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The School Community Partnership was created to address student attendance, motivation and to improve school climate. Sheldon (2007) notes that school, family and community partnerships are associated with improved student attendance.  Sanders and Harvey (2002) conclude that “communities play a vital role in the school improvement process” (p. 1367). Partnering with the community supports and enhances the school’s efforts toward improving student outcomes.

Community partners included parents, local businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental/military groups and churches.  The SCP program enabled the school to acquire books for classroom libraries, provide incentives for student achievement, backpack meals for students in need, speakers for parent workshops and representatives to participate in Career Day.

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The theme for the School Community Partnership is
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN!
These partnerships are instrumental in supporting the school's efforts to improve the climate, improve student engagement and learning outcomes for all students (Sanders & Harvey, 2002).

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When working  with community partners we must define the educational purpose of the relationship, state the benefits expected, identify any monetary gains and how they will be allocated.
To ensure student privacy and safety no personal information about students will be given to any community partners.  Further, any community partners in direct contact with students will provide certification that they have not been convicted of any physical or sexual abuse of children.
Following these policies ensures the safety of our students. Also, it maintains that the focus of the partnership is for educational purposes.

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Our school improvement team identified three areas to address: student engagement, student achievement and community support for the school.
The team believed that if the school were able to partner with the community to provide support support for student learning and well-being, it would indicate to students that the community values their education and wants them to be successful.  Knowing that others outside the school are concerned with their achievement will encourage students to be more motivated.  Sheldon (2007) states, " implementing a school-wide approach to family and community involvement may help students perform better on standardized achievement tests, decrease the likelihood of students dropping out of school, and reduce the likelihood that students use tobacco, alcohol, or illegal " (p. 273).

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Our school improvement team wrote letters to government / military organizations, local businesses, non-profit organizations and churches in the community to see their support.  In addition notices seeking community partners were posted on the school website, Facebook page, and Twitter.  The PTA and School Board made announcements at their meetings.  Finally, teachers and parents worked together to do a community walk, where they personally visited local businesses and groups to enlist their support and to discuss ways in which they might support the school's efforts to make improvements in the climate and student outcomes.
Our team presented potential community partners with specific needs for books to build classroom libraries, easy meal items for our students in poverty to take home for weekend nutritional support, financial support for specific events to recognize student academic achievement, and invitations for community members to visit the school.

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Our school invites the community into the school for its annual Open House prior to the start of the school year.  This event provides tours of the building, the opportunity to meet teachers and administrators and learn about the programs we offer.
We hold an annual art show where the community is invited to view the work of our talented students.
The community is encouraged to attend sporting events, concerts, and plays.
Together with community partners we hold a spring Home Show where vendors and school groups showcase home and garden information and sell items to the public.
In October, the school and community partner to hold the Fall Festival with a parade, and a bazaar on the high school grounds.

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According to Moore (2016), there are two basic reasons for developing a school–community partnership program.  First is to support student achievement by improving the school climate and involving parents and community partners. Second, is to keep the community informed with current information which leads to support of the school, including financial support.
To keep the community informed news will be made available on the school website, the school Facebook page and Twitter feed. Also information will be channeled to news media. Word of mouth is an important part of sharing news and information as parents and community members have conversations with friends and families.

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Moore, E. H. (2016). School and Community Relations, The, 11th Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133985962/

Sanders, M.G. & Harvey A. (2002). Beyond the school walls: A case study of principal leadership for school-community collaboration. Teachers College Record 104(7), 1345-1368. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mavis_Sanders/publication/249400287_Beyond_the_School_Walls_A_Case_Study_of_Principal_Leadership_for_School-Community_Collaboration/links/5a0899a20f7e9b68229ccdfb/Beyond-the-School-Walls-A-Case-Study-of-Principal-Leadership-for-School-Community-Collaboration.pdf

Sheldon, S. (2007). Improving student attendance with school, family, and community partnerships. Journal of Educational Research100(5), 267-276. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=25289570&S=R&D=a9h&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeprE4yOvsOLCmr1Cep7JSsKm4TbSWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGvrkmvqLNMuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA