Usually in Focus on FACE, we try to discuss the positive things in our schools and in family engagement. But the reality is, for many people, school is not always positive and relationships between students, families, teachers, and administrators can be strained due to issues of school climate, safety, and culture. Many schools around the...
Research shows that student achievement increases when parents, students, and teachers work as a team. A parent-teacher conference is an opportunity for you and your child's teachers to engage in conversations about student learning at home and at school. Follow these 6 Steps for a GREAT Parent-Teacher Conference to get you started: Start...
On Friday, October 13, actor and author Hill Harper spoke to families, staff, students, and community members at 440 N. Broad Street in honor of the District's celebration of Family Engagement Month. Mr. Harper spoke about the importance of taking ownership over one’s neighborhood school and refusing to settle for sub-par educational standards. He encouraged...
Very often when people are eager to volunteer in a School District of Philadelphia school they feel overwhelmed and confused. They ask, where do I start? Who do I talk to? What paperwork do I need? Will I make a difference? Jessica Freeman, School Improvement Support Liaison (SISL) at Commodore John Barry Elementary School in...
This article was written by Jessica Maharaj, an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Office of Family and Community Engagement. Jessica is from outside of Savannah, Georgia and graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2017. In the following article, Jessica shares her thoughts and impressions of the time-honored Philadelphia tradition of "Back to School Night."...
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA OFFICE OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND PLACEMENT 2017-2018 School Selection Process Overview The School District of Philadelphia will be accepting online applications for the School Selection Process from September 29th to November 13th at 5:00 PM. The School Selection Process is for students and families who wish to apply to a school...
The following article is taken from the Harvard Family Research Project. Although years of research confirm the important role of families in student achievement, we continue to struggle with HOW to engage families in meaningful and effective ways. Human-centered design (also called design thinking) opens new possibilities for closing the gap between research and practice....
Dear High School Parents and Guardians, The School District of Philadelphia will be administering the SAT as well as the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) to all high school students in grades 9 through 12 on Wednesday, October 11th, 2017, at their high school. This opportunity will be at no additional costs to parents...
LaShaé Sprately has been the Family and Community Engagement Coordinator for Network 3 and the Autonomy Network since October 2016 and doesn't see herself leaving any time soon. After receiving a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Ms. Spratley worked with children who had behavioral health issues at several social service agencies throughout Philadelphia. Shortly after,...
Code for Philly is a local civic tech organization of volunteer developers, designers, and civic stakeholders who use technology as a means of civic and community engagement. Recently Code for Philly has built YadaGuru which reminds high school seniors about all the things they have to do for college applications, from filling in Naviance to...
