The importance of family engagement in schools is recognised all around the world, not least in the USA, where there is a body called National PTA, representing Parent-Teacher Associations and advocating for strong family engagement in schools.
They have an interesting listing of family engagement programs from all around America, including:
- Families and Schools Together (FAST) – a “two-generation” program that facilitates eight weeks of sessions designed to strengthen family and child relationships and foster more family to family connections.
- Getting Ready, which trains educators in eight evidence-based strategies to enhance their partnerships with families and offers guidance and ongoing coaching on how to conduct meetings with families through home visits, conferences and informal interactions.
- ParentCorps – an evidence-based model, including training and coaching for educators, a group-based program for families, and a classroom social-emotional learning curriculum – designed to strengthen family engagement and social-emotional learning in early childhood education.
There are lots more, and though these programs are running in the USA, many of the ideas and principles are easily transferable to Australian schools.
Well worth a look!