New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards - Home, School, and Community Partnerships

Aug 31, 2026

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New Jersey’s preschool Teaching and Learning Standards set a framework for building strong home, school, and community partnerships that support shared goals for children. The standards emphasize trust, respect, and ongoing two-way communication, recognizing families as experts on their children and honoring the culture and diversity of each household. Program governance includes family participation, accessible informational resources, family education opportunities, and regular documentation of children’s progress, supported through conferences, visits, and multilingual, plain-language materials.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatDOCX

Pages287

Reading Time1 h 40 min

AccessFree to download

Home, School, and Community Partnerships

Governance and Structure

Culture and Diversity

Communication

Community Resources and Partnerships

New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards [2014] 2026 [Home, School, and Community Partnerships] (Note: Section moved to appendix.) [Introduction Supportive preschool partnerships help create the kind of environment in which families, schools, and the community work together to achieve and sustain shared goals for children. A well-defined preschool education plan should incorporate a wide range of family involvement and family educational opportunities to foster such partnerships. Trust and respect are essential to building collaborative relationships between school staff and families. An integral component of the partnership is recognition of families as the experts about their children. The program and its staff must always show respect for the child, the family, and the culture of the home. In addition, ongoing communication helps ensure that appropriate and effective learning opportunities are available to children at home and in school. The give and take inherent in these relationships promotes both the school’s and the family’s understanding of the child. The family involvement guidelines of the National Association for the Education of Young Children guidelines emphasize the importance of the family/school partnership, particularly when it comes to acquiring knowledge of young learners: “The younger the child, the more necessary it is for professionals to acquire this knowledge through relationships with children’s families.” Outlined below is a well-defined plan for establishing and nurturing reciprocal relationships with families and the community. Governance and Structure The preschool program design provides structure and policies that encourage and support partnerships between the home and school. In particular: Family members are involved in aspects of program design and governance (e.g., advisory councils and school leadership/management teams). Opportunities are provided for preschool staff and families to develop the skills necessary to actively and effectively participate in the governance process (e.g., workshops offered by the program, seminars sponsored by the Department of Education, speakers and activities sponsored by colleges and universities and/or child advocacy organizations). Advisory council meetings and parent programs are held at times that are conducive to family participation (i.e., activities are not always scheduled during the day, when most people are at work). Program policies actively encourage and support family involvement (e.g., family members are welcomed as volunteers in the classroom and other areas of the program, family members are encouraged to observe in classrooms, family members see and interact with program administrators formally and informally). Culture and Diversity The preschool program design ensures recognition and respect for culture and diversity. In particular: • Classroom materials reflect the characteristics, values, and practices of diverse cultural groups (e.g., books are available in a variety of languages; artwork reflects a broad spectrum of races, cultures, and ages, both boys and girls, and diverse lifestyles, careers, locations, and climates). • Cultural and religious practices are acknowledged and respected throughout the year (e.g., absences for religious holidays are allowed, dietary restrictions are respected, culturally driven reasons for nonparticipation in some school activities are honored). • The uniqueness of each family is recognized and respected by all members of the school community (e.g., language, dress, structure, customs). • Cultural traditions are shared in the classroom and throughout the program (e.g., pictures of specific cultural activities that children participated in are displayed in the classroom). Communication The preschool program design provides a two-way system of communication that is open and easily accessible, and in which families and community representatives are valued as resources and decision-makers. In par

FAQs

Why are home, school, and community partnerships emphasized in the standards?

Supportive preschool partnerships help families, schools, and communities work together to achieve and sustain shared goals for children. They also strengthen the learning environment through reciprocal involvement and understanding.

How do the standards define the role of families in preschool governance?

Family members are involved in program design and governance through structures such as advisory councils and leadership teams. Staff also provide opportunities such as workshops and seminars so families can actively participate.

What communication practices are required to support two-way information flow?

The standards call for program information in lay terms and in the language most comfortable for each family, using multiple presentation strategies. They also include ongoing updates, family education topics, and solicitations about children’s progress through home visits, conferences, and other regular contacts.

Aug 31, 2026

Upload by Kyle