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Key points

Fathers and father figures play a crucial role in a child's mental health.

One of the most valuable gifts we can give our children is our time and undivided attention.

Fostering connectedness will help our children thrive.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! As a child psychiatrist and a father of two girls, I wanted to shed light on the crucial role fathers can play in supporting our children's social and emotional well-being. Recent reports from the White House and U.S. Surgeon General regarding child mental health highlight the importance of addressing social isolation and fostering connectedness in order to help our children thrive. So, as we approach Father's Day, I wanted to provide a few tips to my fellow dads out there to help your child grow into a happy and healthy person in today's complex world.

Reducing Screen Time

One significant step we can take as parents to help our kids feel less isolated and anxious is to reduce their screen time. The recommended guideline is limiting it to two hours or less each day. As I've written about in the past, excessive screen time has been linked to conditions like depression, anxiety, impaired sleep, and diminished social interaction with peers. Moreover, the impact of social media as a form of screentime can be especially dangerous as it can negatively affect self-esteem and emotional well-being. According to a 2021 study from Common Sense Media and the Hope Lab, rates of depressive symptoms have increased substantially among teens and young adults over the past two years, and social media usage had a direct correlation to increases in depression. The study stated that young people with moderate to severe depressive symptoms use social media far more frequently than others their age. By setting boundaries and monitoring our children's screen and social media usage, we can promote healthier habits and create more opportunities for meaningful interactions.

Encouraging In-Person Social Engagement

Another way fathers can support their children's social and emotional health is by encouraging them to be more social in real life. It's important for kids to interact with peers their age and build relationships outside of their phones. Encourage your child to participate in activities, join clubs, or engage in hobbies that foster face-to-face interactions. By doing so, they can develop crucial social skills, gain confidence, and form meaningful connections with others. As fathers, we can also lead by example by nurturing our own social relationships and proactively involving our children in family and community activities.

Spending Quality Time With Our Kids

It seems like a no-brainer, but one of the most valuable gifts we can give our children is our time and undivided attention. Despite the demands of work and other responsibilities, finding moments to bond with our kids (and putting those phones away while doing it!) are essential. Engaging in outdoor activities like playing catch, going for walks with the dog, or going out and enjoying ice cream together can create lasting memories and strengthen the parent-child bond. Research consistently highlights the positive impact of quality time spent with parents or a caring adult on a child's emotional well-being and overall development. So as you think about your ideal Father's Day this weekend, try to involve a one-on-one activity with your child as part of it. I promise you'll both be better off for it.

To sum it up, fathers and the caregivers that play a father-like role in a child's life are crucial to the long-term health and happiness of children. By reducing screen time, encouraging social engagement, and spending quality time with our kids, we can provide them with the support they need to thrive emotionally and socially. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, thank you for all you do.

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How Fathers Can Support the Social and Emotional Health of Their Children

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Fathers are key to a child's long term health and happiness.

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Offer families hands-on, valuable experiences.

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Build mutual relationships among educators, families, students and community.

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Parent and Family Engagement Provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act 2015.

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Connect directly to student learning and developmental goals.

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Build the intellectual and social-emotional capacity of students and their families.

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Use parent input effectively by providing vital information about their scholar's academic and emotional development.

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Nurturing the inherent potential of every child by uniting families, schools, and communities

Together, we can build stronger families.

For Children & Families
The FAST® Program is an internationally acclaimed family engagement program that empowers parents and supports the relationship-building necessary for children to thrive. By applying research and evidence-based family therapy practices, this program promotes the full potential of every child.

Learn more →

For Schools & Educators
The FAST® Institute of Family Engagement trains school staff to partner with families in support of children's education and well-being. By blending best practices in teacher training and family and community engagement, sessions help schools create a welcoming environment for all families.

Learn more →

For Providers & Members
In addition to training and services provided by the FAST Office, we are expanding support for program providers and "members" by developing a resource library to streamline access to resources, materials, and paperwork related to their program(s) and family engagement interests.

Learn more →

FAST was one of the first prevention and early intervention programs to develop practical applications for adult and children's mental health research findings. Today, our organization continues to evolve and improve our work in family engagement by integrating new scientific findings and research into our programs. LEARN MORE →

Join the FAST Community!

News & Updates

Latest news on our blog →

Bring FAST® to your community

Families & Schools Together can partner with you to provide the resources, training, and guidance necessary to strengthen relationships between children, families, schools, and your community - contact us to get started.

© 2023 Families and Schools Together, Inc. All rights reserved. FAST®, FASTWORKS®, and Families and Schools Together® are registered trademarks of Families and Schools Together, Inc. PRIVACY & TERMS | MEDIA

Proud partner of the

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Families and Schools Together, Inc. - Nurturing the inherent potential of every child by uniting families, schools, and communities

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Nurturing the inherent potential of every child by uniting families, schools, and communities Together, we can build stronger families. For Children & Families The FAST® Program is an internationally acclaimed family engagement program that empowers parents and supports the relationship-building necessary for children to thrive.

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Family Engagement is a school-family partnership that raises student achievement, improves school and community, and increases public support.

Why is Family Engagement Important?

