Existing solutions are falling short. Address root cause with family engagement. 

Active involvement of families in children’s education is associated with critical school-level factors that support student success. The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research identified involved families as one of five essential factors to improving school outcomes. Most strikingly, researchers noted that “a persistent weakness in even just one of the essential factors reduced the likelihood of school improvement to less than 10%,” underscoring how critical family engagement is for successful schools and positive student learning outcomes.

Signs your school is under-investing in family engagement. 

Surprisingly, some of the most pressing challenges around chronic absenteeism, persistent learning loss, and teacher turnover can be addressed through a well-executed family engagement strategy.   Our work with school leaders across the country has revealed examples that signal a school’s family engagement approach needs re-examining:

School communication is inconsistent, is not accessible to all families, and is rarely focused on student learning.

School staff and teachers express apprehension or feel under equipped to communicate with families.

Family and parent participation in existing offerings is low, which may be interpreted as lack of interest.

What changes with an well-planned family engagement strategy?

Family engagement is a shared responsibility between schools and families to collaboratively support students’ learning and development. The Dual-Capacity Framework for Family-School Partnership offers a research baked framework for school leaders to work with.  A well-planned strategy offers wide-ranging benefits that support a variety of school improvement priorities. 

Benefits for Schools

• Increased student attendance and engagement
• Increased teacher satisfaction and retention
• Family sentiment about school improves

Benefits for Families

• Increased awareness of grade-level goals and how their child is progressing
• Access to essential information and activities to support their child
• Increased confidence in their ability to engage

Benefits for Students

• Accelerated academic achievement
• Second language learning
• SEL skill development

Steps school leaders can take to improve family engagement

School leaders seeking to implement effective family engagement practices have an invaluable, research-based guide at their disposal: the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnership.

Reflect on your current practices, explore high-impact strategies
Our expert team has compiled curated resources to support school leaders to deliver high-impact family engagement strategies, laser focused on learning, that foster trusting and collaborative relationships.

Download our action planning tools, which includes access to a guided reflection exercise to better understand the current practices, and explore high-impact learning-focused strategies that are aligned with your school's priorities and capacity.

Ensure your teachers and school staff have access to professional resources
Notably, only 51% of educator preparation programs offer at least one standalone course in family and community engagement for aspiring teachers and in-service professional learning opportunities are often limited or nonexistent. Help fill this gap for educators in your school with professional resources for teachers and for family engagement coordinators.

Explore the latest research in the field

We’ve worked with school leaders across the country to better understand their experiences implementing high-impact and successful family engagement practices. Our experience has revealed that professionals are seeking out more resources to refine their approach.

We're here to help!

Connect with our team to explore additional resources and technology support for your school. ​

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