Broad Creek Middle School, Carteret, NC
The Real D.E.A.L. Schools
http://www.governor.state.nc.us/Office/Education/_pdf/RealDeal_Booklet.pdf
Broad Creek Middle School is one of eight schools honored by North Carolina Governor Mike Easley as a school that leads the state in both student achievement and teacher working conditions. Parental involvement and volunteers are an integral part of the school’s success. Volunteer programs include tutoring, mentoring and a partnership with a group of local marines.

Get Parents Involved: When Mom and Dad Come to Class, Kids Do Better
Seville, Michael. (2005). Edutopia.
http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=art_1310&issue=jun_05
This article describes a program at Christa McAuliffe Elementary, a public school in Silicon Valley, which requires parents to become involved in the school as volunteers. Parents lead lessons based on their personal expertise, act as chaperones on field trips, or provide administrative or technological support after the school day. They also attend a training program that helps parents make active contributions to their children’s schooling.

Grandparents Helping in the Classroom
Christian Science Monitor, March 9, 2006
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0309/p08s02-comv.html?s=hns%20
In this editorial, the Christian Science Monitor reports the mutual benefits experienced by seniors and students when older Americans volunteer in the classroom. Since there will be a dramatic increase in the number of Americans over the age of 65 in the next 15 years, the potential impact of this group is great. The article reports on a recent study of volunteers from Experience Corp in Baltimore and discusses the cost effectiveness of such a program.

10 Things Grandparents and Other Concerned Citizens Can Do to be More Involved
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/involvement/10thingsgrandparent.html
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction describes ten ways in which grandparents and other citizens without children in school can become more involved in education. Suggestions include volunteering in schools as a tutor or mentor, helping children to take advantage of educational resources in the community, and supporting social services that help all children.

Community Partnership Resource Page
The George Lucas Educational Foundation. 
http://www.glef.org/php/keyword.php?id=189
This webpage provides a variety of resources from the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) on school and community partnerships.  It includes articles describing programs in specific school districts and research on the importance of community involvement in general.

What do we mean by “family and community connections with schools? 
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL).  (2002, November). Research Brief.
http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/rb/research-brief1.pdf
This short brief explains that there are many different forms of school-community involvement and emphasizes the need to clarify each group’s understanding of and expectations for such partnerships.  It includes a series of guiding questions to help schools, parents, and community groups decide which type of partnerships to pursue and provides additional references for related research.

What is a Partnership Program?
National Network for Partnership Schools. 
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/program2.htm
This page highlights six types of involvement for partnership programs, summarizing recommendations from the book Schools, Family, and Community Partnership: Your Handbook for Action (Epstein, 1997).  The six types of involvement are parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community.  For each type, the website briefly lists sample practices, challenges and redefinitions, and results.