Tools for Communicating Effectively with Families
TalkingPoints is a non-profit organization solely focused on family engagement for families of under-resourced, multilingual communities. TalkingPoints is a free app that supports educators in interacting with any family member regardless of language – Educators write a message in English, families message back in their own language.
Framework and Conditions for Effective Partnerships
The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2). The Dual Capacity-Building Framework lays out the goals and conditions necessary to chart a path toward effective family engagement efforts that are linked to student achievement and school improvement. Based on existing research and best practices, the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships is designed to support the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs.
Process Conditions Descriptions and Rubrics. The process conditions articulate what we now know about the actions or steps we need to build into our planning of a family engagement event, program, or initiative to ensure its success. (Powerful Partnerships, Mapp, et al, 2017)
Handout: The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 1)
“As a result of this enhanced capacity on the part of the district and school staff and families, districts and schools are able to cultivate and sustain at scale active, respectful, and effective partnerships with families…”
Assessing Your Practice
- APS FACE Checklist -March 2021
- Inventory of Current Family Engagement Practices
- CROSSWALK: APS FACE Checklist / Your Voice Matters (Family Survey)
- Four Versions of Family-School Partnerships
- Checklist: How Family‐Friendly Is Your School?
- Checklist: How Closely Is Your School’s Parent Involvement Program Linked to Student Learning?
Examine Your Beliefs
- Scholastic Beliefs Survey
- Exercise: How Do We See the Families?
- Self Awareness & Bridge Building Tool: Who am I? Who are you?
- Worksheet: Examine Your Own Beliefs
- Equity and Family Engagement Core Beliefs Survey
High Impact Strategies
- From Vision to Practice: What Does High-Impact Family Engagement Look Like?
- Handout: The Joining Process by Karen Mapp
- Home Visits
- Academic Parent-Teacher Teams
- FACE Action Team Description and Form
- Parent-Principal Chats Planning Guide
Family Engagement Toolkits
Working Together Toolkit. Created for educators by the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center, this toolkit covers everything from creating two-way communication with families to setting goals and parent-teacher conferences.
Family Engagement for High School Success. A joint effort by United Way Worldwide and Harvard Family Research Project, this toolkit is designed to support at-risk high school students by engaging families, schools, and the community (2011).
Family-Friendly Resources
- Example: You CAN Back to School Curriculum Letter – from Ilene Carver
- Example: Human Bingo – From Carlin Springs Elementary
- Table Tents Math Talk – Bilingual
