Authentic Family Engagement Certificate Program
Family engagement is a value, not an activity.
The research is clear: strong family engagement can have a significant and positive impact on student outcomes. Creating partnerships with parents and caregivers has always been important, but now more than ever, school systems are challenged to bring families into schools as true partners.
Authentic Family Engagement (AFE) is not only about attendance at Back-to-School Night or parent volunteers. AFE is about truly engaging parents and caregivers in their children's school process by building relationships and changing mindsets. Engage parents and caregivers as authentic partners and start leveraging a child's first and most important teacher ─ their family. 
Program Modules
Over the course of this program, participants will explore a series of six carefully developed modules and gain access to planning guides to help advance their district's family engagement strategy!
Explore the meaning of authentic family engagement and why it is critical for the success of students today. Participants will investigate the nature of “authentic” family outreach and ways to promote their involvement in education.
Leaders will also compare outmoded models of family engagement to exemplary contemporary practices in the field. Participants will grow in their understanding of how family engagement can enhance student achievement and schools as true learning organizations.
How do modern parents view their children’s education and the quality of the schools they attend?
This module will emphasize this critical question, exploring the causes of parental misconceptions and negative perceptions—particularly in an increasingly divisive political climate. Participants will explore strategies and techniques for promoting positive and sustained parent and family engagement.
Leaders will have opportunities to understand the universal elements of authentic family engagement common to all levels of students’ education. This module explores the unique nature of students’ varying developmental levels as they grow and mature.
Participants' experiences will be customized, allowing them to emphasize the unique needs, challenges and opportunities associated with family engagement at the Pre-K, elementary, middle and high school levels.
Educators can derive powerful benefits from sustained and successful authentic family engagement. This module will explore specific ways in which family outreach and involvement can impact teacher and administrator beliefs, mindsets, and attitudes.
It will identify specific skills, mindsets, and dispositions required for educators to promote and sustain authentic family engagement, enhancing instruction, assessment and classroom management practices in the process.
How do great educational leaders promote authentic family engagement?
Educational leaders can use a range of strategies, techniques, and approaches to ensure that their school or district emphasizes authentic family engagement. Leaders can also become effective facilitators of the change process related to helping staff and families understand and adapt to increased engagement.
Portraits of successful educational leaders—including both central office and school-based administrators—will guide and inform participants’ discussions, emphasizing what we know about essential conditions for successful family engagement and the role of the educational leader in promoting those conditions.
Effective and sustainable family engagement requires that district and school strategic planning emphasize it as a priority. This final module will highlight examples and models of how authentic family engagement can be integrated into effective strategic plans and continuous improvement at both school and district levels.
The course will conclude with recommendations for helping parents and families to become true partners in educational transformation in schools today—as well as suggested “next steps” in taking this work forward within participants’ learning organizations.
Superintendents, central office staff, building principals and other faculty involved in family engagement across the district!
Teams are encouraged to participate and each person must register separately. Each participant will receive complimentary registration to the Rooted in Relationships Summit taking place April 14 - 16, 2027 in New Mexico.
2026 - 2027 Meeting Schedule
Virtual Meetings
The six modules will be covered during the following meeting dates. All meetings will be held from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. ET.
- September 24, 2026
- October 15, 2026
- December 17, 2026
- January 21, 2027
- February 18, 2027
- March 11, 2027
In-Person Meetings
Program Leads
2025-26 Speakers
Partners
Details
September 17, 2026 to April 16, 2027
$750
Member Price
$1,000
Non-Member Price
Not a member? Join today.
Contacts
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Stephanie St. John
Program Manager, Leadership Network
91porn, The School Superintendents Association
703-875-0762
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John Malloy
Senior Vice President, Leadership Network
91porn, The School Superintendents Association
