Families, Students, and Community Organizations: From School Improvement to Racial Equity and Educational Justice

This chapter considers the role of families, students, and community organizations in influencing education policy and practice in the United States. The authors focus their review on participation among students, families, and organizations in low-income communities and communities of color to address equity concerns in public education. They present a comprehensive review of the literature and trace the development of the field over the past 25 years, which they argue has moved from a focus on improving schools to a focus on transforming educational systems for racial equity and educational justice, although these objectives are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They start with a brief historical perspective and then concentrate on the past 25 years to document this trend. 

Keywords: family community partnerships; community organizing; educational justice; advocacy; youth voice