It takes a village to raise a child — and the continued support of that village to help the child succeed in school. It’s why family and community engagement is critical for K–12 schools.
Strong relationships between schools, families, and communities can have a defining impact on K–12 student achievement and outcomes. Engaging family and community members in school experiences allows education leaders to not only support student learning and development, but also to find opportunities to improve their own operational practices and strengthen school climate.
Download the infographic to learn about:
The benefits of family and community engagement
Tips for engaging families and communities
Measuring partnership engagement
By engaging family and community members in students’ school experiences, districts can actively support students’ development and learning. Research demonstrates that strong relationships between schools, families, and community members can positively affect student achievement and outcomes. By fostering stronger family and community engagement, schools can:
Increase Student Achievement
Strong family engagement in schools is strongly associated with faster rates of literacy acquisition among children, increased rates of going on to secondary education, and decreased rates of school dropout. In addition, when families know about and encourage students to take rigorous classes, students are more likely to enroll and score higher on tests.
Improve Attendance and Behavior
15% of public school teachers report student absenteeism as a “serious problem” at their school. Large classroom sizes and students perceiving classrooms as chaotic, uncaring, or boring are associated with student absenteeism.
While many schools provide fun incentives (like pizza parties) to promote good attendance, family and community involvement has been shown to be a more important influence on student attendance.
Enhance Staff Understanding of Family and Community Needs
Schools may wish to involve families and community members in students’ school experience, but not understand their needs, interests, and ideas about partnering. Transparency and open dialogue about school policies and initiatives are necessary to promote family understanding. Partnering with local organizations or community members that understand these differences can be helpful in building community ties and meeting the needs of all student supporters.
Strengthen School Reputation
Schools that engage families and community members see a statistically significant increase in their reputation. When strong family-school-community partnerships result in improved academic outcomes, attendance, and family comfort, the school becomes known as a valuable place to receive an education and student support.
In this infographic, we provide meaningful, actionable tips and guidance for fostering stronger family and community engagement at both the school and district level. Download it to start identifying new opportunities for increasing engagement and building stronger partnerships within your K–12 district or school community.
