Family Engagement Toolkit
Explore transition planning materials that can help families engage in the transition planning process.
Life After High School Online Training
The Parent Information Center (PIC) created an online version of their popular Life After High School training for families (and educators). It takes about an hour to complete and is a narrated PowerPoint presentation with parent video commentary and interactive self-quizzes. The format lets you skip around the course at will. You’ll get a good overview of laws and best practices that help families and schools work together to create purposeful and meaningful transition plans and IEPs.
Promotional flyer (PDF). Note that the link to course has changed since the flyer was developed.
Flyers and brochures
High School is a Big Thing flyer
In high school, IEP teams begin to look at IEPs differently and start planning for what comes next for a student after high school. Schools refer to this as transition planning. The flyer, High School is a Big Thing, can help parents understand the important pieces of transition planning and how to prepare for high school IEP meetings. (PDF, 2 pages)Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) brochure
Download an ELO brochure, Think Different, that your school can use to introduce parents to ELOs. It’s a PDF with an editable space on the front for you to fill in your school’s information. (PDF, 2 pages, 2016)Family and Student Engagement Resources brochure
An overview of seven professional development workshops and three student workshops from the Parent Information Center. These workshops are available to schools for a fee. (PDF, 2 pages, 2016) Materials from some of these workshops are available in the For Parents section in Webinars, Workshops and Materials.Life after high school, transition fair, family engagement teams toolkits and guides
Life After High School Transition Tool Kit
The Life After High School Transition Tool Kit (PDF, 80 pages, 2018) helps families and youth who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) learn about the transition planning process. It provides an overview of the laws relating to transition as well as best practices. The sections are: Thinking about the Future, Making a Plan, Writing the Transition Plan in the IEP, What Else do I Need to Know, Review and Revise, and Give Youth an Opportunity to get Involved.
Transition Fair Guide
The Transition Fair Guide (PDF, 12 pages, 2017) has information and things to think about when planning a transition fair. Transition fairs connect students and their families to resources that help build successful lives after high school. Research shows that when educators, families, students, community members, and organizations work together, postsecondary outcomes improve for the students.
Family Engagement Teams Guide
Family Engagement Teams (PDF, 12 pages, 2017) is an easy to follow guide to help high school administrators, staff and parents develop a Family Engagement Team using a focus group strategy. The guide covers the benefits of starting with a focus group, specific focus group strategies, how to choose parents to participate, and samples and scripts.
Slides from four workshops
Below are slides from parent workshops developed by New Hampshire’s Parent Information Center (PIC). You may find the slides helpful by themselves, or contact PIC to arrange something in-person. Full materials are available for each workshop.
Planning for Life After High School
Slides from Planning for Life after High School (PDF, 43 slides, 2018). Covers what is transition planning, when and how does it happen, and the formal IEP pieces that document the plan. You can see trainer notes about each slide by clicking on the box in the upper left corner of each slide.
One-hour self-paced online version of Planning for Life After High School
Learning Outside of the Classroom
Slides from Learning Outside the Classroom (PDF, 29 slides, 2015). Covers the key features of high quality Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) and the role of students, families, educators and community partners in developing and implementing ELOs.
Half-hour self-paced online version of Learning Outside the Classroom
Listening to Your Child’s Voice While Building Independence
Slides from Listening to Your Child’s Voice While Building Independence (PDF, 13 slides, 2016). Provides information about the importance of listening to your child’s voice when discussing the future, what to consider before your child becomes a legal adult, and how to start building independence during the high school years.
Promoting Family-School Partnerships
Slides from Promoting Family School Partnerships (PDF, 42 slides, 2018). Introduces the Dual Capacity Framework, a process to guide school and district staff to engage parents and to help parents work successfully with the schools.
Family and student engagement skills checklist
The Family and Student Engagement Skills Checklist (PDF, 1 page) gives you the opportunity to review and reflect how you used specific practices, to note areas of mastery, and to identify areas requiring further practice.
Although you can use this checklist for self-assessment, the more effective approach is to ask a coach or peer to use the checklist to provide specific feedback to you following observation. Use it to review what happened during a specific interaction, to reflect on what practices you used and did not use, and to assess the your mastery and deep understanding of the practice. MSWord version of family and student engagement checklist
Updated 8/20/20
