While communication is one component of engagement, there are other components of family engagement including
- building relationships
- helping parents feel welcome
- giving parents strategies to support school at home
- sending activities home
- bring parents into schools
- meeting parents where they are
The foundation of good family engagement, however, is building strong relationships with families.
Families’ engagement in children’s schooling leads to children who fare better in life from a social and academic standpoint1. Studies show that children of parents who dedicate time, give praise, are affectionate, and develop close relationships with them are less likely to require discipline at school or treatment for social or emotional problems2. More specifically, family engagement in Grades K-3 school activities is associated with children’s educational engagement, including high-quality work habits and task orientation3. Research also indicates that this kind of school-related family involvement is more likely to occur when schools are committed to it, especially in urban elementary schools4.
Family engagement in schools has been challenging in the US, particularly the participation of non-mainstream families. Often, teachers think that immigrant and other diverse families’ apparent lack of participation equates to their lack of interest in their children’s education. Contrary to this “deficit” perspective held by some teachers, all families hold very positive views about education and the development of their children’s literacy5. While this has led to a school-home divide in some communities, there are others that have been able to overcome this rift and have demonstrated that parental engagement has the power to reduce the achievement gap between mainstream America and marginalized groups. For example, when African-American families maintained high rates of participation in school matters, their children were more likely to complete their studies6. A separate study of ethnically diverse elementary children and their families found that high levels of school’s family involvement resulted in higher gains in children’s literacy performance7.
1. U.S. Department of Education, 1993
2. Amato and Rivera, 1999
3. Izzo, Weissberg, Kasprow, & Fendrich, 1999
4. Jeynes, 2005
5. Delgado-Gaitán 1992; Guo, 2006; Valdés, 1996; Vásquez, Pease-Alvarez, & Shannon, 1994
6. Barnard, 2004
7. Dearing, Kreider, Simpkins, & Weiss, 2006
Activities
Why is family engagement in school important and why it is relevant to you as a teacher?
You will reflect upon and identify relevant aspects of family engagement and how it is significant to your professional life as a teacher.
Suggested procedures:
1. Reflect upon why family engagement is important in schools. Look at the resources section for ideas to pique your interest.
2. Identify 3 relevant aspects of family engagement.
3. Indicate 2 ways in which family engagement is significant to your professional life as a teacher.
4. Using poster paper, walk around your College of Education class and write down your ideas about the ways family engagement affects your professional life. Pick a facilitator and discuss the input given by the class with your peers. To focus the discussion, you can start by creating a list of most common items presented by the class.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(d) The teacher brings multiple perspectives to the discussion of content, including attention to learners’ personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms, including Native Hawaiian history and culture.
2(j) The teacher understands that learners bring assets for learning based on their individual experiences, abilities, talents, prior learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as language, culture, family, and community values.
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
1. National Association for Educators of Young Children (NAEYC) family engagement section: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/family-engagement
2. National Education Association: http://www.nea.org/
3. National Parent Teacher Association: http://www.pta.org
4. The Parent Institute: http://www.parent-institute.com
5. Faltis, C. J. (2000). Joinfostering: Teaching and learning in multilingual classrooms.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. [Note: chapter 6 is about inviting and involving families and communities in schooling activities.]
6. Mandel, S. (2007). The parent-teacher partnership: How to work together for student achievement. Chicago, IL: Zephyr Press.
Learn about family engagement policies that affect your classroom and your work
You will review federal, state, complex area, and school policies and procedures to find out what is in place, what is working, and what needs to happen to effectively engage families.
Suggested procedures:
1. Review federal, state, complex area, and school policies and procedures to find out what is in place, what is working, and what else needs to happen to effectively engage families.
2. Take a look at the resources for this activity lesson. Now, answer the following questions:
a. What is the overall policy on family engagement? Look at the federal, state, and complex area policies.
b. What is your school’s explicit policy on family engagement? Look at your schools’ Academic Plan, the School Status and Improvement Report, and other relevant official documents.
3. Overall, what is the general approach to family engagement that permeates into your working environment?
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(d) The teacher brings multiple perspectives to the discussion of content, including attention to learners’ personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms, including Native Hawaiian history and culture.
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
4(i) The teacher accesses school and/or district-based resources to evaluate the learner’s content knowledge in their primary language.
