Student, Family & Community Engagement

Category : Creating and Sustaining the Conditions

Level : School or System

To what extent do students, families, and communities share in the development of the school’s goals, mission, or vision? To what extent does the school create space for meaningful student, family, and community engagement about program design, curriculum, or budgeting priorities?

Successful implementation of more and better learning time requires families to understand and help shape approaches and activities. Schools must develop strategies and structures that engage youth and their families in decision making at the school and district levels. Schools must also work to remove the barriers parents experience that keep them from being involved and attending events at their child’s schools (e.g., language barriers, transportation, or childcare needs).

• School faculty and staff work with families as equals and recognize the strengths they bring to their school/family partnerships.
• Strategies are in place to increase family attendance and community participation at school events.
• Schools are accessible to families: materials are provided in families’ native language; translation is available at conferences and meetings; transportation and childcare are provided.
• Family attendance is high at school events/student exhibitions.
• There is evidence that parents have meaningful roles in decision making and governance of the school and district.
• Students, families, and community members give positive reviews of the school and/or initiative.
• Families and community members are provided with tools and strategies to support children outside of school.
  Students, families, and community members are given an opportunity to choose expanded learning time designs, help guide curriculum, and engage in implementation to support student learning in meaningful ways.