In the Fall of 2016, Families & Schools Together, Inc. surveyed education leaders—principals and administrators—to learn more about parent engagement efforts at their schools. More than 1,400 principals, vice principals and head teachers completed our survey. All too often, practical tools, knowledge, funding, and best practices about effective partnership with families are difficult to come by. To continue the conversation about how to build strong relationships among families, schools, and communities at all of our schools, we are sharing the survey results:
School leaders serve as a critical bridge between school and community and are a vital point of contact for families. Moreover, they often lead the collaborative processes to plan for their school’s current and future priorities and create school improvement plans.
Family engagement is widely recognized as an effective way to support student success. When parents, school and communities leaders work together, students find greater success. The importance of family engagement cannot be understated. From students who tend to have better educational outcomes to building a strong economic foundation within a community, the impact of family engagement is deep and far-reaching.
For more than 25 years, Families & Schools Together has recognized the importance of family engagement. Our evidence-based family engagement program FAST, was developed with the knowledge that as family units are strengthened and connected to one another and to their children’s schools, children and families thrive.
We hope that this is the first step in an ongoing conversation about how to build strong relationships among families, schools and communities at all of our schools.