Strengthening the Connection Between School & Home

Ricardo LeBlanc-Esparza, an elementary school principal and former teacher, coach, athletic director, and administrator in high-poverty schools, and Kym LeBlanc-Esparza, a superintendent and former teacher, curriculum specialist, central office administrator, and principal, consider the role of family engagement in student achievement and outline strategies for K-8 principals to use to connect with family members. They discuss steps leaders can take to welcome families, including understanding educator and principal attitudes and assumptions, then 11 strategies for improving communication and creating a family-friendly school. They detail the steps involved in planning, building, and implementing communication in home visits, conferences, with media and technology, and family events, and ways to communicate with families that are hard to reach. They also address the goal-setting, implementation, launch, and progress monitoring aspects of a family engagement plan. They include information on both low and high-poverty schools and those with low and high percentages of at-risk populations. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)