Family Engagement
Who We Work With
The NYCC strives to collaborate with groups throughout the state of New York. Below you will find the groups we work with to further family engagement in education throughout New York.
New York State Education Department
The NYCC Family Engagement Team works with the Office of School Improvement at the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to expand parents' understanding of NCLB and promote parent participation in schools. In order to achieve these goals, the team:
- Collaborates with NYSED and the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to offer regional workshops for Family Engagement staff, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and the parent coordinators
- Disseminates materials to support professional development activities for parent leaders throughout the state, particularly with regards to Title I and supplemental educational services (SES)
- Implements an online forum where NYSED and local educational agency (LEA) personnel can share challenges and promising practices related to SES
- Identifies and prepares parent leaders for NYSED initiatives, including serving on Schools Under Registrations Review (SURR) team, the NYSED Parent Advisory Council, the NCLB parent training cadre, or Title I Committee of Practitioners (COP)
Through our work with NYSED we participate in the following committees.
- Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
The formation of the PAC was initiated by Former Associate Commissioner Shelia Evans-Tranumn and NYSED. The purpose of the PAC is to establish a relationship with families and communities to help them understand the role of NYSED in setting standards and developing policies that affect the education of their children; to meet the needs and concerns of families and communities; and to encourage collaborative efforts for school improvement and student achievement. The major focus has been on improving low performing schools. In this way, the PAC serves as an informal advisory body. The New York Comprehensive Center presents any new research in the field of family engagement and education at monthly PAC meetings. - New York Summit for Family Engagement in Education Family Engagement Coalition
The On the Same Page Summit for Family Engagement in Education, presented by the NYS PTA, Parent Information and Resource Centers of New York (PIRC) and EPIC-Every Person Influences Children, works toward creating systemic change for family engagement in education. The NYS Family Engagement Coalition advocates for family engagement policies and implementation in NYS, accesses and disseminates the latest research and best practices regarding family engagement, and acts in an advisory capacity to state governments, agencies, and policy makers. The coalition focuses particularly on best practices in rural communities, data regarding student achievement, urban education, special education, cultural competence, and teacher education as it relates to family and community engagement. - New York State Parent Teacher Association (NYS PTA)
NYS PTA promotes the welfare of children in all settings, advocates a closer relationship between home and school, and supports a high quality of life for all children.
Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)
EPIC is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping families, schools, and communities raise children to become responsible and capable adults. EPIC supports the people who have the most influence on children by providing evidence-based programs for parents, a character education curriculum for families and schools, and training for schools and agencies.
Parent Information Resource Centers
The Family Engagement Team contributed to the NYS On the Same Page Summit for Family Engagement in Education in two parts. Firstly, the team leader participated on the Summit Steering Committee partnering with NYS PTA, PIRCs and NYSED to design and implement the annual summit. The Summit Steering Committee took ideas from the Summit Action Teams and will submit succinct recommendations to NYSED Board of Regents for adoption in the support of the implementation of NYSED family engagement policy. Secondly, through the Family Engagement Action Teams, NYCC team members participated on the action teams covering Higher Education and Professional Certification Programs, Professional Staff Development Opportunities, and Family Engagement Assessment Tools. These teams met monthly to discuss research and develop recommendations on family engagement policies necessary in NYS.
Center on Innovation and Improvement
The NYCC works with the Center on Innovation and Improvement (CII) to identify resources for Parent Engagement staff, school districts and parent leaders. These resources support parents in understanding their roles and fulfilling their responsibilities under NCLB.