Parent involvement in children's education has an impact on student success, not just in school but throughout life!

When families are involved, students:

Earn higher grades

Attend school more regularly

Enjoy school more and behave better

Are more likely to go on to postsecondary education or having successful careers

Watch Dr. Karen Mapp, an expert in family engagement, discuss Prerequisites of Effective Family and Community Engagement.

1. When PTAs are inclusive they embrace and value diverse perspectives.

2. When PTAs take an individualized approach to family engagement they meet the unique needs of every family and child.

3. When PTAs have an integrated approach to family engagement they connect and align their efforts with the broader educational system.

4. When PTAs are they empower families to support their children's success.

New Family Engagement Newsletter

NYS PTA is proud to announce our new, monthly family engagement newsletter full of helpful advice on how you can help support and engage parents, families, and communities during these unprecedented times.

Inside you'll find:

A phone script to help you reach out to parents and families

Information on how to be inclusive

Details on NYS Education Department's Parent Dashboard

And tons of ideas to help you support your community

We welcome your feedback on this new resource! We also appreciate your ideas-what fabulous things are you doing in your units? Please send us your ideas (and photos if you have them)!

PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

There is a difference, between family involvement and family engagement. Family Engagement:

Is NOT obvious

Is Intentional

Is Planned

Is in collaboration

Is reviewed

Is outside the box

Is different than involvement

The National Standards for Family- School Partnership are a great place to begin.

Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community-Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.

Standard 2: Communicating effectively-Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning.

Standard 3: Supporting student success-Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students' learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

Standard 4: Speaking up for every child-Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.

Standard 5: Sharing power-Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.

Standard 6: Collaborating with community-Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

School of Excellence

National PTA's School of Excellence Program is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students.

Consider reviewing the process for becoming a School of Excellence and apply today!

Other Resources
Harvard Family Research Project NYS Education Department Workshops for Parent Engagement NYS Education Department Parent Engagement for Bilingual Education Parent Toolkit

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Family Engagement is a school-family partnership that raises student achievement, improves school and community, and increases public support. Why is Family Engagement Important? Parent involvement in children's education has an impact on student success, not just in school but throughout...

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As per the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, Part A Section 1118, a written parental involvement policy shall be developed jointly with, agreed upon with, and distributed to parents of participating children.

Local Educational Agency (LEA)/School District SHALL:

Incorporate the policy into their plan

Establish the agency's expectations for active parental involvement

Design the policy to build consistent and effective communication between the families and the school

Share information about the importance of the involvement of parents and how it directly affects the success of their children's educational efforts

The policy describes how the LEA will:

Involve parents in the

Joint development of the plan

Process of school review

Process of improvement

Provide coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in

Planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement

Improving school performance by helping the families learn

how and when to assist their children in classroom learning activities

techniques, strategies, and skills to use at home

Building the school's and parent's capacity for strong involvement

Coordinating and integrating strategies with other programs

Conducting an annual evaluation of content and effectiveness of the policy

Identifying barriers to participation (e.g. parents who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, LEP, limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background)

Using findings to redesign strategies.

Involving parents in school activities.

If parents are dissatisfied with the policy, the LEA SHALL submit any parent comments with their plan to the State Educational Agency (SEA)/State Department of Education.

School Building Parental Involvement Policy/Plan

The school policy/plan SHALL describe the means for carrying out the requirements. Parents and the community SHALL be notified of the policy and its availability. The policy/plan SHALL be updated periodically.

Each School Shall:

Convene an annual meeting.

Explain the requirements and the rights of the parents to be involved

Offer a flexible schedule of meetings (e.g. mornings and evenings)

Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way to plan, review, and

Improve programs, such as the

parental involvement policy/plan

schoolwide plan

Provide the parents of participating children with

timely information

description and explanation of the curriculum to be used

the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress

proficiency levels that students are expected to meet

opportunities for decision-making related to the education of their children

Respond to any parent suggestions as soon as practicably possible

Include a School- Parent Compact, which is a written agreement of what schools and parents are each supposed to do to help students achieve. A School-Parent Compact is

a component of the school-level parental involvement policy/plan.

a plan of action.

Each served school SHALL jointly develop the compact with parents of served children.

The compact outlines how parents, teachers, other school staff, and students will share the responsibilities for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the state standards.

A Compact SHALL

Describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment. Curriculum and instruction should enable the student to meet the state standards.

Additionally, a description should be included of ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children's learning, such as;

monitoring attendance

homework completion

television watching

school volunteering

education decision making

positive use of extracurricular time

Describe communication between teachers and parents

annual parent-teacher conferences where the compact is discussed

frequent progress reports to parents

reasonable access to staff

classroom volunteering, participation, and observation opportunities

If parents are dissatisfied with the schoolwide plan, the school can submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the LEA.

Resources

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As per the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, Part A Section 1118, a written parental involvement policy shall be developed jointly with, agreed upon with, and distributed to parents of participating children.

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Resources for families that strengthen family-school partnerships to support equity and excellence for every child.

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https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/Page/18202

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Supporting Families to Boost Students’ Success

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Here is the list of the CMSD approved vendors that were used for the 2022 Family Summer Learning Experience. Do you know of any others that should be on this list?

