New free online tool designed to help administrators, educators and advocates find evidence-based programs that strengthen family-school partnerships and improve student outcomes


ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26, 2024 - National PTA and the Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University have teamed up to launch Family Engagement Solutions, a free online tool to help district and school leaders, educators and advocates find evidence-based programs that strengthen family-school partnerships and improve student outcomes. Family Engagement Solutions is spearheaded by National PTA's Center for Family Engagement, in collaboration with CRRE's Evidence for ESSA initiative.

As part of the launch of Family Engagement Solutions, National PTA is co-hosting a webinar with AASA, The School Superintendents Association and Education Week Thursday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. EDT on the importance of using family engagement strategically for a strong school year. The webinar will feature leaders and practitioners from districts and schools that have used family engagement as a tool to achieve dramatic improvements in student outcomes. To register to participate in the webinar, visit Family Engagement: The Foundation for a Strong School Year (edweek.org).

"Every strategy to accelerate learning should include families as decades of research shows family engagement is just as essential as a rigorous curriculum and effective leaders and teachers," said Yvonne Johnson, president of National PTA. "National PTA and the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University share a sense of urgency around supporting schools and districts in engaging families in ways that are proven to drive better outcomes for students, families and schools, and we are proud to launch Family Engagement Solutions."

Through FamilyEngagementSolutions.org, district and school leaders, educators and advocates can find programs that will contribute to learning and improvement goals, what it takes to implement the programs, where they are being used across the country, and which student populations benefit from them. Programs featured in Family Engagement Solutions meet federal standards demonstrating that they are at least promising/Tier 3 in their impact and have been vetted and curated by:

Family engagement experts who track innovations and best practices to uncover programs that are successfully being used by schools in a diversity of contexts.
Parent and community leaders who identify whether a program has a sufficient focus on family engagement, and if so, assess how the program aligns to the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.
Education researchers who conduct a thorough review of every evaluation that has been conducted for a program and determine the strength of its evidence in relationship to federal requirements in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
"We have heard from school and district leaders that they want ideas for more impactful ways to use their limited budgets on strategies to engage families," said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. "With Family Engagement Solutions, school and district leaders can find family engagement programs that are proven to work somewhere else to help them make informed decisions around what would be the best fit for their students, families and schools."

Family Engagement Solutions is made possible by the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York as well as Overdeck Family Foundation.

About National PTA
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

Evidence for ESSA
The goal of Evidence for ESSA is to provide clear and authoritative information on programs that meet the ESSA evidence standards and enable educators and communities to select effective educational tools to improve student success. For more information, visit EvidenceforESSA.org.

SOURCE National PTA