Family & Community Engagement

Since 2001, the definition of parental involvement has broadened, now including any adult in a child’s life, and calls for families to be full partners with school staff and other members of the community in the work of creating and sustaining high-performing schools.

Over 40 years of research is clear—when schools, families, and communities work together to support learning, students do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more. Regardless of income or background, research has shown that students with involved families:

• earn better grades and test scores;
• enroll in higher-level courses and programs;
• are more likely to be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits;
• have better school attendance;
• show improved behavior and have better social skills; and
• graduate and go on to postsecondary education.