This report presents the findings from an evaluation carried out in 2006–7 on the Home-school Partnerships: Literacy programme (HSP:L). This programme was designed to meet one of the Ministry of Education’s priorities to strengthen children’s learning and achievement by involving parents in their learning. It began as a Pasifika initiative by engaging parents in their children’s literacy learning by offering sessions in their first language, but has since been broadened in concept to involve all parents in a school’s community.
The focus of the evaluation was concerned with four key aspects of the HSP:L programme:
- How schools went about implementing the programme;
- The nature of the partnerships between parents/whänau and schools that have evolved as a result of the HSP:L programme;
- The literacy impacts of the programme on students, parent’s understandings, and teacher’s literacy programmes; and
- Issues concerning sustainability of home-school partnerships in schools that have completed the programme.
The process of evaluation included interviewing focus groups of teachers, parents and students at six case study schools, as well as lead parents, lead teachers and principals to obtain qualitative, in-depth information. As well, quantitative data was obtained from a national survey which was sent to all the schools that had been involved in the HSP:L programme since 2001. This combined approach has enabled an evaluation of the big picture of the HSP:L field, as well as a closer examination of the issues that have emerged.