Raising the Bar for Parent Partnership and Engagement

Parent Partnership

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is committed to supporting parents, families, educators, state and local leaders, and organizations that work with families to strengthen parent partnership for student success. Research shows the positive impact of family engagement for students, educators, schools and communities. As an educator and a parent, Secretary Miguel Cardona has seen firsthand the incredible value in the partnership among parents and families, educators, district leaders, and entire school communities to support students. As we Raise the Bar: Lead the World, the Department is Raising the Bar for Parent Partnership in Our Schools Disclaimer.

Information and Resources

The Department is diligently working to provide parents and communities with information to support their conversations with schools, including the newly released materials below. (Disclaimer)

New Releases

• Let’s Talk Back to School: Sample Questions for Parents and Families to Help Build Strong Partnerships with Schools (English)
• Let’s Talk Back to School: Sample Questions for Parents and Families to Help Build Strong Partnerships with Schools (Spanish)
• Let’s Talk Everyday Attendance: Sample Questions for Parents and Families to Help Build Strong Partnerships with Schools (English)
• Let’s Talk Everyday Attendance: Sample Questions for Parents and Families to Help Build Strong Partnerships with Schools (Spanish)
• Family Engagement Learning Series Briefs
• Family Engagement Evidence Convening Recording
• ED Homeroom Blog: Five Ways to be a School Parent Superhero

The Department also has parent-focused resources about:

• elementary and secondary education and unlocking career success, as well as a parent's guide [PDF, 20MB] to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act;
• a resource that outline parents' rights to their children's records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA);
• information [PDF, 659KB] and support Disclaimer for parents of students with disabilities about their rights and available resources;
• support for military-connected students and families, among many others;
• the English Learning Family Toolkit which supports families who are learning English to choose the education services that meet their child's needs, and is translated into multiple languages.

Parent Listening and Voice

The Department is also engaging with parents regularly, including through Parent Empowerment Pop Ups, and uplifting parent voices as we center parents in our priorities.

Family Engagement Funding

The Biden-Harris administration is making unpresented investments in public education through discretionary funds like Title I, pandemic relief funds under the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and billions in new funding under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) to support safer school environments. Specific to family engagement, the Biden-Harris administration announced $11.4 million in grants to 12 organizations in states and school districts across the country to improve and strengthen family engagement programs through the Statewide Family Engagement Centers. The Biden-Harris administration's commitment to community schools, of which family engagement is an essential component, is exemplified in the funding increases for the Full-Service Community Schools grant program to $150 million in FY2023.

Stay Connected

Stay in touch with the Department and learn more about our commitment to Parent Partnership! Sign up to receive The Department's Family, School, & Community Engagement Newsletter.