Lessons from the Field Webinar - Engaging Families to Support Student Achievement | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)

Event Date

January 15, 2025 - 3:00 PM EST - January 15, 2025 - 4:30 PM EST Add to Calendar 2025-01-15 15:00:00 2025-01-15 16:30:00 Lessons from the Field Webinar - Engaging Families to Support Student Achievement On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join our next webinar, Engaging Families to Support Student Achievement. Engaging families in public schools can help create welcoming environments that support student development. It can also promote effective and honest communication and collaborative efforts between school staff and families to address the needs of students. Family engagement can be challenging, so how can schools effectively partner with families? What can schools do to improve the ways they connect with families? These are the questions we will address in this webinar. We will begin with a brief presentation on the impact of family engagement in public schools with a specific focus on building relational trust. Then we will have a discussion with our parent and caregiver panelists to hear about their experiences engaging with schools to support their children. They will discuss what helped facilitate that strong engagement and talk about how schools can implement best practices to increase family engagement. You will hear actionable takeaways you can use to enhance family engagement in your schools and districts.Speakers & PanelistsModerator: Cindy Carraway-Wilson, Training Specialist, NCSSLE, MESilvia Agosto, Parent, Advocate, EducatorTiffany R. Clark, Parent Leader & Facilitator, Parents Who Lead, FLAnne Henderson, Senior Consultant and Vice-Chair of the Board, National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement, DCElizabeth Maxwell, Parent; Advocate for Children and Families, Greater Rochester Parent Leadership Training Institute, NYThao Tran, Parent; Graduate, National Leadership Training Institute, CAWebinar MaterialsSpeaker biosSlidesRecording (Coming soon on Jan. 16)Transcript (Coming soon on Jan. 17)Please note these webinars are not trainings and NCSSLE does not offer certificates or CEUs. At most, we can confirm your participation if you attend the live event. Please email NCSSLE@air.org after the event to request proof of attendance and make sure to include the event title and date. If you watch the recording after the event, we are not able to provide proof of viewing. Related ResourcesWebinars/TrainingsIntroduction to Family Engagement in Education Self-paced learning module, ends December 10, 2025, HarvardXInvestigating the relationship between pre-pandemic family engagement and student and school outcomes PPT slides, Learning Heroes and TNTPWebinar: Innovative Approaches to Family and Community Engagement In School Harvard’s Education NowReportsCombatting Chronic Absenteeism with Family Engagement Harvard EdCastConnecticut's Definition and Framework for Family EngagementEngaging with Families on Daily Attendance Best Practices ClearinghouseEmbracing a New Normal: Toward a More Liberatory Approach to Family Engagement Carnegie Corporation of New YorkEmbracing Equity: Building Authentic Relationships with Families Great Lakes Equity CenterFamily Engagement to Support Student Success U.S. Department of EducationFrom Absent to Engaged ASCD Educational LeadershipThe Case for Strong Family and Community Engagement in Schools Useable KnowledgeUnlocking the 'How' - Designing Family Engagement Strategies That Lead to School Success Learning HeroesUm... Where Is Everybody? Harvard Ed. MagazineFrameworksThe Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships Dual CapacityBooksEveryone Wins! The Evidence for Family-School Partnerships and Implications for Practice ScholasticNational CentersNational Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE)National Parent Leadership Institute (NPLI)The Center for RelationaLearning Facebook GroupToolkits/InfographicsFamily and Community Engagement Infographics Comprehensive Center NetworkPlanning Toolkit: Collaborative Goal-Setting Events National Partnership for Student SuccessStudent Engagement and Attendance Center: Planning Tool for Family Engagement Westat Insight and AIRToolkit for Schools: Engaging Parents to Support Student Mental Health and Emotional Well-being CDCAdditional ResourcesREL Corner: Engaging Families Institute of Education SciencesSpecial Education — Parent Training and Information Centers. (ALN: 84.328) Grant opportunity, OSERSRegistration Attendees must register to participate. Who should register? State and District Leaders, School Administrators, Educators, Student Support Personnel, Parents, and other Education Stakeholders. RegisterMore on the Lessons from the Field SeriesTo access archived materials from previous webinars and to find out what is coming next, go here.In Case You Missed ItDo you want more explore approaches to family engagement? Visit the U.S. Department of Education’s webpage, Raising the Bar for Parent Partnership and Engagement. To dive a little deeper download The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships.Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions. Online Online noreply@air.org America/New_York public

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join our next webinar, Engaging Families to Support Student Achievement.

