Parent Involvement and Family Engagement

Information to support the engagement of parents and families in education and in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) development process.

Importance of Engaging Families

Why is meaningful engagement of parents and families important? For years, research has shown that strong family-school partnerships lead to improved student outcomes, such as:

Improved identification of needs
Improved social emotional development
Improved attendance
Improved academics
Lower suspension rates
Increased graduation rates
Improved preparation for college/career

Outcomes are best achieved when families and schools work together, collaboratively and in an ongoing partnership that is focused on supporting improved learning and development outcomes.

Overview of Requirements

Each local educational agency (LEA) is required to adopt a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) with goals that address all applicable state priorities, one of which is Priority 3 (Parental Involvement and Family Engagement). Priority 3 asks LEAs to address parental involvement and family engagement, including efforts the school district makes to seek parent input in making decisions for the school district and each individual school site, and including how the school district will promote parental participation in programs for unduplicated students (low income, foster youth and English learners) and individuals with exceptional needs.

In addition, among other things, the superintendent of a school district or a county office of education is required to:

Present the LCAP and/or annual update to the LCAP to advisory committees (parent advisory committee, English learner parent advisory committee and student advisory committee, as applicable) for review and comment; and
Respond, in writing, to comments received from the parent advisory committee and English learner parent advisory committee, as applicable. There is no requirement in statute for the superintendent to respond to comments from a student advisory committee.

As part of the local indicator requirements for Priority 3, LEAs are required to:

Monitor their progress related to parental involvement and family engagement;
Report to their local board at the same meeting in which they adopt the LCAP; and
Report to the Dashboard.

Planning and Implementation

When planning, LEAs are encouraged to consider current needs, research and best practices for achieving strong family-school partnerships that promote improved student outcomes, in addition to the requirements for consultation and engagement in the development of the LCAP.

For additional considerations, please refer to slide number 18 and slides 45-53 of the Engaging Educational Partners presentation (PPTX).

Resources

Following are some resources which may be helpful to LEAs and educational partners, including parents. These links are intended to provide a starting point for resources; however, they are not intended to encompass all existing resources.

First 5 California: Early Childhood Resources for California's Children
Resources for parents related to early childhood learning and development
National Association for the Education of Young Children: For Families
Resources for parents related to child development, reading, writing, music, math, etc.
Understanding Family Engagement Outcomes: Research to Practice Series (Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center [ECLKC])
Resources to foster strong relationships with families of Head Start students and support positiveoutcomes for children, families and staff
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) - Resources
Information and Resources for students, parents, and guardians about the CCSS available under the Student/Parent tab
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Information for Parents
Information for parents regarding various state assessments, how to understand student score reports, and how to support learning at home
Learning Heroes: Dear Teacher Letter
An example of one letter that helps parents to introduce their child to the teacher, describe their child's needs and identify goals for the year
Learning Heroes: Parent-Teacher Planning Tool
An example of a tool to get ready for parent-teacher conferences
Family Involvement & Partnerships - Special Education
Resources and support for parents, guardians, and families of children with disabilities
Improving Outcomes for Multilingual Students with Exceptional Needs
Resources to support the improvement of outcomes for multilingual students with exceptional needs
High Quality Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
Resources to support meaningful engagement in the IEP process
Dual Capacity: The Dual Capacity Building Framework (Version 2)
National framework designed to support the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs that is based on research and best practice
California Standards for the Teaching Profession (Commission on Teacher Credentialing)
Information regarding California's updated standards for the teaching profession which address family engagement
Family Engagement Core Competencies (National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement)
One example of core competencies (knowledge and skills) for staff working with families developed through a partnership with researchers, educational practitioners, and staff from the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement
Participatory Systems Change for Equity: An Inquiry Guide for Child-, Youth-, and Family-Serving Agencies (WestEd)
Resources for engaging local community members in systems change
Self-Reflection Tool for Priority 3 (DOCX)
Self-Reflection Tool for Priority 3 (Parental Involvement and Family Engagement) that supports LEAs in monitoring progress, identifying needs, and considering areas to address in LCAP
LCFF Priority 3 Statement of Model Practices
Example of practices that promoting parental and family engagement
Research Brief: Engaging and Empowering Diverse and Underserved Families (PDF)
Strategies for engaging and empowering underrepresented families
Family Engagement Toolkit: Continuous Improvement Through an Equity Lens (PDF), Family Engagement Framework: A Tool for California School Districts-English (PDF) and Editable Templates
Toolkit, framework, and editable templates to support family engagement through a continuous improvement and equity lens
System Improvement Leads
Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA) System Improvement Leads (SIL) Project resources focused on building the capacity of SELPAs and LEAs to improve outcomes for students with disabilities
Open Access 2.0 | Learning and Participation for All Students
Resources to support students with disabilities including those related to universal design for learning, accessible technology, and augmentative alternative communication