1. Turning Your Vision Into Action:
STRENGTHENING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Help Your School. Let You Voice Be Heard.
The School District of Philadelphia
Office of Family and Community Engagement
| | (215)
Help Your School. Let You Voice Be Heard.
The School District of Philadelphia
Office of Family and Community Engagement
| | (215)

2. Discussion 1
Why do you want to be involved in your student’s school? 2
What sort of challenges might schools have with creating positive, engaging atmospheres? 3
What barriers might keep some families from being engaged in their child’s school? In the SAC?

3. VIDEO: “My Daddy is a Liar”

4. Training Objectives 1
Understand the difference between family engagement and family involvement. 2
Become familiar with the Dual-Capacity Framework.
Develop strategies to bring people who accurately represent your school community to come to your SAC meetings...and keep them coming back! 3

5. Family Involvement?
Family Engagement?

6. What’s the Difference? Family Involvement Family Engagement
One-way information-sharing
Top-down approach
Irregular meetings/events
Family Engagement
Two-way conversations
Treating families as partners in education
Regular, sustained contact

7. Family Engagement as a Strategy for School Improvement
Dr. Karen Mapp:
Family Engagement as a Strategy for School Improvement
Open Door School
Fortress School
Come-if-we-Call School
Partnership School
Dr. Karen Mapp
Building capacity of families and school-based professional staff to create a collaborative partnership.

8. Dual-Capacity Framework
Commitment to Family Engagement
should be a high priority
Professional development creates
effective partnerships
Understand that families are co-creators
of effective school systems

9. Outreach & Engagement Recruiting participants
Getting people excited to get involved
ENGAGEMENT
Keeping people motivated
Sustaining participation

10. Outreach & Engagement Basics
Know the community
Meet the people where they are
Become a familiar face in the community: build relationships with face-to-face interactions

11. Outreach & Engagement Basics
Be consistent
Create a structure for your group that is easy to follow and easy to participate in
Meetings should be regular and easy to remember (day, time, location)
Relentless engagement and outreach!

12. Outreach & Engagement Basics
Everybody has a purpose!
Keep a positive open mind—everybody has something to offer
Is there someone who tends to shy away from conversation? Have them contribute elsewhere each week!
Maintain the sign-in sheet
Make nametags for attendees
Set up the technology

13. Brainstorm Engagement Strategies!
Write your recruitment slogan (see worksheet)
Example: “Help your school. Let your voice be heard.”
Brainstorm recruitment and engagement activities (see handout)