Family Action Teams: Implementation Plays
- We support the school leader and Family Engagement Lead in building a Family Action Team at the school site comprised of school leaders, teachers, families, and community partners. We provide ongoing coaching and support to the school leader and Family Engagement Lead to facilitate outreach, manage the team, and create a culture of trust and strong family engagement at their school.
- We support Family Action Teams to facilitate a participatory process to evaluate family engagement at the school site and assess school priorities and needs.
- We support teams to define their mission and vision and set goals for the year in alignment with the school’s Call-to-Action plan, and then regularly check-in on progress.
- We work with schools to create a menu of activities they can use to accomplish their goals (e.g., coffee with the principal, academic activities for families, coordinating a parent volunteer program) and support the Family Action Teams to implement regular and consistent opportunities for families to engage in their school community.
- We facilitate quarterly Family Action Team trainings across the network that include community partners, parents, teachers, and community representatives.
- We support the Family Action Team to ensure culturally appropriate, inclusive, and parent-centered language in all family communications to encourage strong attendance and ensure that learning happening in the classroom is reinforced in the home.
- We collaborate with school leaders to gradually release ownership and encourage families to take on leadership roles within the Family Action Team.
- We support Family Action Teams to regularly implement systems of data collection and evaluation (e.g., interviews, focus groups, surveys) to assess and continuously improve upon family engagement strategies.