Partner with Families for Student Success
Families and teachers share a common goal: helping students thrive. 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. A personal phone call or in-person chat shows families you want to get to know them. Kick off the year with these 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 parent-teacher conferences count
Use this simple 3-step planning tool to co-create an action plan with families. Capture parent insights, benchmark data, and the key skills for the student to focus on—all in one place.
How to talk to families about test scores
Understanding Assessments: A Tool for Families breaks down what test results mean. Share it during meetings or send it home with reports.
Lean into candid conversations
Sometimes honest conversations about students’ grade-level performance can feel hard, but they don’t need to be. This FAQ can support you as you get ready to listen to families.
How can you team up with families to support student outcomes?
Hear how this teacher is improving her practice
Did you Know?
Almost 9 in 10 parents believe their child is at or above grade level* in reading and math. But only 30% of 8th graders nationally demonstrate proficiency or above in math and reading**.
Given grade level standards are inconsistent across states, NAEP "proficiency/above" offers a national standard representing "solid academic performance for the given grade level" which is what we aspire our students to be able to do.
“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 here.
Featured Partner Resources
Check out these helpful tools from trusted sources
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.
