Transformative Family Engagement: How Charter Schools Can Lead the Way

June 13, 2025

By Maria Paredes

Family engagement extends beyond traditional school events and activities; it’s an ongoing, hands-on partnership between families, schools, and communities to support student learning, well-being, and success.

Charter schools have a unique opportunity to lead in family engagement because many are built around a mission-driven approach and a strong commitment to working closely with families and the community. Often, families enrolling their children in charter schools aspire to be co-educators and advocates, actively participating alongside school staff and school leaders.

With a focus on pioneering educational approaches, charter schools embrace new methods that encourage active family involvement. Their adaptable structures enable charter schools to tailor educational experiences to meet the needs of their communities. Charter schools can implement and refine effective family engagement models, such as Academic Parent–Teacher Teams (APTT), to support family-centered objectives effectively. With close ties to local communities, charter schools are well-positioned to engage and collaborate with families and tailor activities and decisions based on direct feedback.

Charter schools can meet the needs of families and educators as the foundation of a strategic family engagement plan that fosters positive, collaborative progress and innovation.

Meeting the Needs of Families and Educators

Research shows that schools must intentionally and consistently design family engagement activities, events, and communication that empower families to

• communicate high expectations for learning,
• monitor learning progress,
• support learning at home and through enrichment opportunities,
• guide their child’s educational path, and
• advocate for their child’s educational needs.

With these family-centered capacity objectives and school improvement goals in mind, charters can transform family engagement efforts into a key ingredient of student achievement and school innovation. 

Teachers are the primary bridge between families and schools, yet many educators feel underprepared to navigate the complexities of partnering with families. In a 2025 interview, researchers asked school leaders to identify the areas of family engagement that seemed to be pain points for teachers in their schools. The pain points include

• finding time to communicate with families,
• engaging multilingual families,
• having crucial conversations with families,
• explaining report cards versus performance, and
• reaching families who work during the day.

When educators have strategies for effective communication, cultural responsiveness, and relationship-building, they’re better prepared to engage families meaningfully.

Three Key Strategies That Can Deepen Family Engagement

Research-backed best practices that enhance student outcomes by actively involving families in education include establishing two-way communication; connecting engagement initiatives to student learning; nurturing a welcoming and inclusive culture in schools or classrooms; utilizing student progress data to guide family engagement; and employing personalized, strengths-based methods.

Here are three steps that charter schools can take to start accommodating the needs of families and teachers.

Surveys and interviews. A strong starting point is to listen to families and use what is learned to prioritize and phase in these strategies. For example, a middle school in Utah used surveys and interviews to learn that many families felt disconnected. The families reported limited communication from the school and a lack of knowledge about what their children were learning or even who their teachers were.

In response, school leaders shared the feedback with staff and used it to guide professional learning. They focused first on two areas aligned with family concerns: two-way communication and connection of engagement efforts to student learning. This provided the team with a focused and responsive entry point for broader family engagement work.

Live and recurring sessions. Charter schools can build strong partnerships by creating intentional opportunities for listening and dialogue not only through surveys but also in live, recurring sessions where families and staff connect directly. Hosting these sessions in the fall and spring helps schools identify what’s working, surface new priorities, and adjust plans accordingly.

To build trust, share what was learned with the school community. Announce upcoming sessions in advance, invite broad participation, and ensure families have space to ask questions and share feedback. Start with a simple team-building activity to help participants feel comfortable and connected.

Each session can focus on a specific aspect of school life—such as communication, home learning, or family events. Families can help choose future topics by identifying and prioritizing what matters most to them.

In one recent live session on school-to-home communication, families identified six areas they care about most: student progress and performance, what students are learning and expected to do, homework and grading, a calendar of family events and meetings, safety updates, and clear contacts for questions.

These insights helped the school strengthen its communication plan and better align staff practices with what families value most.

Dedicated family engagement time for teachers. When schools intentionally create space for this work, it becomes more effective, sustainable, and impactful.

Here are some ways charter schools can integrate family engagement into existing structures:

• Prioritize family engagement in professional learning. Dedicate time during professional learning days or early release time for staff to plan outreach strategies, codesign family events, or review family feedback.
• Incorporate communities and grade-level teams into professional learning. Make family engagement a regular agenda item during team meetings so that teachers can plan together and share ideas.
• Provide release time or coverage. Use substitutes or support staff to free teachers for family-focused planning, conferences, or community partnership activities.
• Embed in curriculum planning. Look for natural opportunities to involve families in learning, such as inviting input on projects or creating home-based learning extensions.
• Use staff meetings strategically. Set aside time for shared tasks, such as calling families, planning engagement events, or aligning classroom practices with schoolwide engagement goals.
• Streamline other tasks. Identify ways to reduce paperwork and automate repetitive processes to give teachers more time for outreach and collaboration.
• Recognize and incentivize. Offer stipends, shout-outs, or leadership roles to staff leading family engagement efforts, reinforcing its value in your school’s culture.

Engaging families in student learning is a shared responsibility—not just for teachers but for coaches, counselors, special area educators, and front office staff. Everyone plays a role in building strong, lasting partnerships.

A Shared Commitment

Family engagement isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor—it evolves in response to the needs of a school community. What matters most is staying consistent, being family-centered, and keeping students at the heart of every effort. That’s what families want—and deserve—when they choose a school.

Maria Paredes leads Family Engagement Services at WestEd. A national expert in the field, she focuses on strengthening partnerships among families, educators, and communities to support student learning and school improvement.