Engaging families in public schools can help create welcoming environments that support student development. It can also promote effective and honest communication and collaborative efforts between school staff and families to address the needs of students.

Family engagement can be challenging, so how can schools effectively partner with families? What can schools do to improve the ways they connect with families? These are the questions addressed in this webinar. We began with a brief presentation on the impact of family engagement in public schools with a specific focus on building relational trust. Then we had a discussion with our parent and caregiver panelists to hear about their experiences engaging with schools to support their children. They discussed what helped facilitate that strong engagement and talk about how schools can implement best practices to increase family engagement. Participants heard actionable takeaways they can use to enhance family engagement in schools and districts.

Speakers & Panelists

Moderator: Cindy Carraway-Wilson, Training Specialist, NCSSLE, ME

Silvia Agosto, Parent, Advocate, Educator
Tiffany R. Clark, Parent Leader & Facilitator, Parents Who Lead, FL
Anne Henderson, Senior Consultant and Vice-Chair of the Board, National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement, DC
Elizabeth Maxwell, Parent; Advocate for Children and Families, Greater Rochester Parent Leadership Training Institute, NY
Thao Tran, Parent; Graduate, National Leadership Training Institute, CA

Webinar Materials

Please note these webinars are not trainings and NCSSLE does not offer certificates or CEUs. At most, we can confirm your participation if you attend the live event. Please email NCSSLE@air.org after the event to request proof of attendance and make sure to include the event title and date. If you watch the recording after the event, we are not able to provide proof of viewing.

Related Resources

Webinars/Trainings

Introduction to Family Engagement in Education Self-paced learning module, ends December 10, 2025, HarvardX
Investigating the relationship between pre-pandemic family engagement and student and school outcomes PPT slides, Learning Heroes and TNTP
Webinar: Innovative Approaches to Family and Community Engagement In School Harvard’s Education Now

Reports

Combatting Chronic Absenteeism with Family Engagement Harvard EdCast
Connecticut's Definition and Framework for Family Engagement
Engaging with Families on Daily Attendance Best Practices Clearinghouse
Embracing a New Normal: Toward a More Liberatory Approach to Family Engagement Carnegie Corporation of New York
Embracing Equity: Building Authentic Relationships with Families Great Lakes Equity Center
Family Engagement to Support Student Success U.S. Department of Education
From Absent to Engaged ASCD Educational Leadership
The Case for Strong Family and Community Engagement in Schools Useable Knowledge
Unlocking the 'How' - Designing Family Engagement Strategies That Lead to School Success Learning Heroes
Um... Where Is Everybody? Harvard Ed. Magazine

Frameworks

The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships Dual Capacity

Books

Everyone Wins! The Evidence for Family-School Partnerships and Implications for Practice Scholastic

National Centers

Toolkits/Infographics

Family and Community Engagement Infographics Comprehensive Center Network
Planning Toolkit: Collaborative Goal-Setting Events National Partnership for Student Success
Student Engagement and Attendance Center: Planning Tool for Family Engagement Westat Insight and AIR
Toolkit for Schools: Engaging Parents to Support Student Mental Health and Emotional Well-being CDC

Additional Resources

REL Corner: Engaging Families Institute of Education Sciences
Special Education — Parent Training and Information Centers. (ALN: 84.328) Grant opportunity, OSERS

More on the Lessons from the Field Series

To access archived materials from previous webinars and to find out what is coming next, go here.

In Case You Missed It

Do you want more explore approaches to family engagement? Visit the U.S. Department of Education’s webpage, Raising the Bar for Parent Partnership and Engagement. To dive a little deeper download The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships.

Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions.