In a sector largely ignored in policy and the public imagination, Alternative Provision works to care for and educate children for whom mainstream schooling does not work. Central to their mission is the engagement of families, often seen as both the cause of their child's difficulties and the solution to their successful educational…

Families are critical partners in addressing chronic absenteeism. Drawing from research, authors Thomas J. Capretta, Jingyang (Max) Zhang, and Barbara J. Boone present four throughlines and six strategies for schools to improve attendance by building trust and partnering with families. In view of chronic absenteeism's association with negative…

Students do better and stay longer in school when families are engaged, according to research. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to study parent and family engagement in Title I schools. This report examines: (1) the extent to which Title I schools made required parent and family engagement information available on their…

Often noted in educational scholarship is Latinx/a/o students' experiences of racism that they encounter from peers, faculty, and staff within college contexts. Less discussed, however, are the persistent long-term effects of everyday, racist messages on Latinx/a/o students they received in PreK-12 years and how these forms of marginalization in…

In recent years, the federal Department of Education (ED), and state and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs, respectively) have been increasing the emphasis on the need to engage parents and families of students in their children's education. Initiatives have sprung up across the fifty states and Washington, D.C. to help officials at the…

Much has been written regarding student and educator expression in school; however, until recently, family expression seemed to be overlooked in debates on speech and education. Though discussion among education practitioners and researchers on family-school partnerships has continued for over thirty years, thoughtful analysis of interactions…

Our mixed-method study examined the mental health of Latinx children in migrant farmworker (LMFW) families, assessed whether acculturative stressors contributed to mental health problems, and examined whether family warmth and support counteracted the negative effects of acculturative stressors on mental health. Participants were children aged…

This brief emphasizes the importance of including the voices and experiences of students, families, staff, and community partners in educational decision-making processes. It provides five key considerations for schools to effectively engage with their educational partners, such as making authentic connections through listening sessions and…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools in the U.S. pivoted to provide services to students using technology to mitigate the need for face-to-face interactions. In addition to providing instruction using distance technology, it was necessary for schools to conduct much of their other business in a way that limited face-to-face interactions,…

This brief report summarizes some of the family engagement services provided by Austin Independent School District's parent support specialists to families during the 2020 calendar year. There is a separately published report that summarizes services during the 2019-2020 school year.

Family engagement has long been recognized as crucial to a child's overall academic achievement. The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) recognizes that evolving from traditional parental involvement to effective partnerships between families and family-facing practitioners improves learning outcomes for students as a critical practice…

Latina mothers frequently impart guidance and lessons on their children as they traverse educational spaces. Drawing from their own lived experiences and epistemologies, Latina mothers often provide advice and support necessary for their children to persist academically and authentically. To extend the existing literature, our narrative study…

The purpose of this mixed methods study is to better understand the diverse needs of Latine newcomer families relocating to the United States and enrolling in a southeastern elementary school. Specifically, this study gathered and analyzed the unique experiences of these families immigrating into the U.S. to fully comprehend what they have been…

Public school leaders in Kindergarten through grade 12 school systems must support teachers in understanding and valuing diverse types of Family Engagement. Regular Family Engagement can have positive outcomes for students, including increased academic success, social-emotional stability, and opportunities for community involvement (Arce, 2019;…

A growing number of school districts are engaging in systems-level, equity-based reform to redress persistent disparities, and many are hiring Equity Directors to lead the way. This qualitative study explores the role of Equity Directors, asking, "What are the leadership practices of Equity Directors?" and "What are the purposes…