4(q) The teacher recognizes the potential of bias in his/her representation of the discipline and seeks to appropriately address problems of bias.
1. Center for Social Organization of Schools (Johns Hopkins University): http://web.jhu.edu/CSOS/about.html
2. Powell, D. (1991). How schools support families: Critical policy tensions. The Elementary School Journal, 91(3), pp. 307-319.
3. National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) – State Policy: https://nafsce.org/page/StatePolicy
4. Hawaii Consolidated State Plan (March 2017): https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplan17/hiconsolidatedstateplanfinal.pdf
5. Family Engagement in Education Act of 2015: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1194?s=1&r=33
6. Hawai‘i Board of Education. (2016a). Multilingualism for equitable education [Policy brief]. Hawai‘i Board of Education. https://boe.hawaii.gov/policies/Board%20Policies/Multilingualism%20for%20Equitable%20Education.pdf
7. Hawai‘i Board of Education. (2016b). Family and community engagement/partnership [Policy brief]. Hawai‘i Board of Education. https://boe.hawaii.gov/policies/Board%20Policies/Family%20and%20Community%20Engagement-Partnership.pdf
8. Hawai‘i State Department of Education. (2015). Nā Hopena A‘o Statements – HĀ: BREATH [Policy brief]. Hawai‘i State Department of Education. https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/NaHopenaAoE3.pdf
Gather information about the needs of your families and involve them in planning
You will find out how to enlist families’ help in planning and making decisions about the programs and services that affect their children’s education.
Suggested procedures:
1. Find out how to enlist families’ help in planning and making decisions about the programs and services that affect their children’s education.
2. You can start by taking a look at the official survey provided by the Hawaii Department of Education, The School Quality Survey (SQS), which is a DOE-administered survey that asks teachers, students, parents, administrative office staff, and instructional support staff for their opinions of school quality. The SQS is administered to all DOE regular public schools and to Public Charter Schools that request to participate.
3. Unofficial information can be found on the website Great Schools. The information is free to access and its goal is to increase parents’ engagement in their children’s education through the Internet. There are ratings for each school as well as community ratings. The former is based on a school’s standardized test performance and compares the school’s state standardized test results to those of other schools in the State. The latter is based on community members’ voluntary input on teacher quality, principal leadership, and parent involvement. Be aware, though, as some of these ratings can be based on older entries.
4. Finally, you can survey the families for your classroom. Talk to your school principal about whether the school staff is interested in surveying its families. Check the resource section for some pre-made surveys you could adapt to your needs.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #1: Learner Development
1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and development.
1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
1. Hawaii Department of Education, The School Quality Survey (SQS): http://arch.k12.hi.us/reports/sqs
2. Great Schools: http://www.greatschools.org/
3. Lee, J., & Bowen, N. K. (2006). Parent involvement, cultural capital, and the achievement gap among elementary school children. American Educational Research Journal, 43(2), pp. 193-218.
4. Warren, M. R., Hong, S., Rubin, C. L., & Uy, P. S. (2009). Beyond the bake sale: A community-based relational approach to parent engagement in schools. In Teachers College Record, 111(9), pp. 2209-2254.
5. Parent survey template. https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/harvard-education-surveys/
Examining your views of family engagement and those of your students’ families
Family engagement does not always mean the same thing to families and schools. Many activities valued by parents as engaging with their children’s learning are neither recognized nor acknowledged by schools. It is important to be aware of all stakeholders’ views and ensure they are all aligned towards the common goal of enhancing children’s experiences.
Suggested procedures:
1. Family engagement does not always mean the same thing to all families and school personnel because it comes in many forms. It can mean parents volunteering at school events or parents coming to parent-teacher conferences. Parents may identify certain activities as engaging with their children’s learning; however, these activities may not be recognized or acknowledged by school personnel. It is important to be aware of all stakeholders’ views and ensure they are all aligned toward the common goal of enhancing children’s experiences.
- What type(s) of teacher-family relationships do you desire or expect to have with your students’ families?
- What roles do you desire and expect to play when working with students’ families?
- What are your ideas about the roles of family members in their child’s education?
2. In order to work well with parents, as teachers, we need to understand families’ perspectives about their children’s education. You can attend parent-oriented meetings (such as parent advisory boards or support groups) to further your understanding. In addition, you can also ask parents the following questions, through email or phone calls.
