who face difficulties in participating in education, and for all parents who wish to be an active part of their children’s educational experience.

Co-experts

Disadvantaged students: students who encounter hindrances to excelling in school because of detrimental circumstances such as financial and social hardships as well as problems within their families.
Disadvantaged parents with school-aged children: parents with low socio-economic standing encountering structural disadvantage.
Teachers, school communities and school systems.

Partnership