Family-School-Community Partnerships

Pause on 2020-21 and 2021-22 State Accountability System Due to COVID-19

A second year of Accountability Pause (2021-2022) has been authorized by the Colorado legislature. The state's accountability system has been paused for 2020-21 and 2021-22. More details on the implications of a pause in accountability are available in the links below.

Accountability Pause

View the news release

COVID-19 resources

UIP Timelines

Learn more about UIP timelines including the October 2021 Timeline Shift.

Family-School-Community Partnerships Definition:

Families, early childhood programs, schools, and communities actively partnering to develop, implement, and evaluate effective and equitable practices to improve educational outcomes for children and youth.

Updates 2021

New Resource: Reframing Family, School, and Community Partnerships Online Academy

The Colorado Department of Education partnered with the National Association of Family, School, and Community Engagement and the FrameWorks Institute to develop a series of 10 online modules about how to effectively communicate the importance of partnerships to shift the public narrative. Learn research-based framing strategies through videos, examples, and practice. The intended audience for this academy is district and school staff, community organizations, and family leaders. Individuals who complete the course will receive six hours of professional development credits.

Visit the Reframing FSCP Online Academy

Family and School Partnership in Education Month

Governor Polis has declared October to be Family and School Partnerships in Education Month. Stay tuned for new resources throughout the month of October. How are you celebrating partnerships in October? Let us know at Hutchins_d@cde.state.co.us.
Read the Proclamation here.

2021 Edition of Promising Partnership Practices

The State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education (SACPIE) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) are pleased to share this seventh annual collection of Promising Partnership Practices. The purpose of this publication is for schools, districts, and other educational organizations in Colorado to highlight how they partner with families and the community for student success.

To read the 2021 collection of Promising Partnership Practices, click here.

Accountability Committee Networking Series 2021-2022

Starting in the 2021-22 school year, the Office of Family School Community Partnerships will be offering a series of monthly virtual networking meetings for members of SACs and DACs across the state. These convenings will include content from CDE, promising practices, and an opportunity to network and learn from other committee members. To sign up and learn more visit the Networking Series Website.

Family-School-Community Partnership Framework and User’s Guide

Join the FSCP P-12 Framework Collaborative for the 2021-22 School Year

New resources are now available to help schools. districts, and early childhood programs to implement the P-12 FSCP Framework. A series of 12 rubrics allows sites to rate their current partnership programs and practices. The accompanying User's Guide walks sites through a step-by-step, research-based process to identify starting points and prioritize next steps. Self Assessment Rubric User's Guide

The following webinar, FSCP: From Paper to Practice, outlines how teams can self-assess with the rubrics and put the Essential Elements in place in their district, school, or early childhood program.

Promising Partnership Practices

See a collection of initiatives from schools, districts, and other educational organizations in Colorado that highlight how they partner with families and the community for student success.
2020 Edition of Promising Partnerships Practices
Promising Practices Covid Related

FSCP during COVID-19

Districts and schools across Colorado are finding unique ways to partner with families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many districts are relying on regularly-established channels of communication while others are finding new ways to building and maintain relationships. A universal theme is that the role of family engagement liaison has never been more critical. Here is a summary of how districts, schools, and community organizations are working together assist families and students.

About The Office of Family-School-Community Partnerships

The Office of Family-School-Community Partnerships sits within the Accountability and Continuous Improvement Office at CDE, and was created in response to Senate Bill 13-193 Increasing Parent Involvement in Public Schools. Responsibilities of the office include:

Supporting to schools and districts implementing Family and Community Engagement practices
Incorporating strategies in the Unified Improvement Plan to increase parent engagement in schools, with a specific focus on priority performance and turnaround schools.
Ensuring that school district board of education adopt district policy for increasing and supporting parent engagement in the public and charter schools of the district
Communicating and providing support to the identified family partnership point of contact within school districts
Supporting parent participation on school and district accountability committees (SACs and DACs)
Staffing the State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education (SACPIE)

Research Briefs

These research briefs were developed by CDE and SACPIE to provide information and implications for practice to school leaders as they establish family and community engagement partnerships focused on student achievement.

Creating Opportunity Conditions to Partner with Families in Student Learning

Improving Student Learning with Family and Community Engagement

FSCP Key

This monthly newsletter is sent to family partnership contacts around the state, and includes updates from the director of family partnerships, promising practices, and research.