It is widely acknowledged that learning begins at birth and takes place in the home, school, and community. Meaningful family engagement is based on the premise that parents, educators, and community members share responsibility for the academic, physical, social, emotional, and behavioral development of youth. Family engagement is fostered through a deliberate process that is embraced throughout the school. It empowers adults to jointly support student growth, addresses any barriers to learning, and ensures college and career readiness. Foremost, effective family engagement systems, policies and practices are mindful of diverse school-communities that are rich in language, culture, and school experiences. They are responsive to student and family needs.
ISBE Family & Community Engagement Framework
ParenTeach trains high school educators in only 5 hours, to deliver ParetABLE's ten-day Positive Parenting and Caregiving curriculum to their students, helping them develop a foundational understanding of positive parenting and caregiving practices. This evidence-based unit fits well in Career and Technical Education and Family and Consumer Science classes. The curriculum includes information that defines ACE's ( Adverse Childhood Experiences) and their effects on childhood development, along with the power of resilience and positive parenting and caregiving practices and competencies. The unit aims to reduce child abuse and neglect rates, break the cycle of unintentional harmful parenting, create a level of comfort with seeking future parenting and caregiving resources and support, and increase students’ understanding of empathy.