Parent and Family Engagement Best Practices

Participating Title I, Part A schools must receive support from their Local Education Agencies (LEA) about parent and family engagement (PFE). Find best practices and strategies for schools to deliver effective PFE.

PFE Strategies

LEAs and schools must build capacity for Parent and Family Engagement (PFE). Effective scheduling, best practices, and community engagement are just three of the many ways LEAs and schools can support parent involvement at school, at home, and across the community.

Resource: Family and Community Engagement Modules:  Whole Child Initiative | OSPI 

Required Strategies that Build Capacity for PFE
  • Provide training on these topics:
    • How to monitor a child’s progress;
    • How to work with educators.
  • Help parents understand state academic standards.
  • Provide materials and training designed to help parents work with their children.
  • Hold meetings early in the morning or in the evening that widen the time available for working parents to be present.
  • Raise awareness and build skills among teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and staff related to outreach and communication, and ways to work with parents as equal partners.
  • Send parents information related to school and parent-focused programs, meetings and other activities. Present this information in an understandable and uniform format. To the extent practicable, provide materials in a language and format the parents can understand.
  • Coordinate parent engagement programs with other school-based programs and services — Head Start, Even Start, Learning Assistance Program (LAP) Special Education, and state-operated preschool programs.
Allowable Strategies that Build Capacity for PFE

Here are a few examples of activities encouraged by the U.S. Department of Education.

  • Involve parents as you develop training for teachers, principals and other educators to improve its effectiveness.
  • Provide literacy training for parents. Use Title I, Part A funds if your LEA has exhausted all other funding sources.
  • Pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parent and family engagement activities. Transportation and child care are two such costs allowed under Title I, Part A, which make it possible for parents to participate in school-based meetings and training sessions.
  • Train parents to support the involvement of other parents.
  • Schedule in-home conferences between parents and teachers or other educators who work directly with their children.
  • Implement model approaches that improve parent engagement.
  • Establish a LEA-level parent advisory council to give advice on parent engagement issues in Title I, Part A programs.
  • Develop appropriate roles for businesses, and community- and faith-based organizations that support community participation in parent and family engagement activities.

School Role

Principals work together with school staff in charge of the Title I, Part A program to:

  • Communicate that materials and trainings — not otherwise available in the school — are accessible in other LEA areas to help parents support their child's academic achievement.
  • Enhance awareness and skills among teachers, pupil services personnel, and staff related to outreach and communication, and ways to work with parents as equal partners.
  • Communicate with parents. Ensure, to the extent possible, that information is sent home in a language and format parents can understand.
  • Hold school meetings annually or use well attended school meeting(s) to let parents know 1) they can participate in the development of the parent and family engagement plan and 2) they have a right to be involved.

LEA Role

LEAs have a responsibility to provide PFE best practices to Title I, Part A Schools, such as:

  • Coordinating community partnerships with other programs.
  • Help staff and parents in the solutions that improve and strengthen parent and family engagement.
  • Support with technical assistance.
Monitor

LEAs must monitor each Title I, Part A School to ensure these responsibilities are met:

  • Development of a parent and family engagement policy.
  • Offering flexible meeting times.
  • Providing information to parents about the school's program including parent information guides.
  • Developing and using a School-Parent Compact.
  • Providing training that helps parents work with their child to improve academic achievement. Including training on the school’s phone notification system so parents have real–time access to information about attendance and achievement.
Support

LEA can support participating schools in delivering effective PFE:

  • Conduct regular site visits to observe parent and family engagement practices.
  • Provide materials and training resources not otherwise available to help parents support their child’s academic achievement.
  • Enhance awareness and skills among teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and staff related to outreach and communication, and ways to work with parents as equal partners.
  • Communicate with parents. Ensure, to the extent possible, that information is sent home in a language and format parents can understand.
  • Provide information on adult literacy training available in the community.
  • Make sure participating schools display the parent involvement plan at each school that parents can view. Check each parent also receives a copy of the plan.
  • Reinforce good parenting skills that support the development of academic skills. Show parents how these skills could apply in real-life situations.
  • Encourage parents to visit and volunteer at school by helping staff create volunteer opportunities. Train school staff to build opportunities for parents to participate in school activities and to encourage parent involvement.
  • Build innovative schedules for parent participation in school-related activities. For example, hold meetings early morning or in the evening that widen the time available for working parents to be present.
  • Hold school meetings annually to let parents know they can participate in the development of the parent and family engagement plan and they have a right to be involved.
Outreach

LEAs can assist schools with outreach efforts:

  • Coordinate parent involvement activities with other state and federal programs and community organizations. LEAs must coordinate parent involvement activities with these school-based programs and services such as Head Start, Even Start, Learning Assistance Program (LAP), Special Education, and state-operated preschool programs.
  • Develop appropriate roles for businesses, and community and faith-based organizations within school- and LEA-level parent engagement activities. Form partnerships that involve these organizations with staff and families and seek to improve academic achievement.