Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement: Engaging Outside of the School Building
Parent involvement is more a ‘doing to,’ while engagement is a ‘doing with.’
– Larry Ferlazzo
INTRO
To build trust and relationships with families, it can be helpful for school staff to engage with families in spaces or at events in which families feel comfortable. These may include family homes, community centers, places of worship, or cultural centers. School and district leaders may consider the following strategies for engaging outside of the school building.
OBJECTIVES
- Review the strategies for engaging families outside the school building
- Reflect on your school’s areas of strength and areas for improvement in regard to family engagement outside of the school building
- Brainstorm an improvement plan for your commitment to engaging families outside the school building
Engaging Outside of the School Building
Conduct home visits
Home visits are a common family engagement strategy for many schools and districts. Home visits can help school staff and families establish a common understanding and goals for students. Studies have found that conducting home visits can also show school staff’s respect for the family and home environment, as well as help to break a potential “cycle of blame” for student learning challenges.
Engage with community organizations
Families may engage in learning activities that occur outside of school, such as community-based enrichment or tutoring programs. Some of these programs are evidence-based and beneficial to students, but school staff are often not aware of student participation in these activities unless notified by family members (Stephens & Pate, 2015). Schools may benefit from networking with local religious groups, community organizations, and neighborhood libraries, leveraging existing programs and events to share information with families and show support for learning activities that happen outside of school. Some family members may also feel more comfortable engaging in a peer group and in a neutral, trusted space.
TIPS
- This is one part of the complete Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement; there are 5 total areas—we recommended reviewing and working on these strategies within your leadership team—or better yet, a family and community engagement team. Once everyone understands the complete strategy, each area can be spearheaded by a different individual or smaller team.
- Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement: Making a Commitment to Equitable Family Engagement
- Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement: Making Equitable Family Engagement “Business as Usual”
- Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement: Building Relationships Between Staff and Families
- Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement: Meaningfully Involving and Engaging Families and Trusted Community Advocates
- Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement: Engaging Outside of the School Building
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