3 bright spots

There are places where engagement is trending and going viral. We offer three 'bright spots' aligned to the research, from the state, district, and school levels:

State: Ohio's Statewide Family Engagement Center has a leadership ladder approach, which establishes clear roles for parent engagement at every level—from state to school. This initiative has scaled up family involvement programs across urban and rural districts.
District: Baltimore City Schools utilizes a full-service community school model, offering academic support, healthcare and family resources. This comprehensive approach has deepened parent involvement and increased school enrollment.
School: A public charter school, Aspire Public Schools, reflects its vision of families as critical partners in the educational process, with core values centered on purposeful collaboration, accountability, and equity.

What can we learn from these examples? Simply to be flexible, structured, responsive and collaborative. Above all, engagement requires training. Like any competency, it needs to be learned and applied. Education leaders should seek this level of training and ensure it's incorporated into pre-service prep programs and in-service leadership development. Consider incorporating these five core areas:

Flexible and trust-building communication: Schools should offer a range of communication methods (virtual, in-person, text, email) to accommodate diverse family needs and schedules, while also ensuring transparency. Dr. Mapp's Dual Capacity-Building Framework highlights that schools must focus on building relational trust between educators and families, particularly post-pandemic when many families experienced a deeper connection to the classroom. Communication must be frequent, accessible and relationship-centered to foster trust and collaboration (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013).
Routine feedback loops: Schools need to establish regular feedback cycles where parents see how their input shapes decisions. This means creating structured opportunities for parents to co-construct solutions with school staff. This ensures that parent input is visible in school decision-making processes. For example, schools can involve families in planning meetings or advisory boards focused on student outcomes and school policies.
Culturally responsive engagement: It is critical to meet parents where they are, culturally and linguistically. This goes beyond just language interpreters. It can further enhance engagement by including culturally relevant events or workshops that address specific needs of the community.
Collaborative family-school partnerships: Establish family engagement teams or committees that work directly with school leaders to set shared goals, develop initiatives and monitor measurable progress. These partnerships ensure that both families and educators are working together as co-educators in students' learning journeys.
Teach communications for families and educators: Schools should provide professional development for educators on how to engage families effectively and respectfully, while offering parents workshops or resources that help them support their child's learning at home. For example, schools can host workshops on navigating the curriculum or understanding state testing, empowering parents to play a more active role in their child's education.

Not sure where to start?

Here are a few practical quick starts:

Use multiple modes of communication—email, text, in-person meetings, and virtual platforms—to reach parents where they are.
Host "open-door" sessions where parents can casually drop in to discuss concerns with school leaders.
Create a parent engagement task force that includes parents, teachers, and community leaders to co-design involvement strategies.
Collect and analyze data – by school, grade, demographic, and activity type – to broaden outreach to and engagement with all families.

In the post-pandemic era, parent engagement is not just a legal requirement—it's our music score. Schools must adopt communication strategies that are flexible, culturally responsive and consistent if they hope to meet the demands of today’s families and foster long-term partnerships for student success.

Instant Insights /

Parents aren't the roadies, they're now in the band

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