The Influence of Local Conditions on Social Service Partnerships, Parent Involvement, and Community Engagement in Neighborhood Schools

Abstract

By using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping software to combine health and crime data with data from 20 schools in one Southeastern district, the study explores whether and how neighborhood conditions affect school-community arrangements. Findings show that the nature of the relationships and the strategies principals and teachers use to partner with social service organizations, encourage parental involvement, and engage with the community, in particular, are influenced by the conditions of the neighborhood in which schools sit. The implications for theory development, policy, and practice are discussed as are ideas for future research.