Van Wesep, I. (2019, January 08). 5 strategies for family engagement in K-12 education. Retrieved February 27, 2019

Engaging students’ families is an important step toward improving school climate, boosting teacher morale, and strengthening the school community. But in order to achieve the benefits of family engagement it is important to understand the difference between “family engagement” and “parental involvement.” The practice of family engagement goes beyond parent involvement. The phrase “parental involvement” implies a goal of parents taking part in teaching and learning. While this goal is certainly admirable, not all parents have an equal capacity to play this role. On the other hand “family engagement” implies a goal of making families a part of school life, which is a broader goal, and one that makes room for many types of interaction between not just the parent and the student, but the family and school life generally.