Family Partnerships

Leading by Convening

Leading by Convening: A Blueprint for Authentic Engagement is a resource on how to effectively engage and lead through applied essential habits to achieve overall goals. Leading by Convening rubrics can be accessed at this link as well.

Key Word(s): Family, Partnerships, Engagement

Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships

Based on existing research and best practices, the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2) is designed to support the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs.

Key Word(s): Essential Conditions, Goals, Empower

Serving on Groups

Serving on Groups That Make Decisions: A Guide for Families is intended to be a useful tool for anyone who is currently serving, or wants to serve, on a decision-making group. This can include parents, students, educators, administrators, and community members. It was researched, developed, and written collaboratively by a broad group of statewide agencies, school representatives, and family members across Wisconsin. Leading by Convening modules can be accessed through this site.

Key Word(s): Convening, Guidebook, Collaboration

Engage Every Family: Five Simple Principles

This link takes you to Dr. Steve Constantino's website and provides an overview of the five simple principles to engage every family.

Key Word(s): Engagement, Efficacy, Sequence

The Five C's - How Families Can Engage

The Five C's comes from Dr. Steve Constantino and outlines ways that families can engage with schools.

Key Word(s): Clarify, Communicate, Change, Collaborate, Celebrate

Ideas for Improving Communication (and Relationships Too!)

Issues in communication seem to be the ones that can anger both teachers and families and create tension, which hinders positive relationship-building. This resource from Dr. Steve Constantino provides some tips and ideas to improve relationships with better communication.

Key Word(s): Relationship, Engagement, Communication

The Joining Process

In her research on how and why parents are involved in their children’s education, Karen Mapp asked parents to identify what school staff actually did that created trusting and respectful relationships. Mapp found that high-performing, low-income schools welcome, honor, and connect families with what’s happening in class. She calls this “The Joining Process” and found that it creates a school where “everyone feels like members of a family.” See more at the link.

Key Word(s): Trust, Respect, Welcome, Honor, Connect

Engaging with Families

This link will take you to the DPI page for Engaging with Families. This site outlines the shift in the way we partner with families -- moving from parent involvement to family engagement.

Key Word(s): Engagement, Collaboration, Community

Indicator #8 Family Engagement Survey

The Indicator 8 Family Engagement Survey is one of Wisconsin’s State Performance Plan (SPP) improvement indicators. Indicator 8 identifies the percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities. In Wisconsin, Indicator 8 is a cyclical indicator measured by a family engagement survey that local education agencies (e.g. school districts) must send once every five years to every parent in their district whose child is receiving special education services ages 3 through 17. You can learn more about this survey at the link.

Key Word(s): Performance, Data Collection, Engagement

PCSA and Indicator 8 Family Engagement Crosswalk

This document from WSPEI (Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative) crosswalks strategies and resources from the PCSA (Procedural Compliance Self-Assessment) and Indicator 8 for Special Education: Family Engagement.

Key Word(s): Engagement, Universal Strategies, Resources