Family Engagement Core Principles

Creating a Welcoming Environment

Building Effective Two-Way Communication

Supporting the Success of Students

Sharing Power and Responsibility

Partnering with the Community

Providing Equity and Access

Ensuring Sustainability

Definition

Effective family engagement is an ongoing, iterative process that requires intentional planning and evaluation. Sustainable family engagement requires the necessary personnel and fiscal resources to ensure success, the coordination of activities and initiatives across the school, and the creation of feedback loops across all stakeholders, including families, to inform the work.

What does it look like in practice?

a. The school has a family engagement action plan that incorporates specific steps and activities, ongoing evaluation, and data analysis to support a cycle of continuous improvement.

b. Family engagement has been included as a part of the Continuous Improvement Plan at both the school and superintendency levels.

c. The school emphasizes the use of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to create consistent and intentional impact on the school and family connections.

d. The school ensures that there are adequate resources (both fiscal and personnel) to support meaningful and effective family engagement strategies that have the power to impact student learning and achievement.

e. All family engagement activities are coordinated across classrooms and supported by state, district, and school leaders. For this to occur, educators need a framework that can support and sustain family and community engagement practices.

Definition

Educators are responsible for ensuring that every child and family has the opportunities they need to be successful in the educational experience, including ensuring that children are treated equitably and have access to high-quality learning opportunities. Educators must differentiate their services and supports based on the unique needs of each child and family, including disability, culture, language, and socioeconomic status.

What does it look like in practice?

a. “The school does take into account the historical context of where families may have strived or struggled, their current realities, and the desired future outcomes for their children.”16

b. The school provides training to staff on communicating with families who are not native English speakers and/or require translation or interpretation services.

c. The school considers and addresses families’ cultural and language needs when developing and disseminating important information to families.

d. The school ensures that representation on advisory bodies and committees reflects the composition of the student body, including families that are living in poverty, have limited English proficiency, have disabilities, or have a student with a disability.

e. Educators understand the unique characteristics and strengths that families bring to the school so that families can use those strengths to support improved outcomes for students.

f. Educators understand how culture and background influence people’s interactions and can impact how they are or are not engaged with the school.

Definition

Community partnerships allow students and families to extend their learning beyond the classroom and to access needed services and resources to support students’ academic and developmental progress. Effective community partnerships reflect the needs of the student body and strengthen school programs, families, and student learning through meaningful connection and collaboration. Community partnerships can exist among community health, mental health, social service, and youth organizations, as well as school partners to build peer networks, link families and students with needed services, and support successful transitions for children and their families.

What does it look like in practice?

a. Schools identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.

b. Schools connect students and families to community resources that strengthen and support students’ learning and well-being.

c. Families, teachers, administrators, and other school staff use school and community supports and resources to promote students’ progress.

d. Educators have knowledge of the community they serve, including the community’s needs.

e. Community partnerships exist among community health, mental health, social service, and youth organizations, as well as school partners to build peer networks, link families and students with needed services, and support successful transitions for children and their families.

Definition

Shared power and responsibility means that families, school staff, and community members are partners in school or district planning, leadership, and decision-making. These stakeholders are involved in goal-oriented relationships to promote progress among all students and representation on committees, boards, and teams represents the diversity of the student body.

What does it look like in practice?

a. Families are engaged in school planning, leadership, and meaningful volunteer opportunities that result in changes and improvements at the school.

b. Opportunities are available to support the development of family capacity and family leadership and advocacy skills so that families may take a more active role in school and/or district planning.

c. Families are provided with information on how to understand and make meaning of information provided about their child, including assessment results, so that they can participate in educational decision-making as partners.

d. Educators and school staff provide families with objective, unbiased information so families can make informed decisions about their child’s education, so educators and school staff can support families’ decisions.

e. Families, staff, students, and community members participate in developing, implementing, and evaluating critical school programs.

Definition

Effective family engagement requires a collaborative effort on the part of teachers, administrators, and families to support the success of students both in and out of school. Families are essential partners in understanding and meeting the needs of their child and must know how their child is progressing in school and what they can do to support their child’s learning and development at home.

What does it look like in practice?

a. Educators and families partner to identify and implement plans and practices that support jointly identified desired outcomes or goals for students.

b. Educators ask families for information about their child, family, culture, values, norms, beliefs, and/or community to use in classroom planning.

c. Families work with teachers, administrators, and other school staff to identify, act on, and achieve their hopes and goals for their child.

d. Educators get to know individual families and their stories so that teachers can understand what families need to support their child’s learning.

e. Families have information, tools, and training about child development and how to create supportive learning environments outside of school that are linked to what the child is learning in the classroom.

f. Conferences and visits are arranged by the school or as requested by families based on students’ individual needs.

Definition

Effective two-way communication relies on families and educators having a variety of ways to receive and discuss information about students’ progress within and outside of the school environment. This ongoing process allows for meaningful interactions and authentic connections between schools and families that are focused on supporting student learning while meeting the unique situational, cultural, and linguistic needs of families.

What does it look like in practice?

a. Effective Communication Strategies:

• Schools have a system in place with multiple strategies to facilitate two-way communication with families and community members on a regular basis.
• Information is disseminated with enough time for families to respond or follow up appropriately as needed.
• Communication needs to be comprehensive and take place throughout the year and in different venues.
• Communications are respectful, honest, timely, and collaborative.

b. Communication Across Roles

• Educators, administrators, and families feel equally able to contact one another in support of a child’s learning and recognize that no single means of communication will be sufficient to meet the needs of all families.
• Families, students, and community members are regularly asked for their input regarding issues and concerns.

c. Culturally Proficient Communication

• Educators have an understanding of how the various cultures represented in their school view education and schooling practices so that they can engage in meaningful conversations with individuals of different backgrounds.
• School activities are representative of all families, and families feel safe sharing information about their child, family, culture, or experience to enhance student learning.

Definition

Family Engagement Practices and Initiatives: Core Principle 1: Creating a Welcoming Environment A welcoming school environment and culture is one that builds trust and connection among students, families, educators, and other stakeholders. It is responsive to individual strengths and needs and ensures that all members of the community feel like valued contributors to students’ academic achievement and healthy development.

What does it look like in practice?

1. Families have a personal relationship with one or more school staff members and feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions.  
2. Families entering the school are greeted personally, have a clear sense of where to go, and find the overall environment inviting.  
3. Information about school and community programs related to child and family needs is available in common areas for families.  
4. There are opportunities for family members to participate in meaningful volunteer opportunities within the school.  
5. School activities for families are designed with the individual needs and interests of all families of the school and are unbiased towards the socioeconomic status, culture, language, or ability of the families in the school.