This document discusses promoting family engagement in schools. It provides reflection questions for educators on their views of family engagement and their role in facilitating it. The document also discusses establishing parent groups and outlines steps school teams can take to improve interactions with families and increase family involvement, such as reading an article on supporting parents engagement. The goal is to change school culture to be more responsive to students and families from all backgrounds through cooperation and shared power and goals between educators and families.

1. WORKING TOGETHER TO
SUPPORT ALL STUDENTS
SESSION 4: PARTNERSHIPS

2. REFLECTION
• What do I think about family engagement?
• Will family engagement work at this school? Why or
why not?
• What is my role in promoting family engagement at
our school?
• Am I willing to devote time, resources, and energy
to family engagement to bring about more
achievement of my students?

3. PARENT GROUPS
• Elementary PTO’s
• Junior and Senior High Parent Advisory Councils

4. REFLECTION TO ACTION
• What is working well in your parent groups right
now?
• What could help us improve interactions with our
parent groups?
• What actions can we take as a school team?
• What actions can I take individually?

5. BUILDING OUR KNOWLEDGE
• Read the article below.
• In your small group, outline some action steps your
team will take to improve and increase parent
engagement and involvement.
• Guerra, P. L., & Nelson, S.W.
(2009, Dec). Parents may need more support
before becoming engaged in school. Journal of
Staff Development, (30)5, 65-66.

6. WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
YOUR EFFORTS ARE HELPING STUDENTS MAKE PROGRESS

7. READING COMPREHENSION
2010-2011
100
90
80
70
60
50 F/R
40 Non F/R
30
20
10
0
3 4 5 6 7 8 11
Iowa Tests Data

8. READING COMPREHENSION
2011-2012
100
90
80
70
60
50 F/R
40 Non F/R
30
20
10
0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Iowa Tests Data

9. MATH
2010-2011
100
90
80
70
60
50 F/R
40 Non F/R
30
20
10
0
3 4 5 6 7 8 11
Iowa Tests Data

10. MATH
2011-2012
100
90
80
70
60
50 F/R
40 Non F/R
30
20
10
0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Iowa Tests Data

11. If we truly want families engaged with schools and the
academic lives of their children then we must work to
change the culture of schools so that the process of
educating children is more humanized. If we are to
succeed, we have to be responsive to the
individual, regardless of their background of origin. This
change, however, requires those involved to
understand and desire the need for the change itself
and take ownership in the process. An educational
setting that can measure and assess progress with
shared goals, shared power, respect for human
dignity and cooperation is well on its way to reshaping
their culture forever.
A Culture That Engages Every Family
Steven M. Constantino, Ed.D.