Beyond Back-to-School Night: Building Family Partnerships That Actually Move Student Outcomes

Schools invest significant time and resources in family engagement, yet many leaders still struggle with low participation, communication barriers, chronic absenteeism and limited family involvement in student learning. This session challenges traditional approaches and introduces practical strategies for building authentic partnerships that reach beyond back-to-school night, school events and newsletters. Drawing on real-world examples, you will explore how successful schools create systems that increase trust, improve attendance, strengthen two-way communication and support student achievement. Identify the barriers that prevent meaningful family engagement in your community, and learn strategies for increasing participation from hard-to-reach families. You will leave with actionable tools, a framework for transforming family engagement from a compliance activity into a driver of student success, and an action plan for strengthening family-school partnerships at your school.