Executive summary

Parent engagement in a child’s learning has demonstrated positive effects on the child’s educational, social and long-term employment outcomes. With vulnerable populations testing as much as two and a half years behind students from high socio-economic status backgrounds, there is currently great emphasis in education policy and practice discussions about the importance of increasing parent engagement. However, while it is valued it is far from easy to do so effectively.

The intent of this research was to pilot an empowering methodology, in which the process encourages agency and confidence in parents through the process of self-identifying what effective support of their children’s learning looks like to them, and how to measure it over time. This research is focused on parents – their voice, their viewpoint, their vision of how support could be improved.

The process employed three workshops, focussed on creating a vision, developing a plan, and advocating for the plan. Using Epstein’s Overlapping Spheres of Influence as a frame, the parents created a vision for their children’s school years, then identified actions that families, schools, and the community can take to better support their child’s holistic development. These actions were very specific to the local context. The advocacy component allowed parents to share their plan with school and community representatives, broadening support and securing commitments to action.

This simple process, totalling less than ten hours, became a leverage point for community change. Community members sought to work collaboratively with government, schools and community service agencies, resulting in collective impact. Measurable progress has been made on virtually every component of their plan, resulting in steady and sustained community change.