Family Engagement Strategies

Evaluation is an important procedure for any program that is seeking to improve or assess its program strategies. The evaluation of family engagement practices can help build up and expand program’s connection with families. However, there is no one best way to evaluate family engagement. Programs should choose an evaluations process that will assist them in answering their most demanding questions. The proposed family engagement strategies and activities look great on paper; however, dilemmas, obstacles, and even resistance will occur while implementing them. Even though families of all students in the school can benefit from the proposed strategies, the barriers will appear when engaging single parents, parents with special needs, low-income …show more content…
They want to help set the school policy, select curriculum materials, review budgets, etc. The challenges that occur when including parents in school decision making are the inclusion of the parent leaders from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other groups in the school. It is imperative to have representatives from these groups included and trained to be parent leaders and student advocates in the community. Again, the assessment of needs is important in order to provide the means and opportunities for all to be a part of the parent leadership group in school. When instituted, the parents gain the feeling of ownership of school and awareness of parent’s voices in school decisions; they provide insightful input for the policies that affect child’s education, and share experiences and connections with other families. Students gain an understanding and awareness of family representation in school decision. They understand that student rights are protected, thus getting the feeling of being safe and willing to ask for help when needed (Epstein, …show more content…
Parent and community groups help provide the rationale, motivation, and social action necessary for educational reform. Everyone can benefit from parent/community involvement. Students tend to perform better in school and have more people support their learning. Parents are given the opportunity to know more about what is going on at school, communicate with their children’s teachers, and can be given the resources to help their children increase their learning. Teachers gain a partner in education, learn more about their students through their parents and community contacts and are able to use that information to increase student performance (Banks & Banks,