ANNOUNCEMENT: REPORT RELEASE _____ En español
In a three-report series, the Parent Organization Network (PON) tackles the complex issue of how to best prepare today’s educators to effectively build relationships and partner with families in their day-to-day work.
PON Professional Learning Network Report I:
Strengthening District Staff Capacity on Family and Community Engagement

The discussion on teacher preparation is not new and education researchers and parent advocates continue to weigh in on how to develop strategies that can change the paradigm on family engagement from one based on passive limited involvement to one that fosters an equal partnership with parents in the education of their children.

PON hopes to move the conversation forward with three reports, two focused on building staff capacity during in-service training for those teachers already in the classroom, and one during pre-service training for student teachers before they begin service as a full-time teacher. 

The first and second reports present specific insights from staff from four school districts who participated in a PON Professional Learning Network (PLN) on family engagement from 2017-2019. PON’s PLN was one of 57 two-year PLNs sponsored by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) to promote innovative thinking to fulfill California’s promise of a “quality, equitable education for every student.”

The first report released today describes the process and strategies used to build knowledge and peer learning, foster continuous improvement, and lay the foundation to achieve systems change in family engagement.

Also, this report outlines key research and legislative decisions which provides context for current shifts in the family and community engagement movement in California.  This context not only influenced what was learned through the PLN experience but the conversations by PLN participants also helped inform state level changes such as Priority 3: Family Engagement's self-reflection tool.
Report I points out that propelling systemic changes
to impact student achievement is a work in progress...
The PLN helped build district capacity to strengthen the practice of family and community engagement and enabled PLN participants to develop peer relationships to begin breaking down silos across districts. While progress has been made, persistent challenges related to family engagement remain including:
  • Limited staff time and resources;
  • Lack of training for administrators, classroom and school support staff on the importance of building strong partnerships with families
  • Inadequate leadership support to prioritize staff training on family engagement for teachers, administrators and other certificated staff; and
  • Reaching optimal communication and cooperation between school and district departments.
PON Professional Learning Network Report II: The Impact on Local Control Accountability Plans, is a companion document that follows the release of Report I. This report analyzes family and community engagement efforts in the Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) from the four school districts that participated in the PON PLN.
Report III analyzes family engagement for educators during pre-service . It provides an overview of a legal analysis, credentialing requirements, and a preliminary landscape analysis of how colleges and universities prepare candidates to engage families.
Report II and III will be available later this Spring.