Family Engagement: Strengthening Family Involvement to Improve Outcomes for Children

Summary

This video emphasizes the vital role of family engagement in children’s education, highlighting how strong partnerships between schools, families, and communities foster academic success. It shares research showing that involved parents lead to better attendance and higher academic scores, particularly in math and reading. The speaker shares a personal story of navigating challenges with their son’s health and the importance of family advocacy. The video also discusses building capacity within states and districts to create sustainable family engagement programs, supporting diverse families, and strengthening communities for the future.

Takeaways

• 😀 Family engagement is crucial for strengthening families, children, and communities.
• 😀 Schools, families, and communities must share the responsibility of family engagement to create a supportive network for children.
• 😀 Family engagement can take different forms: at home, at school, in after-school programs, and in supporting school improvements.
• 😀 Higher family involvement in education correlates with better attendance rates, which is a key predictor of academic success.
• 😀 A 2010 longitudinal study found that children with engaged parents are more likely to score higher in math (10x) and reading (4x).
• 😀 Personal experiences, like navigating health challenges, highlight the importance of family advocates to help guide families through educational and support systems.
• 😀 As communities become more diverse, family engagement becomes essential in connecting with immigrant and diverse families.
• 😀 Family engagement provides opportunities for parents to help improve schools and programs, fostering stronger community connections.
• 😀 Programs like Safe Schools Healthy Students help connect families to necessary services, ensuring their needs are met at multiple levels.
• 😀 State-level leadership and collaborations, such as the Family Engagement State Leaders Network, are crucial for building sustainable family engagement practices across education systems.
• 😀 Ultimately, family engagement empowers communities and strengthens the capacity of families to support their children’s long-term success.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of family engagement in the context of education?

The primary focus of family engagement in education is to build a partnership between families, schools, and communities to support children's education. It strengthens both families and communities, leading to better educational outcomes for children.

How does family engagement impact children's educational success?

Family engagement positively impacts children's educational success by improving attendance rates, which is a key predictor of academic achievement. Involvement of parents leads to children performing better in both math and reading, as demonstrated by a 2010 longitudinal study in Chicago.

What does family engagement look like in different settings?

Family engagement can take various forms, including involvement at home, at school, during after-school programs, or in efforts to support school or program improvement.

How did the speaker's personal experience with family engagement shape their views?

The speaker's personal experience with their son's health challenges, including mental health needs, made them realize the importance of family engagement. They received critical support from a family advocate, which helped them navigate the complex healthcare system and highlighted the need for such support for other families.

What was the key finding of the 2010 longitudinal study on family engagement?

The 2010 longitudinal study found that children whose parents were involved in their education were 10 times more likely to have higher math scores and 4 times more likely to have higher reading scores.

How does family engagement support diverse and immigrant families?

Family engagement is crucial for connecting diverse and immigrant families to the education system. It provides a platform for these families to better support their children's education and to engage in improving schools and programs.

What are the three levels of family engagement emphasized in the Safe Schools Healthy Students program?

The three levels of family engagement in the Safe Schools Healthy Students program are individual, system, and policy levels. These levels ensure a comprehensive approach to family involvement across education systems.

How does the Family Engagement State Leaders Network contribute to the field of family engagement?

The Family Engagement State Leaders Network brings together family engagement staff from state education agencies to collaborate, share ideas, and develop strategies to build the capacity of states to integrate family engagement into education systems in a sustainable way.

Why is building capacity for family engagement important for states and districts?

Building capacity for family engagement is important because it ensures that family involvement is not just a temporary initiative but a sustained, systemic part of the education system. This leads to long-term positive impacts on children's academic outcomes and the overall strength of communities.

What is the ultimate goal of family engagement according to the transcript?

The ultimate goal of family engagement is to ensure that children succeed in their education and life as adults. This is achieved by strengthening families, building supportive relationships, and creating stronger communities and neighborhoods.