School Improvement Planning & Parent Engagement
Planning for Engagement
To foster engagement that will address community needs, each school reviews their school
improvement plan, set goals and then develop family engagement measurable strategies that consider
the different types of engagement and how to incorporate them into activities which will address the
community needs.
Each year Catholic School Councils have direct input into the parent engagement SIP focus in:
 Faith Formation
 Student Learning
 Positive School Climate (Belonging)
The parent engagements strategies should identify one or more of the following types of engagement
that positively impacts students. The strategies should be articulated in the School Improvement Plan
under the column Targeted, Evidence-Informed Strategies and Actions and should be measurable.

Learning at Home: Engage families in learning activities at home including homework and
curriculum linked activities – best done with some consideration to time constraints and
resources available to families.

Communication: Communicate with families about school programs and student progress
through effective school to home and home to school communications.

Parenting: Assist families with understanding child and adolescent development and setting
home conditions that support children as students at each age and grade level. Assist school
staff in understanding families.

Volunteering: Engage families as volunteers in the school and as audiences to support students
and school programs.
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Decision Making: Include families as partners in school decisions, governance and advocacy
through council, committees and other parent organizations.

Community Collaboration: Co-ordinate community resources for families, students and the
school with business, service agencies, local parishes, local clubs and service groups.”i
Sample Engagement Plans
Goal: Student Learning: Literacy Improvement
Desired Result: Improved EQAO, students will say the love to read, parents will be comfortable reading
with their children at home and engaged in monitoring progress.
Activity
Literacy night:
parents to learn
how to promote
literacy in the
home, making
reading fun,
creating a literacy
friendly home,
identifying issues in
literacy
development.
Library Visit:
parents and
students to visit
local library and
locate at level
reading materials
Home Reading
Challenge: month of
February is reading
challenge month,
students are
challenged to read
books at their level
and to record the
books in a log.
Parents will sign the
log to indicate the
child has read the
book and to
communicate any
issues or concerns.
Reading Buddies:
parents will come to
the school to read
with younger
students.
older students will
go to classrooms
with younger
students to read
aloud to the class.
Engagement
Type
Date
Resources
Responsible
11/10/2012
$500 - budget
Chair and Principal
School Secretary
Home Learning
School Library
Librarian
Volunteering
Snacks
Organizers
Child care
Parent Volunteers –
student and parent
Teaching staff
Teacher
ESL support
SWIS
$300 Bussing
Board resources
Local Library
Principal and local
Library Librarian
Reading logs
Principal, teachers
Reading
materials
classroom library,
internet resources,
local library.
Parent skill
Development
Barriers
$$
ESL parent support
advertising and
making all feel
welcome
Child care
Collaborating with
the community
Learning at Home
15/10/2012
Learning at Home
02/01/2012
02/24/2012
Communicating
cup cakes to
celebrate I am
a reader day
February 24th.
Volunteers
Community
partnerships
03/01/2012
06/21/2012
Parents
Organizers
School Library
At the end of the
Month a list of all
books read by all of
the children will be
posted in the
hallway to show
the huge number of
books.
Class room
teachers
funding
Including all
children
Helping parents
with reading
challenges of their
own
Police checks for
volunteers
Sample Engagement Types and Activities
PARENTING SKILLS
SAMPLE ACTIVITIES
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Workshops, videotapes, computerized phone messages on parenting
and child development at each age and grade level
Parent education and other courses or training for parents (e.g., GED,
family literacy, college or training programs)
Family support programs to assist families with health, nutrition, and
parenting, including clothing swap shops, food co-ops, parent-toparent groups
Annual survey for families to share information about their children's
goals, strengths, and special talents
CHALLENGES


Provide information to all families who want it or who need it, not only
to the few who attend workshops or meetings at the school building
Enable families to share information with schools about background,
culture, talents, goals, and needs
RESULTS FOR STUDENTS

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Balance time spent on chores, homework, and other activities
Regular attendance
Awareness of importance of school

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Self-confidence about parenting as children proceed through school
Knowledge of child and adolescent development
RESULTS FOR PARENTS
RESULTS FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
 Understanding of families' goals and concerns for children
 Respect for families' strengths and efforts
Calendar for School Success
Help parents of pre-kindergarten students get involved with their children’s education from the
beginning. Design a calendar with parenting tips, resources, parish events and holiday activities, and
local activities to ensure early school success, as well as social and behavioral development.
Learning at home, community collaboration | Early years | School Climate/Faith Development
Financial Aid Workshop
To show parents how to start an RESP and take advantage of government tax breaks for education
savings – children whose parents have started such a fund learn that there is an expectation for their
success as a student and they are more likely to go on to post secondary education and training.
Parenting | Elementary | School Climate; behavioral
COMMUNICATIONS
SAMPLE PRACTICES
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Conferences with every parent at least once a year with follow-ups as
needed
Language translators to assist families as needed
Folders of student work sent home weekly or monthly for parent
review and comments
Regular schedule of useful notices, memos, phone calls, and other
communications
Effective newsletters including information about questions, reactions,
and suggestions
Clear information on all school policies, programs, reforms,
assessments, and transitions
Annual survey of families on students' needs and families' suggestions
and reactions to school programs
Annual review of schedules for students' performances, games, and
assemblies to encourage all families to attend as daytime and evening
audiences
CHALLENGES


