Abstract:
The aim of this study was to examine the practice of principal’s in maintaining effective school-home
and community partnership in secondary schools of East Hararghe zone. For this study descriptive
survey research design was employed. The size of population was 929. Out of that is, 21 principals,
613 teachers, 147 student council and 168 PTSA and KETB were included in the sample and they
were selected using stratified random sampling and random sampling techniques. Descriptive and
inferential statistical analysis techniques were employed to compute the data. 124 out of 142
questionnaires were properly filled in and analyzed. This indicates that principals were not that much
effective in formulating partnership plans. The weighted mean computed in communicating and
specifying the role of key players reveals average for principals and teachers responses. This shows
that principals were not highly effective in this variable. The principals mainly use informing parents
about the academic performance of children, report cards, parent –teacher conference, regular
meetings and periodic reports as communication means. It was found out from the quantitative and
qualitative data that principals under discussion were not effective in preparing partnership plans.
Then, actively engage parents and the community- member partnership is one of the domains. The
study concluded that principals were not effective in formulating partnership plans, communicating
and specifying the role of key players. Likewise, it may be concluded that principals did not use
varied effective communication means to ensure school-home and community partnership. Thus,
provision of training on the area of listed variables, such as: improving the leadership style, and
using varied effective communication means were some suggested possible recommendations to the
principals are active participation of stakeholders in school principals creates conducive atmosphere
and development With respect to partnership (teachers, students and parents/community members)
participation in the formulating of partnership planning of school activities, almost all respondents
indicated that their role in planning was medium and low
