Chapter 1: The Power and Potential of Community-Based Approaches to Educational Change

In April 2014, Arne Duncan, the U.S. secretary of education, announced the release of the Department of Education’s new Dual Capacity Building Framework for Family–School Partnerships at the National Family Engagement Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. This event and Duncan’s announcement were significant for several reasons. First, the large and widespread gathering of scholars, practitioners, and school leaders who are interested in the work on family, school, and community partnerships demonstrated how far the field has come since Don Davies, Joyce Epstein, and others highlighted the importance of this work in the 1970s and 1980s. Second, the continued and expanding interest of the federal government in policy related to family engagement signaled that an emphasis on community and family partnerships is a permanent factor, not just a passing educational fad. Finally, the content of the framework and its emphasis on authentic partnerships and shared accountability suggest that the field continues to evolve in significant ways that will challenge both educators and families.