Step 1: Form a Team

What is an FSCP Team?

Teamwork is essential for implementing excelling programs of family, school, and community partnerships. A team approach creates sustainability, ensuring that no matter what challenges or changes arise, the partnership work is integrated and long lasting. The FSCP Team manages the planning, implementing, evaluating, and continual improvement of the school’s partnership program to improve student success (Epstein, 2019). This includes:

writing an annual plan;
reviewing the school's goals;
selecting, designing, implementing, and evaluating partnership activities; and
using data and research to improve practices of family and community involvement.

The team takes a leadership role in creating a partnership program that engages all families. The team may be the School Accountability Committee (SAC), a subcommittee of the SAC, or, less ideal, a team on its own with at least one member also on the SAC to act as a bridge between the two.

Who is on the FSCP Team?

Teams consist of school leaders, teachers/staff, families, community partners, and at the secondary level, students. The ideal team consists of 6-12 or more members, with at least two teachers, two family members, an administrator, and others in the school and community with important connections to students (Epstein, 2019). These guidelines can and should be adapted according to school size. Small schools will have smaller teams. Large high schools may have both a parent and a teacher representative from each grade level.

The team will select a chair or co-chairs – generally not the principal and ideally co-chair by a parent and a teacher. The FSCP Team is an opportunity to put teachers, families, and/or community representatives in positions of leadership to develop capacity. However, the team is accountable to the principal, who should be a member of the team. This can help the team’s focus on school improvement goals. The principal should share a vision for equitable partnerships, reinforce the school’s commitment to partnerships, and help teachers/staff continually improve their partnership practices.

icon of four people labeled as school, family, student, and community

What Does the FSCP Team Do?

The FSCP Team writes an annual plan linked to the school's UIP; implements, delegates, and coordinates activities; monitors progress; solves problems; publicizes activities; and reports on the school’s partnership program to the SAC and others (Epstein, 2019). The one-year action plan should build on the foundation of the Four Essential Elements of Colorado's P-12 FSCP Framework and include promising partnership activities. The FSCP Team also:

Focuses on specific school improvement goals and uses a framework.
Identifies the budget and resources that will support the action plan.
Meets monthly.
Celebrates excelling partnership programs and practices.
Evaluates progress to improve implementation.
Replaces members who leave to ensure the work is sustainable.
Archives previous activities.
Reports progress to the SAC.
Works with a district employee to share progress reports with the Superintendent and/or board.

Resources for FSCP Teams

Action Team for Partnership Structure (PDF)
Based on resources from the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University, this activity page will be useful for schools that decide to form an Action Team for Partnerships in their school.
Family, School, and Community Partnering Team Tracker (PDF)
This Team Tracker helps school personnel identify which teams within the school building already address family engagement goals and requirements.
Ten Steps to Success (PDF)
Reviews ten basic steps for creating a successful program of family, school, and community partnerships in any school.
What Do Successful Action Teams for Partnerships Do? (PDF)
This document lists the the qualities that help a FSCP Team succeed in leading the school's partnership program.
Checklist: Are You Ready? (PDF)
FSCP Teams can use this checklist to keep track of their progress in initiating a FSCP program.

Step 2: Follow a Framework