EDAS 646 School-Community Relations

Concepts and specific techniques in school-community relations involving the development and maintenance of purposeful programs of communication and collaboration between school personnel and the community. Includes appropriate field projects relating theory to practice.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

School administrators and prospective school administrators who aspire to be adequately prepared in the development of effective school-community relations will find this course helpful. This course meets licensure standards mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. A candidate qualifying for admission into the Educational Administration Graduate Program at Liberty University should consider this course as one of the required courses in this program.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, for each Discussion, the candidate will submit 1 thread of at least 450 words in response to a prompt and 2 replies to classmates of at least 200 words. All posts must have a clear, logical flow and meet other writing expectations in the grading rubric. For each thread, the candidate must support his/her assertions with good examples, thoughtful analysis, and at least 2 reputable, scholarly references and citations in current APA format. The candidate will also cite 2 sources for each reply in current APA format. Acceptable sources include the course textbook, the Bible, journals, books, videos, and related articles.

Community Resources Alignment Project Assignments (5)

The purpose of the Community Resources Alignment Project is to provide an opportunity for the candidate to align school, student, and family needs with the services of community organizations. The candidate will select a specific school, district, or institution of higher education to study through all assignments. The project will be submitted in several parts:

Community Resources Alignment Project: Demographic Study Assignment

The candidate will complete a demographic study to gather demographic statistics for both the selected school and community, analyze those data, and explain the related implications of those data on the school and community. The collected statistics will be reported in chart or graph form and must include the required categories in the assignment instructions. The paper must include at least 2 scholarly references published within the last 8 years, in addition to the sources of data collected for graphs and charts, in current APA format. This paper must be formatted according to current APA style, including a title page, an abstract, a main body, headings for each section, and a reference page. The body of the paper must be between 5–8 pages, and the analysis and implications sections must be at least 300 words each. The paper must meet all other writing expectations in the grading rubric.

Community Resources Alignment Project: Needs Assessment Assignment

The candidate will compile a needs assessment to determine the needs of the school and community and report those findings. The candidate will collaborate with individuals related to the school (all of the following: staff, students, families, and other community stakeholders), interview a community leader, and identify needs. The candidate will analyze the ideas presented in the interview by comparing them to demographic data reported in the Community Resources Alignment Project: Demographic Study Assignment and explain possible leadership strategies to address these issues. A list of at least 2 student learning needs, at least 1 school program need, and at least 2 communication and/or school-community partnership needs must be included. The paper must include at least 3 scholarly references published within the last 8 years, in addition to the sources the candidate collaborates with and interviews, in current APA format. This paper must be formatted according to current APA style, including a title page, an abstract, a main body, headings for each section, and a reference page. The body of the paper must be between 3–5 pages. The collaboration and communication section must be at least 200 words, and the interview section must be at least 300 words. The paper must meet all other writing expectations in the grading rubric.

Community Resources Alignment Project: Resources Report Assignment

The candidate will write an analysis of community resources to be used as a practical reference for administrators, counselors, and personnel. The candidate may choose the format of this report. This report must include an annotated directory with at least 4 community resources that would benefit school programs and learning and an analysis that identifies at least 4 gaps in services and lists at least 2 research-based suggestions to fill these gaps. The annotated directory should be categorized by service type and include thorough descriptions and contact information for each annotation. The analysis portion should provide evidence that the candidate can respectfully advocate for all students and families. The paper must include at least 2 scholarly references published within the last 8 years in current APA format. This paper must be formatted according to current APA style, including a title page, an abstract, headings for each section, and a reference page. The paper must include an introduction, a conclusion, and a main body that is at least 5 full pages. The analysis section must be at least 300 words. The paper must meet all other writing expectations in the grading rubric.

Community Resources Alignment Project: Advocacy Plan Assignment

The candidate will write a proposal as the final stage of the project for this course. The candidate will use the demographic study, needs assessment, and community resources report completed previously to develop a plan for community service. The candidate will discuss 1 school need and 1 school-community need and identify personnel, timeframes, and steps to address these needs, as well as create a plan for the awareness, communication, and distribution of resources that can be maintained over time. The candidate will provide 3 means of communication: print, digital, and broadcast media. The paper must include at least 2 scholarly sources published within the last 8 years in current APA format. This paper must be formatted according to current APA style, including a title page, an abstract, headings for each section, and a reference page. The paper must include an introduction, a conclusion, and a main body that is at least 5 full pages. Each section must be at least 200 words. The paper must meet all other writing expectations in the grading rubric.

Community Resources Alignment Project: Final Submission Assignment – CORE (CompMS)

The final submission will combine the previous 4 Community Resources Alignment Project parts into a single Word document. Each separate title page, reference page, and other required elements must be included in the document. The combined document must be submitted in CORE.

School Board Meeting Critique Assignment

The candidate will attend a school board meeting and write a 2–3-page critique using the template provided. The critique will include a description of the meeting, a thorough analysis of both positive and negative interactions the candidate observes, and a comprehensive reflection that indicates new learning about the observations of the school board. The paper must use 12-point font, double-spacing, and 1-inch margins. Length requirements for each section of the template must be followed. The assignment must meet all other writing and formatting expectations in the template and grading rubric. 

Interview with Principal Reflection Assignment

The candidate will interview a principal using the questions and template provided. The assignment will include a summary of the interview and the candidate’s reflections in narrative form. This assignment must be 1–2 pages. If applicable, references must be cited separately on a reference page in current APA format. The paper must use 12-point font, double-spacing, and 1-inch margins. The assignment must meet all other writing and formatting expectations in the template and grading rubric. 

Written Press Release Assignment

The candidate will use Microsoft Copilot to generate a 1–2-page press release based on a fictional or real event using the guidelines provided in the textbook and prompting the AI with the scenario, tone, length, and target audience. Then, the candidate will revise the AI-generated content (improving clarity, tone, accuracy, and alignment with school standards), critically analyze the AI’s performance, and reflect on the ethical and professional implications of using AI in public relations. The candidate will submit the AI-generated press release, the human revision, and the analysis in Canvas. The analysis section must be at least 150 words. This assignment must be formatted according to current APA style, with a reference included for the use of Microsoft Copilot. The assignment must meet all other writing expectations in the grading rubric.

Quizzes (4)

Each quiz will cover the Textbook material for the assigned module. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain a varied number of multiple-choice and/or essay questions, and have a time limit of 2 hours and 45 minutes. Each quiz allows 1 attempt.