Tom Torlakson Announces Updated Resource to Help School Districts Get Families and Communities Involved in Students’ Education

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson recently released updated guidance that assists districts in planning and implementing programs to increase parent participation in their child’s education and meet the requirements of the Local Control Funding Formula, which requires family engagement. The Family Engagement Framework: A Tool for California School Districts (PDF; 4MB) is a free publication available in both English and now Spanish (PDF; 4MB).
“This is a tool districts can use to increase the participation of parents, family members, and community members in a child’s education,” Torlakson said. “Research has shown that high levels of parental and community involvement help students succeed in the classroom.”
The Framework shows districts how to encourage parents to become more involved in their students’ education in many ways. This includes helping with homework, talking about the importance of college and careers, meeting with teachers, attending “Back to School Night,” visiting the parent resource center, volunteering, and serving on advisory committees, or attending the meetings.
The Framework describes 18 principles that are essential for family and community involvement and describes a range of actions districts can take to implement these principles. It also gives districts methods for evaluating their progress in increasing family and community participation.
The Framework, first issued in 2011, was revised by the California Department of Education in collaboration with the WestEd Center for Prevention & Early Intervention under a contract with Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, with funding support from the Heising-Simons Foundation.
Copies of the revised Framework will be distributed to all school districts in California and will also be posted on the CDE’s Parent/Family Web page.

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