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This list contains CMSD approved vendors from the 2021-22 school year. Do you know of any others that should be on this list?

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Family Engagement with Schools: Strategies to Build Strong Partnerships

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Holidays around the world
Health and Wellness night
STEAM carnival
Literacy night
Craft and Chew

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Once it twice a month a class could be held to help with depression, anxiety and anorexia. Parents can learn how to help children and children can learn how to help themselves.

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What kinds of activities can be listed in this category?

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There are many ways to engage and involve families within the school community. However, if a school's effort in family involvement is generic, they will get surface-level engagement in return. With the right techniques to understand the wants and needs of the community, schools can serve and tailor the involvement opportunities to meet their time, interests, and demands.

Create the Conditions for Family Involvement at Your School

If families do not feel welcome in their school, involvement will be low. So, schools must take the time to build authentic relationships with families as a foundation before requesting their attendance at programs or activities. It's also helpful for schools to be mindful of everyone's schedules and try to plan functions during different times of the day to allow for more involvement.

Check out the beginning-, intermediate-, and advanced-level activities below for schools to build relationships and get families truly involved.

Build Relationships for Family Involvement

1. Host an Open House before school begins for students and families to talk to their teachers in person

2. Send flyers home with dates of field trips and highlight opportunities to volunteer or chaperone

3. Communicate times and dates of events like classroom parties where families can choose to volunteer

1. Make introductory phone calls home during the summer when rosters are complete

2. Conduct home visits during the summer to start building relationships and understand student's homes and communities

3. Call home for both positive and challenging behavior events to maintain communication

4. Train staff to communicate with language, cultural differences, and respect in mind

5. Have an open-door classroom policy for volunteering to encourage families to take advantage of opportunities whenever they have the availability

1. Send a questionnaire to families asking the days and times they are available to volunteer for classroom parties, functions, and trips

2. Create flexible volunteering opportunities across different days, times, tasks, and grade levels based on the questionnaire responses

3. Create regular, positive communication streams with families about their student's academic, social, and behavioral progress

Activities to Boost Family Engagement

After creating the conditions for family involvement, many fun and appealing activities can increase their engagement in their student's education and school community.

1. Assign a reading journal or log for homework that families sign upon completion

2. Send a class newsletter home weekly or monthly with curriculum themes and highlights

3. Send student work home with notes on what they did well and where they can improve

4. Host Muffins with Moms, Donuts with Dads, and Grandparents Day with light refreshments and a craft to do together in the classroom

1. Hold a Literacy Night where families can learn different reading strategies to help their students at their current reading level and complete fun activities together

2. Ask families to present to their student's class or different grades about their profession or business

3. Send supplementary material for families to work on with their students at home

4. Host Family School Lunches where families can come and eat with their students in the cafeteria or other spaces each quarter or month

5. Plan talent shows, engineering nights, movie nights, award ceremonies, book fairs, dances, and more for families to attend

1. Assign family science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) projects to complete at home

2. Create classroom website pages for families to receive curriculum tips, knowledge, announcements, and more

3. Host family workshops where they can receive information from different service providers and educators

4. Create a family resource center where families can find a variety of information

Family Involvement Leads to Student Success

No matter which level your school is currently at, there are many things you can do to increase family involvement at your school. Creating a committee to oversee family engagement is a great way to tap into your staff's creativity and passions.

National Parent Involvement Day is on the third Thursday of November and is a great time to plan some spectacular activities for families and students to engage in together. Remember to build strong, trusting relationships with families first, then increase family engagement with relevant, accessible, and fun activities.

Engage Parents and Families

Learn how Unified Classroom® Behavior Support can help you increase family involvement in your K-12 organization.

Learn More

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Ready to Learn More?

Watch an on-demand demo or request a live walkthrough for your team of any of our solutions.

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24 Activities to Get Families Involved in Schools

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Discover 24 beginning-, intermediate-, and advanced-level activities for schools to build relationships with families and increase engagement within the school community.

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Add to this list local resources to support families.

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http://www.covid.gov/tests

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Are there any other opportunities of engagement that can occur during this timeframe?

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Family engagement events are hosted at schools to help parents and students develop strong connections with the school team. School events targeted to families can be fun, educational and support school systems. Family engagement events can give parents key information about school policies, orient parents in navigating school systems and provide a great opportunity to showcase student work, extracurricular programs and parent volunteer opportunities. Additionally, family engagement events are a great time to collect parent feedback.

Family engagement events are hosted at schools to help parents and students develop strong connections with the school team. School events targeted to families can be fun, educational and support school systems. Family engagement events can give parents key information about school policies, orient parents in navigating school systems and provide a great opportunity to showcase student work, extracurricular programs and parent volunteer opportunities. Additionally, family engagement events are a great time to collect parent feedback.
→ See how we support Family Engagement in Schools
Here are some family engagement events and activities that can support your school systems.

Summer Enrollment Day

Hosting a summer "Enrollment Day" event is a great way to get student records and give parents key information about school policies before the new year starts. This event can be structured as a family-fun day with food and music to encourage attendance. Think of this as a station-focused event where parents attend multiple booths instead of one whole-group facilitated session.

