October: A Focus on Evidence

Welcome to October’s Learning Series! At Family Engagement Lab, we’re redefining families' role in K-12 learning to go beyond monitoring attendance, homework, and grades. We’re equipping schools and families with effective strategies to cultivate the mindsets, knowledge, and habits that help children achieve academic success. As we work to achieve our goal of advancing research-based efforts that improve literacy and math achievement for underserved students, we’re shining a spotlight on the importance of family engagement solutions backed by evidence in this month’s Learning Series. 

⭐ What's New

Evidence for ESSA

Looking for effective tools to boost academic learning? The newly updated Evidence for ESSA website helps schools find top-rated, research-backed educational programs. FASTalk’s large effect on academic outcomes stands out among powerful solutions proven to accelerate student learning. Explore more at Evidence for ESSA and discover how FASTalk compares to a wide range of educational programs.

Check out the video below for a quick tour of the site by Vidya and Elisabeth!

National PTA’s Family Engagement Solutions

Check out a new, fantastic resource from National PTA: Family Engagement Solutions. You’ll find detailed information and resources on impactful family engagement programs that have been vetted by National PTA and their expert partners. FASTalk is listed as a featured program! 

📅 Recent Events

NAFSCE’s National Assembly

Co-founders, Vidya Sundaram and Elisabeth O’Bryon, were in Denver last week for the first National Assembly for Family Engagement in Education. They presented on the importance of engaging families in mathematics learning and shared actionable tips for helping families make key connections between the learning happening in the classroom and the relevance of math outside of the classroom. 

Vidya and Elisabeth also enjoyed the opportunity to hear from pioneers in the field as Anne Henderson, Dr. Karen Mapp, Dr. Joyce Epstein, and Adrián Pedroza shared their perspectives on the past, present, and future of family engagement, moderated by NAFSCE’s Executive Director, Vito Borrello. Noteworthy was the emphasis these leaders placed on connecting family engagement to academic learning. We’re proud at Family Engagement Lab to be focused on the critical intersection between family engagement and student learning!

🗞️ In the News

Did you see Elisabeth’s recent piece in District Administration? She highlights the power of family engagement as a key strategy for boosting student success:

“When schools are equipped to meaningfully engage families, the overall support system for students is strengthened. Student learning outcomes improve by providing support at home and in the classroom. Stronger relationships develop between teachers and parents, creating a more collaborative and supportive learning environment.”

📣 We Want to Learn from You!

Are you a district leader? Or do you know someone who is?

We’re interviewing district leaders to learn more about decision-making practices when it comes to family engagement. Click the button below to share your contact information and we’ll follow up to schedule a time to connect.

Thank you!