Participation in successful schools: A communicative research study from the includ-ed project

The paper presents the results of a research study carried out within the framework of the Integrated Project Includ-ed: Strategies for social inclusion and cohesion in Europe based on education from the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme. Includ-ed is the research study on school education with the highest scientific standard and most resources in Europe. Its valuation as a project of excellence is fundamentally based on the critical communicative methodology it implements, described in the paper through one of the projects that integrate Includ-ed. Project 6 involves case studies in two successful schools located in areas of low socio-economic status that receive cultural minority students. Four practices involving family and community participation linked to the success of the schools are identified: family education, participation in decision-making processes, participation in the classroom and learning spaces, and participation in evaluation and in the curriculum. The improvements derived from each of these participatory practices, which open up new research hypotheses are pointed out. © 2009 Fundación Infancia y Aprendizaje.