Family and Community Engagement Resources – The EMPOWER Project at Towson University

One of the EMPOWER Project’s goals is sharing best practices in engaging the families of English learners (ELs) in classrooms, schools, and communities. “Developing family partnerships positively impacts everyone involved” (Henderson & Mapp, 2002,p.3). For students, learning is strongest when schools, parents, and communities work together to support education.

“According to the Racine Education Association and the Racine Educational Assistants Association, affiliates of the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the National Education Association:

“The family makes critical contributions to student achievement from preschool through high school. A home environment that encourages learning is more important to student achievement than income, education level, or cultural background.”

“When parents are involved in their children’s education at home, they do better in school, and when parents are involved in school, children go further in school—and the schools they go to are better.
The family makes critical contributions to student achievement from preschool through high school. A home environment that encourages learning is more important to student achievement than income, education level, or cultural background.
Reading achievement is more dependent on learning activities in the home than is math or science. Reading aloud to children is the most important activity that parents can do to increase their child’s chance of reading success. Talking to children about books and stories in addition to reading to them supports reading achievement.
When children and parents talk regularly about school, children perform better academically.
Three kinds of parental involvement at home are consistently associated with higher student achievement: actively organizing and monitoring a child’s time, helping with homework, and discussing school matters.
The earlier that parent involvement begins in a child’s educational process, the more powerful the effects.
Positive results of parental involvement include improved student achievement, reduced absenteeism, improved behavior, and restored confidence among parents in their children’s schooling.
One of the most critical characteristics of a high-performing school is community support.
Collaboration between a school and its community promotes responsible citizenship through volunteering and other local partnership opportunities.”

“Furthermore, a research-based framework laid out by Epstein and Salinas (1992) indicates that success (higher student achievement) occurs through six types of involvement” (Henderson & Mapp, 2002, p.4):

Parental (schools assisting with parenting skills and family support, and parents assisting schools in learning more about family backgrounds and cultures)
Communication between families and schools
Meaningful and flexible volunteering in the school
Learning at home that involves families in their children’s academics
Decision-making (where parents and communities have a shared governance)
Collaborating with the community (coordinating resources and services)

The above introduction to our Family and Community Engagement Resources page is an excerpt from the TESOL Community and Family Toolkit: Engaging the families of English Learners in classroom, schools and communities. Please consider accessing this Toolkit to learn more about best practices in engaging the families of English learners (ELs) in classrooms, schools, and communities. More helpful websites and resources can be found below.