Engaging First: Supporting Young Learners through Family Engagement

The COVID-19 pandemic widened existing educational inequities for Black and Latino students, students who are English learners, and students with disabilities. Research shows that family engagement has a positive impact on student outcomes; therefore, forging connections between schools and families as enrollment rebounds will be especially crucial to enhancing student learning and well-being in the wake of the pandemic. Given that context, this report examines the perceptions and experiences of first and second grade parents and teachers with their school's engagement initiatives using a mixed-methods analysis of data from two nationally representative surveys, an online discussion board, and interviews with family engagement coordinators. Using existing research on meaningful and effective family engagement as a guide, the authors examined parents' and teachers' perceptions about several facets of effective engagement: communication; shared decision-making; connections, trust, and mutual respect; and cultural inclusiveness. Where applicable, the authors discuss how responses differed by race or ethnicity, household income, multilingual status, and whether the parent has a child who has been identified as having a disability.