Why should families be engaged?

The research on family engagement in education spans 30 years and shows that when families support their children’s learning at home, their children will be more successful. Anne Henderson, is a Senior Consultant with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, national researcher and consultant on family involvement practices, reports that “when families are involved at home and at school, children do better in school and schools get better. If their families are involved, students from all backgrounds tend to:

• Earn higher grades and test scores
• Enroll in higher-level programs
• Be promoted and earn credits
• Adapt well to school and attend regularly
• Have better social skills and behavior
• Graduate and go on to higher education.”

For Agencies what does this mean?

WSPEI provides:

• Resources to clarify special education and the school system
• Access to electronic or hard copy of educational materials
• Connect to other agencies
• Provide educational opportunities to learn about k-12 education

For Families what does this mean?

WSPEI provides:

• Individual family support
• Strategies to navigate the school system
• Access to free electronic or hard copy educational materials
• Connect to other parents and organizations
• Provide educational opportunities to learn how to participate in their child’s development and learning
• Information about options if you disagree with a decision of the school.

For Schools what does this mean?

WSPEI’s role is to support schools in the:

• Recruitment of District Family Engagement Liaisons
• Development of family engagement teams and creating family engagement plans which address the State Performance Plan Indicator #8 Data
• Access to educational materials to support more effective collaboration with families