Make all memos, notices, and other print and nonprint
communications clear and understandable for ALL families
Obtain ideas from families to improve the design and content of
communications such as newsletters, report cards, and conference
schedules
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Awareness of own progress in subjects and skills
Knowledge of actions needed to maintain or improve grades
Awareness of own role as courier and communicator in partnerships
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High rating of quality of the school
Support for child's progress and responses to correct problems
Ease of interactions and communications with school and teachers
RESULTS FOR STUDENTS
RESULTS FOR PARENTS
RESULTS FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
 Ability to communicate clearly
 Use of network of parents to communicate with all families
Career Guide
Parent and student workshop for students on their way to college, university and technical training,
getting there is not necessarily half the fun. Navigating Application and dozens of deadlines, computer
access and coaching for parents who need help. Communication | High School | School Climate
DECISION MAKING
SAMPLE PRACTICES
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Active advisory councils, or committees (e.g., safe schools, healthy
schools) for parent leadership and participation
School improvement planning and goal setting
Parent engagement planning
District Council reps
Information on school or local elections for school representatives
Networks to link all families with parent representatives
CHALLENGES

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Include parent leaders from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other
groups in the school
Offer training to develop leadership skills
Managing differences of opinion

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Awareness that families' views are represented in school decisions
Specific benefits linked to policies enacted by parent organizations
RESULTS FOR STUDENTS
RESULTS FOR PARENTS
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Awareness of and input to policies that affect children's education
Shared experiences and connections with other families
RESULTS FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
 Awareness of families' perspectives in policies and school decisions
 Acceptance of equality of family representatives on school committees
Welcoming School Climate Walk-Through
How friendly is your school? Do parents feel welcome? Can visitors find their way to the office? The
restrooms? Are letters to families concise and in plain English? Use the School Climate Checklist with
your school council to guide you to making the school a welcoming place for families. Is it obvious that
your school values Christ centered learning?
Decision Making | All Schools | Faith formation, School Climate.
VOLUNTEERING
SAMPLE PRACTICES
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Annual survey to identify interests, talents, and availability of
volunteers
Parent room or family center for volunteer work, meetings, and
resources for families
Class parent, telephone tree, or other structures to provide all families
with needed information
CHALLENGES

Recruit widely, provide training, and create flexible schedules for
volunteers so that all families know that their time and talents are
welcomed and valued

“Volunteer” not only means those who come during the school day,
but also those who support school goals and children’s learning any
way, any time.
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Skills that are tutored or taught by volunteers
Skills in communicating with adults
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Understanding of the teacher's job
Self-confidence about ability to work in school and with children
Enrollment in programs to improve own education
DEFINITIONS
RESULTS FOR STUDENTS
RESULTS FOR PARENTS
RESULTS FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
 Readiness to involve all families in new ways, not only as volunteers
 More individual attention to students because of help from volunteers
Reading Buddy Program
To provide individual attention to primary students learning to read recruit high school, parent, and
community volunteers as “reading buddies” to be paired with a “young reader.” Type 3 | Volunteering /
Elementary Grades and High school | Student Learning
LEARNING AT HOME
SAMPLE PRACTICES
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Information for families on required skills in all subjects at each grade
Information on homework policies and how to monitor and discuss
schoolwork at home
Information on how to assist students with skills that they need to
improve
Regular schedule of interactive homework that requires students to
demonstrate and discuss what they are learning in class
Calendars with daily or weekly activities for parents and students to do
at home or in the community
Summer learning packets or activities
Family participation in helping students set academic goals each year
and plan for college or work
CHALLENGES

Design and implement interactive homework for which students take
responsibility to discuss important classwork and ideas with their
families
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Skills, abilities, and test scores linked to classwork, homework
completion
View of parent as more similar to teacher, and home in sync with
school
Self-confidence in ability as learner and positive attitude about school
RESULTS FOR STUDENTS
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RESULTS FOR PARENTS
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Discussions with child about school, classwork, homework, and future
plans
 Understanding curriculum, what child is learning, and how to help each
year
RESULTS FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
 Respect of family time
 Satisfaction with family involvement and support
 Recognition that single-parent, dual-income, and low-income families
can encourage and assist student learning
Family Math Night
Students and their parents and other family members get together to play math games teachers have
made up. Each family takes home a copy of activities so children and adults can continue to practice
math skills at home.
Learning at home | Elementary Grades
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
SAMPLE PRACTICES
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Complete an inventory of possible community partners and resources.
Parish rep on the school council
Health unit to provide information for students and families on
community health, cultural, recreational, social support, and other
programs or services
Information on community activities that link to learning skills and
talents, including summer programs for students
"One-stop" shopping for family services through partnerships of
school, counseling, health, recreation, job training, and other agencies
Service to the community by students, families, and schools (e.g.,
recycling projects; art, music, drama, and activities for senior citizens;
tutoring or coaching programs
Participation of alumni in school programs for students
School-business partnerships
CHALLENGES
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Solve problems of turf, responsibilities, funds, and goals
Inform all families and students about community programs and
services, and ensure equal opportunities for services and participation
.
RESULTS FOR STUDENTS
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Knowledge, skills, and talents from enriched curricular and
extracurricular experiences and explorations of careers
Self-confidence and feeling valued by and belonging to the community
RESULTS FOR PARENTS
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Knowledge and use of local resources to increase skills and talents or
to obtain needed services for family
 Interactions with other families, and contributions to community
RESULTS FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
 Knowledge and use of community resources for improving curriculum
and instruction
 Strategies to enable students to learn about and contribute to the
community
Family Health and Fitness Night
Host Family Health and Fitness Night bring in in community partners to conduct physical fitness activities
and distribute healthy snacks to students and their families.
Community partners | Elementary Grades | school climate, parenting.