School Partnerships
Helping DC Schools Build + Sustain REAL Family Engagement
For more than 10 years, Flamboyan has worked to transform the ways in which educators and families partner with one another to maximize student success.
The centerpiece of our DC school partnerships work is our Family Engagement Partnership, a five-year partnership with public schools across DC to support building a culture of REAL Family Engagement within their school. By partnering with and supporting schools along their journey toward making family engagement a living, breathing part of the school environment, educators and families build trusting relationships with one another. As equitable family engagement practices are fully infused within each partner school, family engagement gets REAL, and student success increases.
To support these efforts, Flamboyan provides funding, training, coaching, and tools, while schools create a family engagement leadership team to develop and sustain practices that deepen relationships with families. Our goal for partner schools: In 5 years, schools will build a sustainable REAL Family Engagement strategy founded in strong, authentic partnership between school and community.
Flagship Program
Family Engagement Partnership (FEP)
The Family Engagement Partnership (FEP) is an opportunity for schools to develop their culture and practice of REAL Family Engagement, drawing on Flamboyan’s years of expertise as well as tools, training, and a like-minded community of schools. Currently partnering with public schools across Washington DC, Flamboyan supports schools in the FEP to build a sustainable REAL Family Engagement strategy over five years, tapping into expert Flamboyan coaches, training, funding, and access to Flamboyan’s proprietary data platform. FEP schools work to grow and sustain their own family engagement practices through four phases, from building relationships with families to long-term program sustainability.
A Phased Approach
FEP schools develop their own family engagement practices through four phases, with equity-centered experiences as a throughline. Flamboyan offers right-sized support along each of these phases, with a goal of “graduation” from the FEP within five years.
Family Engagement Partnership
Phase 1: Relationship Building
During Phase 1 of the Family Engagement Partnership, Flamboyan coaches help schools establish relationships with families built on trust, ongoing communications, and shared power. Schools begin their work by listening to their staff, families, and students to ground themselves in the lived experiences of their stakeholders. Then, based on the listening, coaches support schools in identifying and piloting the relationship building strategy, such as home or community visits, that is the best fit for their unique community context. Schools will expand and sustain relationship building strategies throughout this phase to establish a strong foundation of trust between school staff and families.
Key Resources: Beginning of Year Relationship Building Toolkit | School Leader Tool
Family Engagement Partnership
Phase 2: Academic Partnering
During Phase 2 of the Family Engagement Partnership, schools build on the foundation of strong relationships to deepen collaboration with families on student performance and social-emotional development. Flamboyan coaches help schools identify an Academic Partnering strategy, such as Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTTs) or Student Led Conferences, that best fits their student population and families. Schools will build two-way partnerships with families to make sure families have the information and support they need to fully play the 5 Roles to Accelerate Student Learning.
Key Resources: Academic Partnering Toolkit | Ongoing Communication Reflection Tool
Family Engagement Partnership
Phase 3: Leadership for Sustainability
During Phase 3 of the Family Engagement Partnership, Flamboyan coaches work with schools to build the capacity of leaders in the building to sustain the conditions for meaningful engagement with families. Schools will codify REAL Family Engagement practices across the school and develop transition plans in the case of leadership turnover in the school. During this phase, school leadership will develop and implement cycles of improvement for family engagement practices and implement mechanisms for including family voice in school-wide decision making, as appropriate. The goal of Phase 3 is to ensure that REAL Family Engagement is deeply embedded in the school culture and practices.
Key Resources: School Leader Tool
Family Engagement Partnership
Phase 4: Graduation
Upon graduation, schools join the alumni cohort of the Flamboyan Family Engagement Partnership, which currently includes more 30 schools across the city. While Flamboyan does not provide individualized coaching support for our graduated partner schools, there are opportunities to connect with other graduated partners to share best practices in family engagement. Graduated partners also continue to have access to Flamboyan’s proprietary family engagement data system.
Equity-Centered Experiences
Across all 4 phases of the Family Engagement Partnership, equity-centered experiences where educators challenge their own biases and promote racial equity are a key tenet of the Flamboyan model. These experiences include both our centralized Bias and Mindset Training as well as equity-centered coaching and data-informed practices.
Key Resources: Challenging Assumptions Reflection Tool
School Year 2023-2024
Current FEP Partners
Flamboyan has 23 schools active in the Family Engagement Partnership and 31 graduated school partners. Current and graduated FEP schools represent some of the largest LEAs in Washington DC including DC Public Schools, AppleTree Public Charter School, KIPP DC, and Friendship Public Charter School. Our current and graduated partners serve more than 15,000 students and their families across the district, primarily in Wards 5, 7, and 8.
Explore Even More
Our Other REAL Family Engagement Programs
Training + Development
Ensuring educators and leaders nationwide have access to the tools they need to embed and sustain REAL Family Engagement.
Nationwide Family Engagement Support
Catalyzing REAL Family Engagement across the country.