Intentional Community Engagement

Intentional Community Engagement involves a purposeful and structured approach within the school, fostering robust family/parent partnerships to support students’ achievement of readiness-aligned outcomes. Resources are allocated to prioritize family and community engagement, reinforcing the readiness vision. Effective systems foster collaborations with community-based organizations, ensuring capable students attain aligned outcomes. Existing partnerships underscore the inherent value of collective efforts in serving all students effectively.

Statements Depicting the Ideal Pursuit of a School

• The school has implemented robust systems and processes to cultivate family/parent partnerships, enabling students to achieve outcomes aligned with the readiness vision.
• Resources are allocated to prioritize family and community engagement, supporting the vision for readiness.
• The school has established effective systems to foster partnerships with community-based organizations, ensuring all students attain outcomes aligned with the readiness vision.
• Existing partnerships underscore the intrinsic and indispensable value of family/parent and community-based collaborations, serving all students effectively.

Points of Emphasis

• Partner with families and treat them as active partners in reinforcing and developing students’ Act and Go skills.
• A school’s identity and purpose should be shaped by families as well as students and staff. If families can see themselves in the identity and purpose of the school, they will feel a connection and be more likely to engage and partner.

Key Resources

Practice Anti-Bias Education Through Family & Community Engagement: Support Teacher-Family Relationships Built on Respect

How to Control the Heat: Quick Ways to Effectively Manage Difficult Topics & Situations

Strategies for Supporting Family Engagement in Schools: Reflect and Plan for Meaningful Engagement

Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement: Meaningfully Involving and Engaging Families and Trusted Community Advocates

Conduct Empathy Interviews: Elevating Student Voices, So You Can Understand and Support Them

Family and Community Engagement

Quotes

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb

“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing.” – Jean Vanier

Reflection Prompts

• What ways are you as a leader creating a welcoming space and opportunities for isolated students to provide feedback?
• Does your leadership team’s vision for your school align with your student and families vision for the school? How do you know?
• What family and community groups do you have high levels of trust with?
• What family and community groups do you need to build more trust with?
• What are 3 ideas you have for building more trusting relationships with the groups you feel are in the flattery and hating sectors of the feedback and trust grid video?
• What groups of families and students do you identify as needing more meaningful engagement or trust-building? Are there needs or resources you know they are not receiving that could be contributing to a lack of trust or engagement with the community?

All Toolkit Resources