Module 6: Maintaining Family Engagement Throughout the Year
Initiating and maintaining family engagement is not something that happens only once a year, but rather must be maintained across the academic year. Transitional periods also require sustained family engagement (e.g., transitioning from early intervention to kindergarten, from middle school to high school), as do before and after school programs that may help to provide more sustained supportive services across the entire day. What transitions are your students and their families experiencing? Explore the following charts to think about what family engagement may look like at these critical times:
- Chart 1: What Does High-Impact Family Engagement Look Like in Early Childhood Programs?
- Chart 2: What Does High Impact Family Engagement Look Like in Elementary Schools?
- Chart 3: What Does High-Impact Family Engagement Look Like in After School Programs?
- Chart 4: What Does High Impact Family Engagement Look Like in Middle and High Schools?
- Chart 5: What Does High-Impact Family Engagement Look Like in Reducing Chronic Absence?
Once you have read through these, select the one chart that speaks most directly to you and the students you work with or hope to work with. Then think through the following questions:
- Are the focal areas still the same areas that are important within your work? Are there other areas that you would add?
- Are the higher, moderate, and lower impact strategies most appropriate to your current context? Are there other strategies that might work better for the families you work with? Are you currently implementing any of these strategies? What would it take for you to implement one of these strategies?
Further, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, along with state agencies like the Nebraska Department of Education have identified recommendations for active and effective family engagement. Additionally, NDE offers additional resources for supporting family engagement.
See the following:
