The following Keys to Success were compiled and written by the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education. They are based on information from actual school programs.

• Assess family's needs and interests about ways of working with the schools.

• Set clear and measurable objectives based on parent/guardian and community input to help foster a sense of cooperation and communication among families, communities, and schools.

• Hire and train a parent/family liaison to directly contact parents/guardians and coordinate family activities. The liaison should be bilingual as needed and sensitive to the needs of family and the community, including the non-English speaking community.

• Develop multiple outreach mechanisms to inform families, businesses, and the community about family involvement policies and programs through newsletters, slide shows, videotapes, and local newspapers.

• Recognize the importance of a community's historic, ethnic, linguistic, or cultural resources in generating interest in family involvement.

• Use creative forms of communication between educators and families that are personal, goal-oriented, and make optimal use of new communication technologies.

• Mobilize parents/families as volunteers in the school assisting with instructional tasks, meal service, and administrative office functions. Family members might also act as invited classroom speakers and volunteer tutors.

• Provide staff development for teachers and administrators to enable them to work effectively with families and with each other as partners in the educational process.

• Ensure access to information about nutrition, healthcare, services for individuals with disabilities, and support provided by schools or community agencies.

• Schedule programs and activities flexibly to reach diverse family groups.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of family involvement programs and activities on a regular basis.

From:

National Center for School Engagement Web site: http://www.truancyprevention.org/.