Resources from the Federal Department of Education
ED.gov Major Topic Page: Family and Community Engagement
This website includes numerous tools and supports specifically for parents and families, schools and educators, and communities. The page also includes ED’s framework for building greater support and capacity in schools, homes, and communities, so all students have the chance to succeed.
ED.gov Online Professional Learning and Technical Assistance for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLCs)
This website is a hub of information focused on Family Engagement. Sections of the site include information on: how to support families from diverse backgrounds and create a program that supports families' needs; implementation strategies to get to know families and to engage families in the program in creative ways; how to coach staff to create a culture in your program that enables you to get to know families of the students you serve, and ready-to-use and customizable tools that can help you in your efforts to engage families.
Archived Webinar: Engaging Families of Children With Disabilities
This archived webinar was developed by the Family Engagement Resource Provider (FERP) Project. Presenters were Jane Sharp, Education Information Resource Center and Debra Jennings, Director of the Center for Parent Information and Resources and the Statewide Parent Advocacy Support Network. The presentation includes strategies and resources to engage families of children with disabilities as well as information about the FERP Project.
Resources from the Federally Funded Projects and Centers
Policies that Support SWIFT Trusting Family Partnerships
This brief was created by the Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) Center, which works to build school capacity and improve outcomes for all students through equity-based inclusion. The brief: (a) highlights Federal policies for family engagement; (b) describes examples of policy actions by the State of Massachusetts; and (c) illustrates local policies and practices at the Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Indicators of Family Engagement
This is a presentation by Melanie Lemoine and Monica Ballay, from the 2010 OSEP Project Directors’ Conference. The presentation provides an overview of research conducted in Louisiana to identify indicators of family engagement for children and youth with disabilities.
PACER Center: Working with Culturally Diverse Families
This comprehensive website includes research on parent involvement with diverse families, practice guides and tools, and resources for parents and educators from diverse cultures. You can also access information on national parent involvement and family engagement organizations.
Early Childhood Resources
Family-Centered Principles and Practices
This links to a page on the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center website that defines family-centered principles and practices, and provides resources to illustrate them. The ECTA Center also has extensive resources about measuring child and family outcomes.
Practices, Outcomes, and Accountability: Improving Child Development by Helping Families
This is a presentation given by Melissa Raspa and Cornelia Taylor of the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center during the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention in San Diego, California on February 22, 2014. The ECO Center was funded to develop a set of family and child outcomes and to assist States in measuring and reporting outcomes to OSEP yearly. This presentation provides information on policy and research contexts and national outcome data.
Best Practices in Family and Community Engagement | Video Series
This video series was designed to support Head Start programs’ efforts toward systemic and integrated engagement. Rooted in the Office of Head Start (OHS) Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, the seven videos in the series highlight examples of innovative approaches to engagement that foster strong relationships with families and lead to positive outcomes for children and families.
Supporting and Engaging Families of Young Children with Disabilities: Eight Recommendations
This file is from a presentation given in May 2010 by Don Bailey for a U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services Listening and Learning Panel on Family Engagement.
Other Resources
Family Engagement and Children with Disabilities: A Resource Guide for Educators and Parents
This resource guide was compiled to help parents and special educators establish a comfortable and effective partnership in service of promoting successful outcomes for children with disabilities. Authors highlight research reports, journal articles, examples of best practices, and tools that suggest methods for developing productive collaborations. The resources in this guide are grouped into the following categories: families as advocates, family roles in assessment and intervention, and families as partners in student learning. Each section includes resources for educators and families.