School Family Community Partnership (SFCP) Background 

During the winter of the 1995-96 school year, a focus group of parents and community members met to discuss how the District 203 staff could improve communication between our schools, families and community members.  A recommendation from the focus group suggested a need for more parent involvement in our schools.  As a result, the District researched different Parent Involvement models throughout school districts in the U.S.

Representatives attended a seminar at The Institute for Development of Education Activities where they were introduced to the Joyce Epstein Framework of Six Types of Involvement as a foundation to promote better parent involvement in our district.

District 203 adopted this model and the Parent Involvement Core Team (or School Family Community Partnership as it is now called) was initiated during the summer of 1996.  SFCP teams at the individual schools were organized during the fall of 1996.  Today, there are over 260 parents, teachers, administrators and community members actively involved in this initiative across our 21 schools sponsoring 100+ individual programs.

Since the start of this initiative, many of our schools' best practices have been featured in the National Network of Partnership Schools annual Promising Partnership Practices book.  In addition, three of our schools have received the National Network's Partnership School Award for Excellence and the District Core Team has received the Network's District Award for Excellence four years in a row.