Parents can check in at the registration table, get an enrollment packet and earn an enrollment passport. The passport will identify which centers parents need to attend. Station leaders then stamp the passport to show when a station has been completed by the parent, and the completed passport can be used as a ticket for food and games. Raffle tickets can be given as an additional incentive for families to stick around and mingle. Whole-group announcements can be made in between drawings to highlight key information that school leaders and teachers want to reiterate.

Here are a few stations to consider having at an Enrollment Day:

Key Policies: At this station, schools can share key documents such as a school supply list, uniform policy, school schedule, teacher contact list, discipline policy, etc. Schools may opt to make a comprehensive student handbook that includes all of this key information.

Transportation: Here, parents can get a bus route and schedule or learn about other transportation options.

Student Records: Schools need extra information for new students. At this center, parents can share past report cards, test scores, immunization records, etc.

Special Education: Many parents with students with special needs may have student-specific questions to ask providers. This station is a great way for the school and family to touch base before school begins.

Teachers: Here, a representative from each grade level can be present to meet and share key information with parents.

Parent Survey: This station can include a computer-based survey where schools can ask pivotal questions they have for parents.

Open House

Open House is a great event to host a few weeks after school has started. It gives teachers the opportunity to introduce themselves to teachers, tour the classroom, showcase student work, and go into detail about classroom systems and expectations. This is also a great opportunity for the school leader to address parents and talk through school goals.

Schools can offer raffle prizes, free books, refreshments or family-style dinner at the end of Open House as extra incentive to participate, especially after a long work day.

Parent Volunteers

Parents bring a very essential knowledgebase to schools. They understand student needs, community assets and they bring professional expertise. There are multiple ways parents can be a support to schools, and ensure that there are structured volunteer opportunities can keep parents engaged.

Here are a few ways schools can use parents as volunteers:

Parent Teacher Organizations: A parent-teacher organization is a formal association of parents and teachers to facilitate parent engagement. PTOs are an equitable practice that provide parents the ability to commune, discuss school policies, provide feedback to the school and strategize to improve school culture and systems. Teachers and leaders can work alongside parents to plan special events and set collaborative goals that impact student happiness and achievement. Parents in the PTO are often school ambassadors and do a great job helping other parents get involved in what's happening on a school level.

Room Parents: Teachers often need a day-to-day support system that can help organize field trips, classroom parties, etc. Room parents are parent volunteers that partner with a classroom to provide strategic support and organize additional parent help when needed. Room parents can change each quarter to give more parents the ability to provide an intimate level of classroom support.

Field Trip Chaperones: Field trips are typically planned far in advance, giving parents enough time to plan their attendance. With sufficient volunteers, parents can be responsible for small-groups of students to help ensure that students are safe and able to have a great time.

Invite Parents to School Events

It can be easy for a teacher or school leader to forget to inform parents about school events due to the busyness of the school week. Having a school calendar that is disseminated to parents at the beginning of the year gives parents the heads up when events are happening. But schools should always send out reminders so that parents are informed and can plan to attend if possible. Flyers, newsletters, eblasts, mass phone calls/text messages, social media and school websites are all ways that parents can be invited to school events efficiently.

Casual Parent Events

There are many events that parents can attend in order to learn more about school systems or to celebrate their child's successes. However, schools should consider having events that are parent-specific. Parents do so much to ensure that their children have a positive school experience. It's always an added benefit when schools take the time to show parents appreciation for their work and collaboration. Parent-specific events can be casual, simple and efficient since parents are often very busy. Schools can host a quick breakfast just for parents or schedule an intimate lunch where parents can chat with the principal. Of course, schools can also go big and host Daddy-Daughter dances, Moms and Muffins Mother's Day celebrations, and so much more. There are plenty of simple and elaborate ways to host parents and to show appreciation.

Report Card Conferences

Report card conferences offer parents and teachers an opportunity to have an in-person meeting about student growth and areas of development. These events can be hosted quarterly or once per semester where parents come in to get student report cards and talk through results in detail.

To make the event logistically manageable, schools can schedule 15-minute check ins for parents to meet with teachers. Teachers can be split by subject and speak on behalf of the grade level. Schools should consider having a range of hours to accommodate parent work schedules, as well as virtual meeting options for parents who can not get to the school in person.

Parents that need more time with a specific teacher can request more time during conferences or schedule another time.

Other Ways Schools Can Keep Parents Informed

Keep website updated

Schools websites are a great way to keep parents up-to-date. Include a school calendar, important announcements, teacher contact info and links to helpful parent information such as the Kickboard family portal. Just be sure to keep everything up to date!

Automated family messaging

Automated phone calls to families can help get urgent messages to the entire school. This is a great way to send schoolwide reminders especially for students that tend to forget to give parents paperwork.

School newsletter

It can be challenging for a school leader to send out a newsletter regularly. However, identifying a manageable timeline and a framework for the messages will ensure that school leaders are prepared. A quarterly newsletter might include announcements about upcoming school events and academic and extracurricular highlights. These can be administered via paper or digitally.

