The Center for Family Engagement

Family Engagement News

National PTA Names Family Engagement Solutions Challenge Grant Recipients

August 4, 2025

Seven council PTAs also have been selected to receive the association’s 2025-2026 Family Engagement Solutions Challenge Grant of $2,500 each. The funding is made possible by the Overdeck Family Foundation as part of National PTA’s efforts to advance evidence-based family engagement programs nationwide.

The 2025-2026 Family Engagement Solutions Challenge Grant recipients are:

Broward County Council PTA/PTSA (Florida)
Chesapeake Council PTA (Virginia)
Durham Public Schools Council PTA (North Carolina)
Long Beach Council PTA (California)
San Diego Unified Council of PTAs (California)
Tulsa Council of PTAs (Oklahoma)
Yonkers Council of PTA/PTSAs (New York)

The Family Engagement Solutions Challenge Grant recipients will participate in a train-the-trainer convening and then deliver a training to their school district administrators and/or school leaders on the importance of evidence-based family engagement programs and Family Engagement Solutions. The grantees will also partner with their school district to understand if and how evidence-based family engagement programs are a part of their budget and strategic priorities. Up to $5,000 in match-funding will be provided to the participating PTA’s school district and/or schools if they are able and willing to implement one of these programs in the 2025-2026 school year.

Season 3 of The Transforming Family-School Partnerships with PTA's National Standards Webinar Series has Concluded!

May 1, 2025

Over the past few months, National PTA’s Center for Family Engagement and the Institute for Educational Leadership continued our webinar series on strengthening family-school partnerships through the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.

This season highlighted best practices for building partnerships, the importance of collaborating with district administrators to strengthen partnerships with families and steering through the changing policy and funding landscape for family engagement.

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10 New Episodes of 10 Minutes to PTA the Transformative Way!

May 1, 2025

National PTA's YouTube learning series is BACK with more episodes dedicated to helping leaders make their family engagement more transformative! Tune in to learn from PTA leaders and experts in the field!

Make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you know when new episodes arrive in the new year!

After watching each video, be sure to check out the reflection questions and related resources attached to each episode.

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AASA and National PTA Honor Superintendent with Inaugural “Excellence in Family Engagement Award”

Jan. 28, 2025

AASA, The School Superintendents Association and National PTA are pleased to celebrate excellence in family engagement by honoring a leader dedicated to family-school partnerships.

Alex Marrero, superintendent of Denver Public Schools, has been selected among district leaders across the country to receive the inaugural Excellence in Family Engagement Award in addition to $5,000 to support family engagement initiatives. Candidates for the award were judged on their commitment to equity, transformative engagement, capacity-building and results.

Marrero has implemented best practices and integrated family engagement across strategic plans, budgets and district infrastructure. He also continually demonstrates a commitment to equitable student outcomes and encourages other school system leaders to contribute to national efforts to sustain public and private funding for family-school partnerships.

Introducing Family Engagement Solutions!

Sept. 26, 2024

National PTA and the Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University have teamed up to launch Family Engagement Solutions, a free online tool to help district and school leaders, educators and advocates find evidence-based programs that strengthen family-school partnerships and improve student outcomes.

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Four Principles of Transformative Family Engagement

Parents know that they play an important role in their child’s success. But traditional family engagement practices don’t always meet the needs of each and every family, nor treat them as equal partners in ensuring their child’s success. Family-School partnerships often focus primarily on academic success, but whole child development is also an essential part of the conversation.

The solution? Transformative Family Engagement.

Transformative family engagement is a shared effort of families, schools and community leaders to advance programs, practices and policies that empower families to make their child’s potential a reality.

The Four 'I's of transformative family engagement outline how your PTA can become more inclusive, individualized, integrated and impactful in its approach to family engagement.