Stronger Together: Lessons Learned from Professional Learning Networks Focused on Family Engagement
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Between 2017 and 2020, Families In Schools (FIS) facilitated multiple Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) focused on family engagement. These networks built the capacity of school,
This summary explains the lessons that facilitators and participants learned from these PLNs.
district, and Charter Management Organization (CMO) staff to engage families and strengthen
It shows that the PLNs facilitated shifts in mindset for those who participated. Participants learned that improving practices and outcomes in their organizations requires a deep exploration of root causes, a strong understanding of and connection to their communities, and collaborative problemsolving. Participants increasingly replaced compliance-oriented practices with authentic and equitable family engagement strategies that celebrated the many assets of families and fostered true partnerships between educators, family members, and students.
school-family partnerships, with the goal of empowering families to support their children academically, to advocate for their children, and to participate in school and district/CMO decision-making. The PLNs offered family engagement professionals a unique, rich, and transformational experience. Participants were able to access a wide array of resources,
Professional learning networks have the potential to create lasting and meaningful change for schools, families, and communities. Education leaders can build upon these lessons and scale similar opportunities so more educators, families, and students can benefit.
tools, and strategies which they are actively using to improve family engagement in their communities. They also developed lasting and supportive relationships with one another.
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Policy Context In California, state policymakers recognized the potential for family engagement when they passed the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in 2013. LCFF replaced historically narrow priorities and accountability metrics for student outcomes like achievement on standardized test scores with seven additional priorities, including parent involvement.
Why Family Engagement Matters Research has long shown the benefits of family engagement:
To help districts realize the shifts called for by LCFF and engage in continuous improvement, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) launched an experiment in collaborative professional learning. Drawing on Santiago Rincón-Gallardo and Michael Fullan’s research on effective networks in education, CCEE’s statewide Professional Learning Network (PLN) initiative brought together peer groups to focus on locally identified priorities. Through a structured and facilitated network, participants advance their capacity to improve student outcomes through continuous improvement efforts.
•P arental involvement leads to student success in areas such as greater achievement, reduced absenteeism, and improved behavior. • I n places where parents are empowered as partners and decision-makers, student outcomes also improve. •W hen parents have trusting relationships with school staff and believe their contributions are taken seriously, they are more motivated to be involved in school. Moreover, family engagement is critical as schools experience extended periods of distance learning and disrupted routines. During this time, it has been particularly important that educators listen closely to and respond to their families’ needs.
By participating in these PLNs, district and CMO staff aimed to improve their organizations’ performance, as measured by local indicators as well as the California School Dashboard.
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Family Engagement Professional Learning Networks FIS facilitated two PLNs focused on family engagement: a Central Valley network with four school districts that they co-facilitated with Californians for Justice, and a Los Angeles Charters network that brought together four Charter Management Organizations (CMOs). This latter PLN continued for a third year as a Bridge PLN in order to extend its impact. In addition to monthly meetings, facilitators offered participants targeted support through one-on-one sessions. Through the PLNs, participants had the opportunity to build relationships and to share strategies, resources and tools with family engagement professionals from other school districts and charter schools. Although each PLN was structured and facilitated in a way that allowed participants to define the focus of the network, the PLNs generally focused on: • Building trust and relationships • Designing and implementing cycles for continuous improvement • Foundational family and student engagement practices • Family, student, and community engagement for LCFF and LCAP purposes • Enhancing equity in family and student engagement • Addressing and supporting individual school or district/CMO needs related to family and student engagement practices
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Lessons Learned Six key lessons emerged from these PLNs: LESSON 1: PLNs help participants develop and embrace a growth mindset about learning and problem-solving. Participants learned to collaboratively tackle adaptive rather than technical challenges – ones that demand new ways of thinking and that are tough to solve on one’s own. LESSON 2: PLNs help participants develop trusting and open relationships that promote continued collaboration. Facilitators cultivated a “team without competition” by focusing on collaboration and capacity-building. Because they formed a strong community, many participants continued to collaborate after their formal time together ended. LESSON 3: Authentic family engagement must stem from organizational values and belief systems, not compliance-oriented requirements. By cultivating and maintaining a family-centric approach to their work, school and district staff can effectively address families’ needs and authentically engage them as partners and leaders in student learning. LESSON 4: Equity needs to be front and center when families are engaged. Schools, districts, and CMOs need to confront issues of race, bias, discrimination, privilege, and power in their communities and in their planning. This is necessary in order for families to feel fully welcomed, included, and heard. LESSON 5: For family engagement truly to be a priority, school and district/CMO leaders must make it visible through their staffing structures and strategic plans. This translates into an organizational culture that values authentic family engagement. LESSON 6: Education professionals are hungry for specific tools and resources to support authentic family engagement. Both novice and expert family engagement professionals can benefit from continuous training as well as from tangible resources that allow them to deepen their practice and advance engagement strategies in their communities.