Hosting events that help parents stay abreast to school policies provides a platform to share information and build culture. The more positive touch points schools can have with the parents, the more engaged a parent can be, which will positively impact a student's school experience in the end.

Here at we have seen many schools improve parent-teacher relationships by using our family portal and messaging, PBIS mobile app, web platform, and professional development services to support their initiatives. Kickboard helps teachers to communicate with parents, track student behavior, identify cultural trends and implement systems to improve student results.

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Strategies & Activities for Family Engagement in Schools

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Family engagement events are hosted at schools to help parents and students develop strong connections with the school team. School events targeted to families can be fun, educational and support school systems. Family engagement events can give parents key information about school policies, orient parents in navigating school systems and provide a great opportunity to showcase student work, extracurricular programs and parent volunteer opportunities.

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Have support groups for kinship caregivers they may discuss
-How to obtain legal custody if they already do
-Self-care
-Parenting as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, etc.

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How best can we utilize this group of parents? What has worked well in your building?

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https://www.toysfortots.org/

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Best practices. Share your newsletter.

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 Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships 

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 Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships 

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Based on existing research and best practices, the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2) is designed to support the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs. It is not a blueprint for engagement initiatives, which must be designed to fit the particular contexts in which they are carried out. Instead, the Framework should be seen as a compass, laying out the goals and conditions necessary to chart a path toward effective family engagement efforts that are linked to student achievement and school improvement.
Suggested citation:
Mapp, K. L. & Bergman, E. (2019). Dual capacity-building framework for family-school partnerships (Version 2). Retrieved from: www.dualcapacity.org

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Based on existing research and best practices, the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2) is designed to support the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs. It is not a blueprint for engagement initiatives, which must be designed to fit the particular contexts in which they are carried out.

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Crisis or not, family and community engagement benefits schools - Institute for Educational Leadership

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Crisis or not, family and community engagement benefits schools - Institute for Educational Leadership

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written by Executive Director and President of Attendance Works Hedy Chang and Vice President for Leadership and Engagment at IEL Kwesi Rollins
Looking back, we thought the spread of Covid-19 would be under control by the time the new school year began. We thought we would know how to ensure that school buildings provided healthy and safe environments for students and staff. Instead, states and districts must manage a return to class in the midst of a trio of crises involving public health, racial injustice and police brutality, on top of growing economic instability. The situation is in flux with no end in sight.

Yet this is not a time for despair. Rather we must leverage and adapt what we already know is essential: we must deepen, not lessen, family and community engagement. Schools and districts need families and communities to be their "north star" if we are to successfully navigate the transition back to class, whether offered remotely, in-person or as a blend. Family and community insights, assets and experiences are essential for putting in place educational support and offerings that ensure students and families can and will show up for class despite all the challenges.

Too often, families are overlooked. That's why multiple parent-led and community-based organizations have risen up to insert their voices into the school reopening process, by sending a joint letter to education and policy decision makers, and holding a national day of action to demand safe, healthy, and equitable schools. Cumulatively, these groups represent over one million families in over 100 communities in more than 30 states.

Their common sense demands include being certain that schools are prepared with:

adapted space that allows for necessary social distancing,

safe transportation options,

before and after care options,

protective equipment for students and staff,

a plan to trace infected individuals within the school community, and

strategies to support the healing process needed to address the traumatic impact of Covid-19.

Reopening plans developed without input from families and communities are less likely to respond to current realities or gain broad support.

At the same time, given the constant flux, schools, districts and communities must be more committed than ever to using data to identify as quickly as possible when new strategies and approaches aren't working. Monitoring student attendance can be especially invaluable since it is a leading indicator of educational inequity.

While showing up does not guarantee learning, a student who misses class clearly does not benefit from the instructional opportunity. When students miss class, (whether offered remotely, in-person or a blend), it typically means that something didn't go as planned. Perhaps the student is sick, has difficulty logging to a computer or has experienced bullying. The key to improvement is reaching out to students and families to find out what happened and what would help them to get to class. If a large number of students miss class, it is an indication of challenges that require systemic solutions.

To make monitoring attendance even more useful, Attendance Works advocates for a multi-metric framework that goes a step further by examining which students are already at risk because of high levels of absence prior to school closures, whether working contact information is available, if students and families have the technology needed to access virtual instruction, and if students and families have strong relationships with the school community.

Combining attendance data with a deep commitment to family and community engagement can help schools and communities find out quickly what is and isn't working. It also encourages schools to draw upon family and community insights and collective resources so they can adapt to new realities.

Equally important, data can reveal what is working. We anticipate, for example, that attendance during the first weeks of school will be much higher among schools and districts that already had strong partnerships in place with students and families and existing relationships with community partners. Such schools and districts are much better positioned to move beyond putting out fires and can focus on meeting the needs of staff, families and kids. More than that, information about who is able to help students and families-such as school staff or community partners-especially in communities with high levels of poverty, will help to reveal who is better equipped to innovate, think outside the box, and collaborate on solutions that would work for their students and communities.