- In general, what role(s) do you think parents/families play in their children’s education?
- In general, what expectations do you have of your child’s teacher and/or school regarding your child’s learning?
3. It is necessary to remember that every family is different, even if they are from the same cultural or ethnic background. Building strong relationships with your students’ families takes time and needs to start as soon as possible!
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
4(q) The teacher recognizes the potential of bias in his/her representation of the discipline and seeks to appropriately address problems of bias.
Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
9(d) The teacher actively seeks professional, community, and technological resources, within and outside the school, as supports for analysis, reflection, and problem solving.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(p) The teacher actively shares responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their success.
1. Carreon, G. P., Drake, C., & Barton, A. C. (2005). The importance of presence: Immigrant parents’ school engagement experiences. American Educational Research Journal, 42(3), pp. 465-498.
2. Samway, K. D., & McKeon, D. (2007). Myths and realities: Best practices for English language learners. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
3. “Reflective Strategies: Sustaining Effective Practice” by the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) at https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-engagement/building-partnerships-guide-developing-relationships-families/reflective-supervision
Analyzing your school’s vision of family engagement
You will review federal, state, complex area, and school policies and procedures to find out what is in place, what is working, and what needs to happen to effectively engage families.
Suggested procedures:
1. What is your school’s vision of family engagement? Schools that are successful in engaging parents operate with a broad definition of family engagement. Learn what this means and how to achieve such a broad vision.
2. What is your school’s implicit policy on family engagement? Are the policies aligned with the actions and hidden messages given by the school? You can:
- Look at the school’s communication policies (e.g., read principals’ newsletter, and the school’s website, if available).
- Compare teacher, parent and student input to the HIDOE School Quality Survey.
- Attend a PTSA meeting and observe the dynamics among parents and between parents, teachers, and administrators.
- Talk to parents about the extent to which the school has been responsive to their and their children’s needs.
- Listen to conversations in the faculty lounge or workroom. What kinds of messages are embedded in the daily discourse about families?
3. If there is misalignment between family engagement policies and the school’s implementation of those policies, think about steps you can take to remedy this. For example, become an active member of the school’s community, talk with the school leadership team, and discuss the issue with your peers.
4. Are there any additional measures you can take in your classroom?
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(c) The teacher engages collaboratively in the school-wide effort to build a shared vision and supportive culture, identify common goals, and monitor and evaluate progress toward those goals.
10(p) The teacher actively shares responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their success.
1. Hawaii Department of Education, The School Quality Survey (SQS): http://arch.k12.hi.us/reports/sqs
2. Resource guide for family engagement in education at the high school level at https://archive.globalfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/resource-guide-for-family-engagement-in-education-at-the-high-school-level?print=1&print=1
3. National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) – State Policy: https://nafsce.org/page/StatePolicy
4. Hawaii Consolidated State Plan (March 2017): https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplan17/hiconsolidatedstateplanfinal.pdf
5. Resources from the National PTA regarding family engagement and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) at https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/federal-legislation/Every-Student-Succeeds-Act-ESSA/family-engagement
Thinking and reflecting on family partnership studies in schools in Hawai‘i
In this activity you will read two articles and a summary of two studies about family partnerships in Hawai‘i. Consider what you have learned from these studies, and how you can apply your learning to your future actions regarding family partnerships.
Suggested procedures:
1. Reflect on your own experiences. When you were a student in Grades K-6, what opportunities did your parents/family have to participate in your education?