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Evidence of Impact A few ways in which the PLNs strengthened family engagement practices in participating CMOs and districts: • T hrough the PLN, several Los Angeles Charter networks jointly created Parent Engagement Guidelines for their organizations and others to use. • T hrough the PLN, Camino Nuevo charter network learned about and adopted a simple but powerful data tool that frees up staff time for family engagement while offering insights about parent involvement. Parent volunteers now scan ID cards upon entering and leaving the school site, and the tool then tabulates and reports actionable data. •C entral Valley PLN participants exchanged ideas about how to train parents to run and have ownership of District Advisory Committee (DAC) meetings. For example, Arvin Unified planned to improve District Advisory Council agendas and facilitation using the “Robert’s Rules of Order” after learning about it from Bakersfield City School District. •D uring the course of the PLN, Fresno Unified strengthened its student engagement committees and strategies. In two years, the number of students responding to the LCAP survey increased from 90 to more than 9,000. Through the PLN, other Central Valley districts learned about and experimented with student advisory committees.
RECOMMENDATIONS Education leaders should create structured, intentional professional learning opportunities for family engagement professionals to learn and grow. Key components include: • Regular and sustained meetings, with time and space held sacred • Flexibility around when and where to meet, with options for virtual meetings • Skilled facilitation that helps participants drive their own learning • Opportunities to learn from and collaborate with staff from other schools or districts • Opportunities for participants to co-construct work products or jointly problem solve • Time to learn from and reflect on research-based best practices • Opportunities to exchange practical tools, resources, and strategies • Opportunities for participants to expand their professional networks
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In Gratitude The Professional Learning Networks referenced in this report were generously supported by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), a state agency designed to build the capacity of educational leaders and stakeholders across the state. Families In Schools would like to thank the CCEE for their effort and support in making these PLNs a reality. A special thank you to the four school districts - Arvin Union, Bakersfield City, Fresno Unified, and Golden Plains Unified - and five Charter Management Organizations — Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Ednovate, KIPP SoCal, Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC) Schools — that participated in these PLNs, and the school, network and district personnel who shared their time, experiences, strategies, and insights with one another every month over the course of these PLNs. Their ongoing commitment to improving family and student engagement practices in California should inspire and guide us all. Finally, thank you to our colleagues at Californians for Justice for their collaboration in facilitating the Central Valley PLN and their unwavering commitment to lifting up student voices.
END NOTES Wilder, S. 2014. “Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: a meta-synthesis.” Educational Review, Vol. 66 Iss 3 pp. 377 - 397. Bryk, A., Bender Sebring, P., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., and Easton, J.Q. (2010). Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago. University of Chicago Press; Noguera, P. A. (2001). “Transforming urban schools through investments in the social capital of parents.” In Social capital in poor communities. S. Saegert, J. Phillip Thompson and M. Warren (Eds.), New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press. Mapp, K. L. (2003). “Having their say: parents describe why and how they are engaged in their children’s learning.” School Community Journal, Vol. 13 Iss 1 pp. 35 – 64. Kaura, P. & Melnicoe, H. (2020). COVID-19 Crisis Response in Pajara Valley Started with Listening to Families. Policy Analysis in California.
About Families In Schools Families In Schools (FIS) is a Los Angeles-based organization with a mission to involve families and communities in their children’s education to achieve lifelong success.
(213) 201-3932 | 1541 Wilshire Blvd., Suite #430 | Los Angeles, CA 90017 | familiesinschools.org
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