Home-School Partnerships and Outcome Measures

Abstract

The concept of home-school partnerships is widely accepted as being important for student success. How this concept can be quantified in a more equitable and valid way, specifically through the lens of the Resource Teachers of Learning and
Behaviour (RTLB), is the focus of this inquiry. RTLB and parent surveys, plus a questionnaire answered by the Ministry of Education (MOE), found the current measuring practices lacking in validity and equity. It is suggested that, rather than a single outcome measure being the focus for the Ministry of Education to gauge the impact of an RTLB intervention on
the home-school partnership, an intervention to strengthen this relationship between home and school would be more equitable and robust. It also concludes that national consistency of practice, a shared understanding of what indicators could be
present in a powerful partnership, and the intended use of the data, would benefit the validity of the outcome data.