Course Description
Families and their relationship with schools and communities, with consideration of how historical events related to issues of diversity impact these relationships. Implications for selected areas of practice, including school counseling, teaching, community development, and advocacy, are emphasized.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be required to read more extensively
and to demonstrate their ability to integrate, synthesize, and
critique course materials through more extensive essay exams, an
applied project, or a written paper, all of which will be beyond
the requirements for undergraduates.
Athena Title
Families Schools and Community
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in HDFS 5150, ETAP 5150 or HDFS 7150, ETAP 7150
Undergraduate Prerequisite
HDFS 2100 or HDFS 2100E or HDFS 2100H
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. Students will use Ecological Systems theory to assess diverse multicultural contexts on family, school, and community influences on education through real-life examples with a community partner. 2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of social determinants influencing education on life outcomes and trajectories of individuals and present these findings to an appropriate audience, including a community partner. 3. Students will reflect on and consider differences in access to resources in family systems on the educational choices and outcomes of individuals, families, and communities. 4. Students will examine educational policies and trends impacting family-school relations. 5. Students will examine sociological and educational inequities in the community through a service-learning approach that includes reflection. The students will develop a product working with youth, families, and/or community organizations.
Topical Outline
I. Theoretical Orientations A. Ecological Systems Theory B. Life Course Theory C. Service-Learning Philosophy and Approach II. Overview of Education in the United States A. History of Education in the U.S. with Consideration to Race and Class B. Schools and Learning Environments a. Public/Private Schools (including charter and magnet schools) with Variation Among Geography, Race, and Class b. Curriculum and Standards III. Community and Schools A. Leveraging Resources B. Supporting Families with Regard to Race and SES C. Positive Youth Development IV. Benefits, Goals, and Challenges Associated with Family Involvement V. Family Empowerment VI. Organizing Family Involvement Activities Around Family Roles VII. Working with Diverse Families for Success in Educational Persistence and Attainment VIII. Family Involvement Strategies IX. Controversies in Education A. Higher Education for All? B. Vocational and Career Readiness C. Early Childhood Education Programs D. School Choice E. Physical Education and School Lunch Programs F. Comprehensive Sexuality Education G. School-to-Prison Pipeline H. Supporting High School Completion with Consideration to Race and Class I. Out-of-School and Informal Learning to Support Vulnerable and Underserved Families
Syllabus