PROVEN TOOLS, STRATEGIES, AND RESOURCES Denise Daniels Family Engagement Coordinator

PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FAMILIES  School tours for families (ELL in particular)  Grade-level learning packets  Family visits  Grade-level parent discussion groups  Lending libraries  Family interactive homework  Parenting workshops  Health and nutrition education for parents  Student-led parent-teacher conferences  Meetings with middle school staff and parents

PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL FAMILIES  Family visits  Family workshops to explain courses, electives, credits, graduation requirements, etc.  Student-led, parent-teacher conferences  Peer Tutors and Peer Mentor programs for students  Family classes on puberty, raising teenagers, drug and alcohol prevention/intervention, depression/suicide prevention, etc.  Social Media and Technology Workshops  Support for incoming mid-year students  Parent-student-counselor sessions for joint college admissions and career planning  College and career fairs for families  College tours for families  FAFSA and other financial aid workshops for parents

ADDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO SCHOOL EVENTS  Back-to-school night - add a guided school building tour for bilingual families  Family dinner - add parent involvement workshop  Open house - add community resources fair  Curriculum night - add cultural heritage fair potluck  ESL class presentations - add understanding the school system workshop  Parent-Teacher conference - add student study skills workshop (with interpretation for ELL families)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  The National Network of Partnerships Schools - Johns Hopkins University - Click on TIPS (Teachers Involve Parents in Schools)  Parent Toolkit -  Family and Community Engagement Network  Parent Engagement and Resources Pages- ASD  National Education Association  National Association for the Education of Young Children

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS  Beyond the Bake Sale- Henderson/Mapp  School, Family, and Community Partnerships; Preparing Educators and Improving Schools- Epstein and Associates  Schooling Students Placed at Risk: Research, Policy, and Practice in the Education of Poor and Minority Adolescents –Epstein and Associates  Multicultural Partnerships Involve All Families- Hutchins/Greenfeld