The pandemic forced schools to update the way they reach and interact with families. According to a survey of over 1,300 administrators and other staff members conducted by Parent Square in the last two to three years, district and school leaders expect mobile apps, texts, and social media to be the primary methods of getting their messages out to…

There is growing interest in games as an exciting and engaging tool for professional development. At GFRP, we believe gamification holds promise for in-person and on-line professional development designed to build the capacity of teachers and all those who work to engage families in their multiple roles supporting their children's learning and…

The field of family engagement is being revitalized. Professionals in schools, libraries, early childhood and afterschool programs, and other organizations are turning away from programs and practices designed for families without their valuable input. Instead, today's family engagement leaders are striving to include parents and other family…

A lot has been written about the power of human-centered design (HCD) to solve educational challenges and promote innovation and improvement. A cyclical process consisting of three main phases--(1) observing and talking with users to create empathy and understanding; (2) brainstorming new ideas to meet the users' needs; and (3) prototyping and…

Research clearly shows the lasting effects of early developmental experiences on children's later success and well-being; however, the early childhood field struggles to provide consistent high-quality care and education across a fragmented delivery system. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the programs for young children age 0-3. In 2013, the…

Global Family Research Project joined with four other organizations as part of the LEGO Idea Conference to take an in-depth look at letting families guide the creation of programs and services that best meet their needs. This summary of the event session, held in Billund, Denmark, includes international examples of collaborating with families and…

In this policy brief, the authors examine and provide examples of the ways that public libraries have become invaluable partners in supporting family STEM learning. Although emerging research points to the strong influence of families on children's growth and development, a focus on joint parent and child STEM learning is still nascent. This brief…

Together with Teach to Lead, a project guided by teacher leaders at the U.S. Department of Education and ASCD, we took a look at the first-ever family engagement summit, which provided a structured model for actively engaging families alongside educators, administrators, and community partners. This report highlights the voices of summit…

Family engagement is a shared responsibility among families, educators, and communities to support children's learning and development. For families, it is about the knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors that enable children to be motivated, enthusiastic, and successful learners. For libraries, this means having respectful partnerships with…

The paper begins with a challenge, namely: How do we work with families and communities to co-create the next generation of family and community engagement, providing equitable learning pathways--both in and out of school and from birth to young adulthood--that will enable all children to be successful in the 21st century? Exploring what it takes…

This executive summary provides highlights from the report, "Joining Together to Create a Bold Vision for Next Generation Family Engagement: Engaging Families to Transform Education." More than 50 years of research finds that family engagement is one of the most powerful predictors of children's development, educational attainment, and…