2. Among those opportunities, what barriers to family/parental partnerships did your parents/family encounter?
3. Read the following two articles and summaries* of two studies that examined family partnerships in Hawai‘i schools.
Yamauchi, L. A., Lau-Smith, J.-A., & Luning, R. J. I. (Spring/Summer 2008). Family involvement in a Hawaiian language immersion program. The School Community Journal, 18(1), 39-60. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ798680.pdf
Yap, K. O., & Enoki, D. Y. (Fall/WInter 1995). In search of the elusive magic bullet: Parental involvement and student outcomes. The School Community Journal, 5(2), 97-106. http://www.adi.org/journal/ss01/chapters/Chapter5-Yap&Enoki.pdf
Shoho, A. R. (1994). A historical comparison of parental involvement of three generations of Japanese Americans (Isseis, Niseis, Sanseis) in the education of their children. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 15(3), 305-311. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED348430.pdf
Shoho (1994) examined differences among the perceptions of three generations of Japanese Americans regarding parental involvement in Hawai‘i. He found that those in the first generation, who were immigrants, had the least parental involvement because of their limited English and unfamiliarity with American culture. Limited time and economics were often barriers to parental involvement for all three generations. Those in the second and third generations, students who were born in the United States, reported that their parents often provided assistance with academic work and participated in extracurricular activities, such as being a chaperone for school events. In order to promote more parental involvement in education, Shoho suggested that educators need to be aware of and show respect for cultural and language differences among students and families.
Iding, M., Cholymay, N., & Kaneshiro, S. (2007). Building bridges, not barriers: Inviting Chuukese family involvement in Hawaii schools. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 1(1), 10-13. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1375/prp.1.1.10
Iding, Cholymay, and Kaneshiro (2007) interviewed nine Chuukese students (ages 11-17) and four Chuukese parents. With limited English proficiency, parents and children often had difficulty adjusting to Hawai‘i schools. One parent mentioned that their inability to speak English reduced their participation in school events. Another barrier was teachers’ prejudice. One parent mentioned that her son did not want to report bullying to his teacher. He felt that the teachers did not listen to him because he did not speak English well. The interviewees suggested several ways to increase parental involvement. Examples included (a) providing sports activities for students to participate in, such as track and field; (b) asking parents to call teachers regularly; (c) involving Micronesian church groups; and providing translators during parent-teacher meetings. Iding, Cholymay, and Kaneshiro also suggested that schools provide opportunities for Chuukese students to share their cultures on school cultural days and help parents and students be more aware of resources that parents can request to assist their children’s education.
4. What did you learn from the these articles and article summaries?
5. Compare the reflection you put down in Question 1 with the activities that were mentioned in the summary.
6. What activities are new to you?
7. What activities would you like to try in your future classrooms?
8. Compare the barriers you reflected on in the second question with the barriers mentioned in the summary.
9. What could you do to decrease those barriers so you could promote more parental/family involvement?
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(d) The teacher brings multiple perspectives to the discussion of content, including attention to learners’ personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms, including Native Hawaiian history and culture.
2(j) The teacher understands that learners bring assets for learning based on their individual experiences, abilities, talents, prior learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as language, culture, family, and community values.
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
2(m) The teacher respects learners as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various skills, abilities, perspectives, talents, and interests.
Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
9(e) The teacher reflects on his/her personal biases and accesses resources to deepen his/her own understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences to build stronger relationships and create more relevant learning experiences.
9(i) The teacher understands how personal identity, worldview, and prior experience affect perceptions and expectations, and recognizes how they may bias behaviors and interactions with others.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(l) The teacher understands schools as organizations within a historical, cultural, political, and social context and knows how to work with others across the system to support learners.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(p) The teacher actively shares responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their success.
1. Iding, M., Cholymay, N., & Kaneshiro, S. (2007). Building bridges, not barriers: Inviting Chuukese family involvement in Hawai‘i schools. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 1(1), 10-13. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1375/prp.1.1.10
2. Kaomea, J. (2012). Reconceptualizing indigenous parent involvement in early educational settings: Lessons from native Hawaiian preschool families. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 3(4). Retrieved from: https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/iipj/article/view/7389/6033
3. Shoho, A. R. (1994). A historical comparison of parental involvement of three generations of Japanese Americans (Isseis, Niseis, Sanseis) in the education of their children. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 15(3), 305-311.
4. Valdez, M. F., Dowrick, P. W., & Maynard, A. E. (2007). Cultural misperceptions and goals for Samoan children’s education in Hawai‘i: Voices from school, home, and community. The Urban Review, 39(1), 67-92.
5. Yamauchi, L. A., Lau-Smith, J., & Luning, R. J. (2008). Family involvement in a Hawaiian Language Immersion Program. The School Community Journal, 18(1), 39-60.
6. Yap, K. O., & Enoki, D. Y. (1995). In search of the elusive magic bullet: Parental involvement and student outcomes. The School Community Journal, 5(2), 97-106.