Prenatal through Grade 12 Family Engagement Framework Federal Grant Programs Conference June 6, 2019

MA Family Engagement Coalition Regional Stakeholder Coalition State Stakeholder Coalition State Planning Team

MA Family Engagement Coalition – State Planning Team Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Kathy Rodriguez Donna Traynham Emily Taylor Department of Early Education and Care Gail DeRiggi Department of Public Health – Bureau of Maternal and Child Health Suzanne Gottlieb Roxanne Hoke-Chandler

MA Family Engagement Coalition – Regional Coalition Families Public Schools Museums Home Visitors Family Engagement Organizations Libraries Early Intervention Family Advocates Head Start Regional DCF Offices Cultural Organizations Early Education and Care Programs CFCEs Health Care Centers/Hospitals FCC Parent Leadership Networks Parent Child Home Programs Horizons for Homeless WIC MIRA Community Organizations

MA Family Engagement Coalition – State Coalition Education Health and Human Services Recruiting Department of Early Education and Care Department of Public Health Department of Housing and Community Development Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Department of Children and Families Department of Youth Services Department of Higher Education Department of Transitional Assistance Department of Corrections Children's Trust Department of Mental health   University of Massachusetts Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council Board of Library Commissioners Office of Refugees and Immigrants

Draft Structure of the Framework – Guiding Principles Each family is unique and all families represent diverse structures. Recognize and respect the uniqueness of each family. Keep families’ voices and perspectives at the center Plan and do activities with families and not for families. Each family is distinct in the strengths it possesses, needs it has, and barriers it faces. Recognize and respect the individuality of each family. Building a respectful, trusting, and reciprocal relationship is an equal responsibility of families, staff, programs, and systems. Embrace the philosophy that building positive goal oriented relationships is a two way process between all those involved. Families are their child’s first and best advocate. Recognize families as the best champions of their child’s success in all domains of development. Engage families in all decisions made with regards to their child. Family engagement must be equitable. Recognize and address inequities and implicit and explicit bias, within individuals and programs, when engaging with families.

Draft Elements and Indicators of the Framework Building Relationships Intentionally build and sustain relationship with all families Build reciprocal and balanced communication with families Collaborate with families to create and/or promote connections among families Share Power and Decision Making Family Well-Being, Development and Learning Identify collaborative development and learning opportunities among families, schools and community organizations Engage youth and family in a process of learning and development through peer-to-peer interactions Develop multi-pronged systems of information exchange among families, schools and community organizations to enhance family and youth learning and development Employ multiple strategies to connect families with resources to enhance family wellbeing Creating Pathways for Community Engagement Identify barriers to community and civic engagement that families face Partner with families and youth in identifying and planning community engagement activities Leverage and build family knowledge Use family driven approaches to community engagement Provide family leadership opportunities Provide opportunities for diverse youth leadership and voice Connect families with resources/services/community agencies Engage community members/agencies/organizations in ways meaningful to the families Transitions Health Human Services Education

Draft Structure of the Framework – System Building Creating a Culture of Family Engagement Equity and Family Engagement Staffing Training and Professional Development Resource Development Evaluation

Changing up Family Engagement in Lawrence Public Schools Federal Grants Conference June 6, 2019 Presented by: Nelson Butten, Director of Community, Family, and Student Engagement. Email: nelson.butten@Lawrence.k12.ma.us Jessica MacLeod, Director of Early Childhood Education Email: jessica.macleod@Lawrence.k12.ma.us

Our Foundational Element Supporting Child, Youth, and Family Well-Being, Development, and Learning Create opportunities and pathways for families, schools, and community organizations to collaborate with each other to identify, share, and access supports and resources related to family well-being, development, and learning.

Element: Promoting Pathways for Community Engagement Design Thinking Element: Promoting Pathways for Community Engagement Partner with families and youth in identifying and planning community engagement activities Use Family-driven approaches to community engagement Provide opportunities for diverse youth leadership and voice

Strategic Planning Process Began in 2016-17 Who: School leaders Educators Students Community partners Family Engagement team Technical assistance from Great Schools Partnership and Every Day Democracy Vision LPS administrators, educators, parents, students and community members engage in authentic partnerships in service of student success.

Partnering with Families and Youth in Identifying and Planning Community Engagement Activities

Community, College and Career Readiness Lawrence PS: Strategic Plan for High-Quality Family Engagement (HQFE - Jan 2018) Model and communicate the type of authentic partnerships we seek in schools [Launched Family Engagement Partnership Council, 9/17] Provide time, space and resources for schools to prioritize HQFE [PDs underway; HQFE Fellowship to launch in July; media campaign coming this spring] Pilot communication and transition activities to provide promising practices for feeder schools [Community Day, Arlington, and Tarbox School workgroups] Utilize the district’s Family Engagement Team to go deeper with schools to help improve HQFE strategies [Home-School Compacts] PARENTS CLASSROOMS COMMUNITY LPS STUDENTS DISTRICT The district calls out and acts upon its commitment to HQFE as an academic strategy SCHOOLS Schools embed HQFE practices in school’s operational and instructional systems Presidents’ Council Continuing New Community, College and Career Readiness Survey school administrators and educators capacity and needs for HQFE [Survey conducted in September 2017]

Collaborative stakeholder group based on Planning Group Family Engagement Partnership Council: Providing opportunities for family leadership and for families to connect with other families Collaborative stakeholder group based on Planning Group Learning and Leading mission Develops and staffs workgroups Fellowship Current focus: policy work for 2019-20

Engagement Fellowship: Inclusive of all goals for Building Positive Relationships Five or Six school teams commit to 32-hour intensive Build capacity Grow mindset Evaluate current practices, with lenses: Authentic partnerships Shared decision making Five roles families play Engage families and students in solutions Intentionally build and sustain relationships with all families Build reciprocal and balanced communication with families Collaborate with families to create and/or promote connections among families Share power and decision making

Lessons to highlight Providing stipends along with child care is critical in establishing a professional and respectful arena for important work. Providing opportunities for diverse youth leadership and voice means that the adults have to be very flexible regarding time and location of meetings as well as dedicated to forms of communication that work (texts over Outlook calendar reminders) Sharing power and decision making takes more time at the onset but increases credibility and buy in.

Contact information Presented by: Nelson Butten, Director of Community, Family, and Student Engagement. Email: nelson.butten@Lawrence.k12.ma.us Jessica MacLeod, Director of Early Childhood Education Email: jessica.macleod@Lawrence.k12.ma.us