Team up with Families to Improve Student Outcomes
Families and teachers are a team with a shared goal: student success. When we build trust and a solid game plan, everyone wins.
Free tools and resources
Build Trust Over Time
Showing you care about families helps build trust which is key to deeper partnerships. Before or at the start of the year, make a personal phone call or visit to get to know each other. This lays the foundation for the year and helps you better connect with students in the classroom!
Check out these educator resources including Conversation Starters and more from the Parent-Teacher Home Visit Program.
Help Build Good Attendance
By creating a welcoming and engaging classroom, you can make school a place where kids want to be. And by partnering with families, you can help address other barriers to regular attendance. Get practical ideas, tools, handouts, videos and more from Attendance Works.
Make the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences
Use this simple 3-step tool to co-create a plan with families. It provides a guide and one place to capture family insights, benchmark data, and a focused plan on key grade-level skills.
How to Talk to Families About Test Scores
Understanding Assessments: A Tool for Families is a helpful guide for breaking down what different test results mean. Use it to inform your conversations with families, or print and send it home along with test results.
Lean into Candid Conversations
Sometimes honest conversations about students’ grade level performance can feel hard but they don’t need to be. Use this “frequently asked questions” resource to support you as you listen to families and navigate these conversations.
Hear from an educator on how you can partner with families to improve partnership and engagement.
Did you Know?
Schools fighting a surge in chronically absent students may find success if they focus on strengthening the bonds they have with parents*.
Learn more about the new research hereNationally, 9 in 10** parents believe their child is at or above grade level in reading and math. Yet, only half of students started the school year on grade level***.
*New Research Finds a Crucial Factor in Reducing Chronic Absenteeism, Edweek
**B-flation: How Good Grades Can Sideline Parents, Gallup 2023
***School Pulse Panel 2022-2023, Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
Featured Partner Resources
Check out these helpful tools from trusted organizations
One in five kids in the United States have learning and thinking differences like dyslexia and ADHD. Figuring out how to support these students and partner with their families can feel overwhelming for teachers. That’s why we teamed up with Understood.org to create a new teacher’s guide with practical resources, tools, videos, and more.
The American Federation of Teachers’ Share My Lesson helps you with your back to school needs. Check out these free online lessons and resources to start the new year strong.