Strengthening Family-Student Relationships to Change the School Experience

Graduate-Level Credit / Non-Credit Hours
3 Semester Credits or 45 Clock Hours

Course Description

This course is designed to provide educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to build strong, positive relationships with students and their families. Participants will explore the crucial role these relationships play in fostering student achievement and creating a supportive classroom culture. The course covers key topics such as effective communication techniques, cultural competence, and strategies for engaging parents and caregivers. Drawing on the influential work of Dr. Joyce L. Epstein, whose framework of six types of parental involvement has significantly shaped how schools engage with families, educators will gain deeper insights into fostering meaningful family-school partnerships. Additionally, the course will highlight the research of Dr. Anne T. Henderson, who has extensive publications on building strong relationships. Educators will also learn methods to support students’ emotional and academic needs, manage conflicts, and build collaborative partnerships with families. By the end of this course, participants will develop an implementation plan or presentation to demonstrate their knowledge and application of these strategies.

Throughout the course, participants will engage in interactive dialogue through a variety of mediums to receive valuable feedback to reflect on from their instructor.  All formative and summative projects are reviewed and graded, and feedback from the instructor will be provided allowing the participant to enhance their portfolio of educational tools/resources to impact their classroom or school community.

Global Outcomes/Goals of the Course

To deepen and/or apply the content and skills of the teacher’s existing professional knowledge base by meeting the following global goals of the course:

1. To understand the importance of strong relationships in educational settings, recognizing their impact on student achievement and well-being.
2. To develop effective communication skills tailored to diverse audiences, including active listening, empathetic communication, and culturally sensitive strategies.
3. To implement strategies for actively engaging parents and caregivers in the educational process, enhancing collaboration and communication.
4. To learn methods for fostering supportive and understanding relationships with students, including mentorship, emotional support, and creating a respectful classroom culture.
5. To equip educators with skills to manage and resolve conflicts effectively, using mediation, negotiation techniques, and proactive communication strategies.
6. To establish ongoing processes for assessing and enhancing family and student relationships, utilizing feedback to improve educational practices and setting realistic goals for relationship development and maintenance.

• Self-Paced 1
• Structured 0
• Site Based 0
• Interactive 3