Everyone was caught off guard when trying to move to distance learning in the spring of 2020. But districts that were already doing home visits as a strategy for building trust were able to pivot to doing virtual home visits. We saw hundreds of stories of kids' faces lighting up because their teacher called to check on them and help them navigate technology challenges.

In a crisis, no one gets it perfect. But it's clear that trusting, nurturing relationships are the foundation of a smooth transition to school-with or without crisis. Good family engagement has always been important, and schools that use sound strategies have better outcomes across a range of indicators, as proven by three decades of research. This was the case before the pandemic and will be the case after it.

Right now, decision-makers must invite more people to table in order to successfully serve students. Many are engaging with parents and families more than they have in the past because obstacles are coming up that can't be surmounted without families being involved. Honoring community wisdom and parent knowledge while aligning engagement strategies is critical. Strong family-school-community partnerships are the key to being better prepared for shifting conditions and for the ultimate goal of achieving greater equity in our education system, a simmering crisis that will continue to do great harm if left unresolved.

There is no school scenario in which parents, families, and communities can be left out, and including them consistently in the conversation is the key to improving outcomes across the board. If we don't learn that now, then we'll have to repeat this hard lesson in the next crisis to come.

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Crisis or not, family and community engagement benefits schools - Institute for Educational Leadership

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written by Executive Director and President of Attendance Works Hedy Chang and Vice President for Leadership and Engagment at IEL Kwesi Rollins Looking back, we thought the spread of Covid-19 would be under control by the time the new school year began. We thought we would know how to ensure that school buildings provided healthy ...

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Students are increasingly refusing to go to school. It's becoming a mental health crisis.

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USA TODAY 5/18/2023 Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY

The police were in her driveway. They wanted her son.

Jayne Demsky's teenage son was not a criminal. He never stole, used illegal substances, or physically hurt anyone. He just didn't go to school.

It started in the middle of 6th grade when he began staying home from school on days his anxiety was too difficult to manage. Those days became more frequent, turning into weeks and months, until he stopped going altogether. Now an officer was at her house, waiting to take her son to school.
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"I would describe it as hell," said the mother from Mahwah, New Jersey, who recalled feeling hopeless and constantly "on the verge of an emotional breakdown."

Demsky sought help from educators, doctors and counselors, trying to understand what was stopping her son from going to school for nearly a year. Finally, a psychiatrist told Demsky about a condition that affects a growing number of students with severe anxiety: school avoidance.

"It was almost like a revelation," she told USA TODAY.

School avoidant behavior, also called school refusal, is when a school-age child refuses to attend school or has difficulty being in school for the entire day. Several mental health experts told USA TODAY it has become a crisis that has gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There's no book on this, it's not spoken about," said Demsky, whose son declined to be interviewed by USA TODAY but gave his mother permission to share their story. "It's very scary and parents feel a sense of helplessness."

The two continued to struggle with school avoidance for four years with little guidance. In 2014, she created a website to offer families the help and support she couldn't find. The site eventually turned into the School Avoidance Alliance, which spreads awareness and educates learning facilities and families of school avoidant children.

School avoidance is not a concrete diagnosis and looks different in every child. Some students consistently miss a couple of days a week, while others may leave during the day or escape to the nurse or counselor's office. In some extreme cases, students don't step foot in a school for months or years at a time.

Half a dozen family members and students told USA TODAY that school avoidance has affected not only their mental health, often leading to anxiety and depression, but also their family dynamics, relationships with fellow students, and grades. It has threatened their prospects of graduation and a thriving future.

School avoidance is a complicated condition that neither parents nor school systems are fully equipped to handle. Some experts say school systems and national organizations are beginning to come up with strategies to get kids back to school, while others wonder if there's a better answer.

"Our waiting list is like 180 families right now," said Jonathan Dalton, a licensed psychologist who runs the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change in Maryland and Virginia, which offers treatment to those affected by anxiety and other related disorders, including school avoidance. "The mental health infrastructure was never designed for this level of need."

'Anxiety and avoidance are teammates'

In the passenger seat of her mother's car, Anna saw the school slowly peek above the horizon. Her heart began racing, her body shaking. Her breathing grew shallow and fast. And then, the unmistakable sign of her panic attacks: her hand smacking her leg.

"It's scary because it's not voluntary at all. It's just kind of happening to you," said Anna, a Virginia college student who spoke on the condition that she not be fully named because of mental health stigma. "I'll sit in the car and tell myself to go in, but my body won't carry me inside."

Anna, who was school-avoidant in 10th grade, said her school avoidance began spiraling after she recovered from a medical condition. Despite getting better, she hadn't been to school in a month, and the mere thought of returning generated anxiety.

For most students, mental health experts say, school avoidance is typically a symptom of a bigger problem: anxiety.

"Anxiety and avoidance are teammates because they work on the same function," Dalton said. "Kids feel very uncomfortable when they go to school or think about going to school, so they do what evolution teaches them to do and avoid something that makes them scared."

Anxiety may be a common thread, but the basis of that fear varies with each student, said R. Meredith Elkins, program co-director of the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts.

School avoidant behaviors most often occur in the transition between elementary, middle school and high school, she said.

