The Strengthening Partnerships framework defines family engagement as “an intentional, authentic, respectful, and equal partnership between practitioners and families leading to positive results for children and youth.” In my work with Portuguese-speakers, I see many preventable obstacles to building partnerships with immigrant families.

For immigrant families, translation and interpretation must be provided—but this is just a starting point. We also need to make sure that families understand the full meaning of the information we share. This includes breaking down the steps in a process, providing context, defining terminology, offering help, and providing time to ask questions. At the same time, it is important to demonstrate that their insights and concerns are valued.

Communicating through an interpreter or collaborating with a cultural broker takes more time than simply hitting send on an English-language email. However, when we listen carefully and provide space for families to express their insights, the results can be powerful for the child.

We hope that this issue of our newsletter offers helpful examples and tools for partnering with diverse families. Our work is challenging, but MASFEC is here to help. If you haven’t already connected with us, please reach out! Join other districts and organizations who collaborate with us to strengthen practices and build partnerships with families.

Each year MASFEC conducts a statewide survey on local experiences of family engagement. Surveys take about 10 minutes to complete and offer an opportunity to share direct, anonymous feedback about your experiences. Your response will help MASFEC partners set priorities for promoting family engagement at the school, district, and state level.

Thank you for your participation and for all you do to support young people's success through effective family engagement!

Perhaps best known for its prescribed fasting from sunup to sundown, Ramadan is designed to be a month for self-reflection and spiritual revival, when Muslims all over the world have an opportunity to reconnect with their faith, regardless of whether or not they choose to fast.

No matter your religious background, Ramadan is an opportunity for you and your child to learn about Islam and articulate what values are important to you and your family.

Read this blog post and explore this reading list with your child to learn more about this beautiful holiday season!

No one ever said parenting a middle-schooler was easy. But if you feel your tween is sliding into periods of self-doubt, don't panic! Just follow Mathu's five suggestions for how to support your middle schooler in rekindling their confidence and building a stronger sense of self.

Read Mathu's suggestions here.

FCSN and MASFEC have been working on a dual capacity building project aimed at sharing information about career and technical education with families while soliciting input and feedback to further improve available resources.

A number of new resources have been developed in direct response to parent questions and concerns, and existing resources are being continually updated to make them language-accessible and family friendly.

Read our latest report and view resources developed by the project on the SOFE Project Website.

Are you interested in learning more about the IEP process, but are unsure of where to start?

Then consider attending these upcoming workshops:

Take part in this community group that meets on the first Thursday of each month to talk about project updates, get answers to your questions, and take part in training sessions offered by FCSN.

This month's meeting is April 7th.

¡Registrese! / Register!

The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) has created the Office of Individual and Family Engagement (OIFE) to help people with disabilities and their families learn about the services and information available to them through the MRC.

This April 7th presentation will include information about:

This event will have simultaneous interpretation in the following languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. Learn more and register here!

FCSN offers a wide array of workshops and trainings for families, educators, healthcare, and service providers in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. Check out upcoming workshops including:

The Secondary Options Family Engagement Project has been working closely with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop family-friendly, translated information about career, vocational, and technical education options. New web-based resources have now launched, with more changes planned in response to parent and caregiver feedback.

The new, human-translated version of Massachusetts School Finder includes content in six languages and a map to visualize school and program locations. Check it out here

A new section of the DESE website has been developed to respond to the questions and concerns raised by families. Also human translated - View this information here.

Despite widespread respect for the practice, home visits are not as widely used in school settings as we might hope. Which raises the question, is it worth the investment of time and resources to try to expand this practice?

A recent study by Institute for Education Sciences strongly suggests that the answer is yes. A recent study from Washington, D.C. schools measured the impact of one home visit on student attendance, disciplinary involvement, and academic performance. Read about it here.