Middletown, Connecticut

CTHSS New Family Engagement Team Structure

CTHSS has a Family Engagement Policy that requires each school to develop its program for engaging families in ways that support student success.  Still, schools have challenges when families and students come from many different towns, as in this state-wide district of 17 technical high schools.  Leaders have learned that school-based Action Teams for Partnerships (ATPs) are increasingly important for improving programs of family and community engagement.

The district leaders for partnerships worked with family liaisons to create smooth and productive connections with ATPs.  They continue to assist school teams to plan effective partnership activities.  Each school’s ATP is working to strengthen plans to connect family and community engagement to its own school improvement goals.  The ATPs have shown creativity in developing activities to meet specific goals for students and in sharing good ideas with other school teams.

Family Engagement Google Classroom

The Connecticut Technical High School System (CTHSS) is a unique district.  Seventeen high schools are spaced geographically to serve regions across the entire state.  Connections between and among schools can be difficult because of distance.  When polled, the schools’ Action Teams for Partnerships (ATPs) overwhelmingly indicated that they would value having more contact with colleagues from other high schools to share ideas, solve challenges, and learn from each other.

Staff liaisons from the schools gathered together four times a year with district leaders for partnerships, but even these gatherings had some limitations.  The schools’ ATPs wanted more direct access to each other to share examples and ideas.  In an age of technology, this was possible—enter the internet.  There are many options for instant, face-to-face, and other meetings that were not available to educators a few years ago, such as the Google Classroom.  This free online tool acts in a similar way to other learning management systems such as Blackboard, Canvas, or Moodle.  The ATPs join a “classroom” to download and upload documents, view a shared calendar, and send messages.  District leaders easily distribute and collect forms and documents from all schools.

Family Engagement Google Classroom is featured in Promising Partnership Practices 2017.