As the On the Same Page Summit works toward creating systemic change for family engagement in education, Action Teams have been formed to focus on areas outlined by the Board of Regents Policy Statement on Improving Student Achievement through Parent and Family Partnerships, as well as the New York State Education Department Implementation Plan. Brief descriptions of each team’s purpose are given below; while areas of focus will remain the same, specific areas of discussion will continue to change and develop as teams move forward.

If you are already a member of an Action Team, please log in using the Action Team Member Login on the right. If you would like to join an Action Team, please send an e-mail to samepagesummit@epicforchildren.org.

Note: Associated priorities from the Regents Policy Statement on Improving Student Achievement and School Performance through Parent and Family Partnerships are given below each team description.

The focus of this action team is to discuss possible ways to prepare teachers, administrators, and school personnel to engage families, utilizing training and assessment incorporated into professional preparation and certification processes.
(Priority #5, Create Professional Development Opportunities)

This team will discuss the creation of family engagement training and development for parents, teachers, and administrators, exploring the link between parental involvement and student achievement, integrated training and development for all involved parties, and best practices programming.
(Priority #5, Create Professional Development Opportunities)

Team members will consider options for assessing family engagement such as family engagement measures on School Report Cards, self-assessment rubrics for school-based teams, and surveys to gauge public sentiment.
(Priority #7, Measure Performance and Quantify Accountability)

This team will explore ways to improve how family engagement is addressed in current review and intervention processes for schools in New York State, considering how family and community feedback, cultural competence enhancement, and parent-to-parent outreach can be used in school improvement planning.
(Priority #7, Measure Performance and Quantify Accountability)

Understanding the importance of cultural competence to increasing family involvement, this team will examine definitions of diversity and cultural competence, ways to assess and lessen cultural gaps, and examples of strong cultural connections between home, community, and school that impact student achievement.
(Priority #3, Improve Communication; Priority #4, Increase Transparency; and Priority #5, Create Professional Development Opportunities)

The team will work to define potential partners within the social welfare and health care community who can help support engagement of non-traditional families, promote family engagement in education through inter-agency networks, and identify at-risk students in order to provide school outreach programming.
(Priority #1,Leverage Partnerships with USNY and Build Interagency Collaboration; Priority #3, Improve Communication; and Priority #4, Increase Transparency)

This action team will consider the definition of an expanded support mechanism based on collaboration of services and resources, development of standards for parent advocacy on behalf of children; and creation of collaborative online information sources for families of children with disabilities.
(Priority #2, Augment Existing Resources and Priority #3, Improve Communication)

Team members will explore ways to encourage the business community to develop policies friendly to family involvement in education. They will also consider how the schools and businesses can communicate systematically and collaborate to enhance family engagement and to prepare students for the workplace.
(Priority #1, Leverage Partnerships with USNY and Build Interagency Collaboration)