"In younger children, we're more likely to see school avoidance motivated by separation anxiety," Elkins said. "As kids get older and their social environment changes, the way they interact with peers becomes important, and we see social anxiety as a more frequent contributor."

School avoidance also tends to be a gradual process - starting with missing a day or two, then missing a week until the student becomes school avoidant altogether. The longer a student is away from school, the harder it is to get them back into school, and it can affect other aspects of their life, like relationships and work opportunities, Dalton said.

"We don't call it work refusal, we call it unemployment," he said. "If (students avoid school) and gain short-term relief, they'll become a master of avoidance, and that doesn't play well for the future."

'This is a crisis,' and COVID made school avoidance worse

Some research suggests as few as 1% of students are school avoidant, while organizations like the School Avoidance Alliance estimate 5% to 28% of students in the country exhibit school avoidant behaviors at some point in their lives.

"How (school avoidance) is defined is nebulous," Dalton said. "Different organizations use different language and criteria to describe it."

Though it's unclear how many students are affected, mental health experts agree the problem has gotten significantly worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools began reintegrating in-person learning, many students didn't return to the classroom.

In some cases, the pandemic halted the progress of many school avoidant students who were making a slow reentry. In other cases, experts said, the pandemic accelerated school refusal.

"We saw a larger shift in kids who were on the cusp before and then after COVID started refusing completely," said Krystina Dawson, a school psychologist and mental health supervisor in Fairfield County, Connecticut. "Once the pandemic hit and we introduced remote learning, kids got comfortable in their homes."

School refusal cases may have also grown as students report experiencing anxiety at record levels. A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found adolescents experiencing anxiety or depression increased by one-third from 2016 to 2020. The same report also found access to mental health services worsened during the pandemic.

"A lot of school refusers, when March 2020 happened, they were like, 'Welcome to my world,'" Dalton said. "This was these kids' lives."

Experts say it has been more difficult to get students to return to school as they become accustomed to learning and socializing virtually. Some parents are more likely to be home throughout the day working remotely, which makes it easier for school avoidant children to stay home.

"The family dynamics have changed," Dawson said. "Sometimes now there is one parent staying at home, which can be enticing for a child."

'Unless you've been through it, you don't understand'

Katherine and her son Peter started nearly every morning crying together in the school parking lot. The tears were hot and flowing.

They always drove to the building with hopes he would make inside. But eventually the pair headed home, longing the next day would be better.

His school avoidance peaked in 2021 during seventh grade. Katherine, who who lives just outside Boston, spoke on the condition that she not be fully identified because of the stigma associated with mental health.

Katherine identified her son's affliction after a Google search led her to the School Avoidance Alliance, where she educated herself and found solidarity in the organization's Facebook group. But she still found little empathy or understanding among friends, family and peers, she said.

Her son would say, "'I just want to be normal.' It was heartbreaking," she told USA TODAY. "As a parent, it is so isolating. It is so lonely because unless you've been through it, you don't understand."

The family struggled for years to find the origin of Peter's anxiety until he was finally diagnosed with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, or PANS, which is a sudden onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms typically linked to an infection, according to Nemours Children's Health.

With the help of treatment and counseling, Peter is now a freshman in high school and goes to school most days. Katherine was able to secure an individualized education plan for her son, but others are not so lucky.

"There's shame, blame, and parents also don't know how to deal with the schools," Demsky said. "It's a huge maze."

Some educators don't take school avoidance seriously, families told USA TODAY. Schools sometimes threaten students' graduation or take students to family court.

The students who spoke to USA TODAY said that while they know some educators may view them as truant or misbehaving, they understand they're missing educational milestones and experiences, and they want to return to school. But many of the schools' solutions seem to only fuel their depression and anxiety.

"We had the resources, and it was still incredibly difficult" to treat Peter's school avoidance, Katherine said. "That's just not OK."

'Avoidance ruins lives'

Educators and psychologists say the goal for every case of school avoidance is to get the child back into class.

It's important for students to stop using avoidance as a coping strategy before it becomes their primary way of dealing with problems for the rest for their lives, Dalton said.

"I don't treat anxiety. I don't have to treat anxiety because anxiety is temporary and harmless," Dalton said. "What I treat is avoidance, and avoidance ruin lives."

Others also argue returning to in-person class is important for social development.

"You're increasing the diversity of exposure to social interactions that is difficult to replicate at home because there are some things that are uncontrolled at school that benefits your social development," said Na'im Madyun, a school psychologist at Prince George County Public Schools in Maryland. "You're more informed about how to navigate those nuances when you develop."

But there's no standard guidance how how to get kids back in the classroom, which leaves school officials to come up with their own solutions.

"It really takes a team approach," said Mara Nicastro, head of Nora School, a small college preparatory school in Silver Spring, Maryland. "We work in conjunction with the family and the therapist ... and talk about what is it that can help make this transition smooth because the student is ready and knows it's time to find a space to move forward."

Before making that leap, Dalton said most school avoidant students undergo a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy to understand what exactly the student is avoiding and gradually build their tolerance to that source of anxiety. This may look like staying in the car at the school parking lot or walking into the guidance counselor's office and leaving.

