Insight Help Center
Family and Community Engagement
To ensure students’ success, learning should be well-supported both within and outside of school. In this Insight survey domain, teachers assess the relationships they have built with students’ families and the systems in place to keep families involved in students’ education.
Recommendations
Based on our extensive experience, TNTP recommends the following as evidence-based practices for this domain:
- Create a Shared Vision: Communities and school systems must first work closely together to shape a common vision for student success and make sure that everyone—from teachers to parents to community leaders—have a role to play in that vision.
- Build Intentional Culture and Diversity: To build trust—especially in communities that have experienced divestment—schools must address implicit and explicit bias, understand the unique context and assets of specific communities, and encourage the sharing of diverse perspectives.
- Foster Authentic Collaboration: Families and community organizations are critical to student success. Schools need to share data and resources that can help families and community organizations better support student learning outside of school.
- Practice 360-Degree Communication: Sharing information regularly and transparently is critical, but it’s not enough. Schools must create meaningful opportunities for all voices to be heard, and families and communities need to know the role their feedback played in decision-making.
Resources
| Resource | Description |
| Walking Together: A Practical Guide for Strengthening Partnerships Between Schools, Families, and Communities | An introduction to the Pillars of Community Engagement with case studies and guides for districts, schools, and families |
| Language Isn’t a Barrier—It’s an Opportunity | A case study of how Durham Public Schools built partnerships with families of English Language Learners |
| Rising Together: How Four Districts are Building Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic | A report on how TNTP’s four pillars of community engagement were applied in four districts during the pandemic |
| Engaging Families and Community Partners in Decision-Making | An outline of five key steps for engaging families, caregivers, and community organizations |