SAN DIEGO–Educational research validates that support at home is critical to a student’s academic success. San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten is making the commitment to enhance family engagement in the 2016-17 school year by implementing a new Framework for Family and Community Engagement. The framework aligns with the district’s Vision 2020 of creating quality schools in every neighborhood and is a priority in the district’s 2016-17 Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).

“Family and community engagement is a priority across our district,” said Supt. Cindy Marten. “The 2016-17 LCAP further expands our commitment to building and supporting systemic conditions that help empower each and every family to support student success.”

Marten plans to share the new plan at the graduation ceremony of the “School Smarts Parent Engagement Program” being held this evening at 6 p.m., at Doyle Elementary School in University City. School Smarts is a PTA program that brings parents together in support of their common interest – helping their children and schools succeed. San Diego Unified provided $26,000 in 2015-16 to the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs to implement School Smarts programs in seven  district schools: Baker, Birney, Cherokee Point, Doyle, Lindbergh-Schweitzer, Mason and Whitman elementary schools. The School Smarts program will expand next school year as part of the new framework for family and community engagement. The district will release its initial 2016-17 LCAP next week.

Other components of the new framework include:

·  Hiring an Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement to take the lead in implementing the new framework and reorganizing family and community engagement as a priority across district schools

·  Conducting an annual, district-wide family engagement survey to identify strengths and improvement areas in family engagement by sub-group, school and cluster

·  Assigning family engagement staff to each Area Superintendent to help build the capacity of all schools and families by clusters and neighborhoods

· Developing Family Engagement Plans for each school based on survey results, student academic needs, other identified priorities and aligned to LCAP goals.

·         Growing family networks that identify and create stronger partnerships with community organizations and best utilize their experiences in our neighborhoods to help schools with student and family needs.

·   Empowering families and schools with High Impact Home Strategies that support student learning at home for all families

·         Working collaboratively with a committee of parents, community and staff to give input and assist with direction of the framework

Parents and members of the public are encouraged to attend the 2016-17 LCAP Board of Education workshop on Tuesday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Ballard Parent Center, 2375 Congress St. (92110).  A draft of the 2016-17 LCAP can be found online at www.sandiegounified.org/lcap .