Family Engagement
Family engagement in education is essential to ensuring that children achieve their maximum academic potential. The evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children's achievement in school from nursery school through graduation. When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.
How are the many ways that families are engaged in their children's education related to achievement? Many studies found that students with involved parents were more likely to:
- Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs;
- Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits;
- Attend school regularly;
- Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school;
- And graduate and go on to postsecondary education.
The enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001 has provided schools and school districts with a clear mandate that families must be partners in the education of their children. Therefore, the New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC) supports the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in its efforts to implement the NCLB requirements for Family Engagement.
Objectives
The Family Engagement team assists NYSED to:
- Distribute materials and resources that will help deepen parents' understanding of NCLB.
- Support the training and ongoing professional development of parent coordinators and other parent educators.
- Identify and train cadres of parent leaders to support NCLB and NYSED initiatives.
- Support local school districts in implementing the supplemental educational services (SES) and school choice provisions in the law.
Contact
Bob Witherspoon, Family Engagement Team Leader
witherspoonb
rmcarl.com