Community Engagement in the Implementation of School Priority Improvement Areas: Restauro Model
Keywords:
school-community collaboration, stakeholder engagement, priority improvement areas, school improvement, RESTAURO ModelAbstract
This study examined how school-community collaborative engagement influences the implementation of Priority Improvement Areas (PIAs) in 12 public elementary schools in Toledo City Division, Philippines for SY 2025-2026. Anchored on Community Engagement Theory and Distributed Leadership Theory (Spillane, 2006; Harris, 2008), and guided by DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2015 on Enhanced School Improvement Planning, the study employed an embedded mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from 52 stakeholders (PTA presidents, faculty presidents, teachers, parents, community leaders) using two validated instruments: Perceived Community Engagement Survey (PCES, α=.959, Rivera, 2016) and Researcher-made PIA Implementation Questionnaire (α=.936). Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with eight school heads (4 big, 4 small schools). Mean, SD, Pearson r, and thematic narrative integration (Fetters et al., 2013) were used. Findings revealed very high levels of both community engagement (M=4.99, SD=0.31, 6-point scale) and PIA implementation (M=4.39, SD=0.22, 5-point scale). Support for Students and Families ranked highest (M=4.46), followed by Communication and Engagement (M=4.41). A moderate positive significant correlation was found between engagement and implementation (r=0.455, p=.0009). Qualitative themes confirmed that collaboration became community-wide missions but was constrained by limited funding, parental availability, and communication gaps. The study proposes the RESTAURO Model—Responsive Leadership, Engaged Stakeholders, Shared Governance, Targeted PIAs, Active Implementation, Understanding Context, Reinforced Partnerships, Outcomes—as a sustainable framework for school improvement.
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