Parents with anxiety have difficulty guiding their children in uncomfortable situations, Dalton said, as they reckon with their own traumas related to school. But it's important to seek help.

Schools need to work with parents and therapists to make the appropriate accommodations, Nicastro added.

"We recognize that our students are learning how to move through their discomfort, their anxiety, and give them opportunities to use those coping strategies."

Looking forward: What's being done to help students?

Experts say not all schools - especially large districts - have the resources to operate like the Nora School, which limits enrollment to 70 students.

Many schools don't reach the American School Counselor Association recommended counselor-to-student ratio of 1 to 250. The average ratio across all schools is 1 to 464, according to the association, and nearly 3 million of those students don't have access to other school support staff, like a school psychologist or social worker.

But experts say things are slowly changing. For example, the Biden administration announced Monday nearly $100 million will be awarded across 35 states to increase access to school-based mental health services through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law June 2022.

Meanwhile, school systems and professional organizations are engaged in a national conversation about school avoidance and related protocols, said Duncan Young, CEO of Effective School Solutions, a mental health services provider for K-12 school districts.

Some protocols have been implemented and include a social-emotional curriculum, mental health counseling and personalized care for students whose mental health challenges impede their ability to operate in a traditional school setting.

"We're seeing this transition right now," Young said. Instead of viewing school avoidance as a behavioral problem, "school districts are building their mental health literacy and understanding the linkage between school avoidance and mental health."

Meanwhile, some families question the rigid structure of a traditional school system.

Katie, a mother of three who lives in the St. Louis area in Illinois, said her high-school-age son was school-avoidant, but his mental health has significantly improved after transitioning full time to remote learning.

"He's much healthier," Katie said, who is on the school board and spoke on the condition that she not be fully identified. "He's participating in schoolwork, he's socializing, he's attending family dinners again, his depression is so much better, anxiety is so much better." He's also working and visiting colleges with plans to continue his education.

Experts urge families to seek professional help through a doctor, therapist or school counselor if anxiety becomes debilitating enough that it affects daily life, relationships and job, or if someone is having thoughts of hurting themselves or others. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to reach someone with Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. They're available 24 hours a day and provide services in multiple languages.

In the real world, most people can choose whom they work for or where they go to college, she noted. But students don't have that flexibility in a traditional school system.

"Children have not always been educated in this one little box," Katie said. "Whatever that looks like for (my son), I have all the faith in the world that he will be successful one day. I don't question it for a second anymore."

Despite avoiding school for four years, Demsky's son graduated, secured a job and manages his anxiety independently, she said. She hopes her story comforts other parents and shows that children can have productive lives after school avoidance.

"I had that fear that my son was going to live in my basement for the rest of his life. ... That is the fear of every parent," Demsky said. Now, her son is "thriving."

"I'm really proud of him."
Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT. Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Students are increasingly refusing to go to school. It's becoming a mental health crisis.

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Students are increasingly refusing to go to school. It's becoming a mental health crisis.

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USA TODAY 5/18/2023 Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY The police were in her driveway. They wanted her son. Jayne Demsky's teenage son was not a criminal. He never stole, used illegal substances, or physically hurt anyone. He just didn't go to school.

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School Avoidance Alliance: A Resource for Parents & Educators.

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"I am THRILLED! Parents of Youth w/school avoidance, this site is for you! Prepare for the fall with expert & curated advice & resources! TY Jayne for this treasure site of support! Thank you for all that you are doing for families! "
Best, Anne Marie

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School Avoidance Alliance: A Resource for Parents & Educators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"I am THRILLED! Parents of Youth w/school avoidance, this site is for you! Prepare for the fall with expert & curated advice & resources! TY Jayne for this treasure site of support! Thank you for all that you are doing for families! " Best, Anne Marie

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Educator Preparation Framework for Family and Community Partnerships 

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Educator Preparation Framework for Family and Community Partnerships 

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Family and community engagement in education is foundational for child development, student achievement, school improvement, and family and community wellbeing.

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https://www.colorincolorado.org/search/node/parent%20engagement

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Colorín Colorado is a national multimedia project that offers a wealth of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for educators and families of English language learners (ELLs). Colorín Colorado is an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, and receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

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Beginning of the Year Relationship Building Toolkit

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Beginning of the Year Relationship Building Toolkit

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Beginning of the Year Relationship Building Toolkit

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Communicating with Families in Different Contexts

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Communicating with Families in Different Contexts

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Creating Meaningful Experiences with Families

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Creating Meaningful Experiences with Families

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Partnering with Families for Middle School Career Exploration

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Partnering with Families for Middle School Career Exploration

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Preparing for Effective Conferences with Families

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Preparing for Effective Conferences with Families

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Partnering with Families Through Special Education

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Partnering with Families Through Special Education

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 high-impact family engagement planning tool 

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 high-impact family engagement planning tool 

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high-impact family engagement planning tool

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Meaningful Family Engagement Strategies for Expanded Learning Programs - 21C Toolkit

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Meaningful Family Engagement Strategies for Expanded Learning Programs - 21C Toolkit

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Meaningful Family Engagement Strategies for Expanded Learning Programs - 21C Toolkit