School-Based Diversion Initiative Family Engagement Toolkit for Schools
Supporting school-family partnerships.
Developed under the School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI), this toolkit encourages school administrators and staff to partner with families and caregivers as a key component of efforts to improve student outcomes. While crucial, making that connection can be challenging. This toolkit aims to supplement your school or district's current strategies and help make collaborating with families more effective, productive, and sustainable by offering:
- An overview of family engagement and why it matters
- Resources to evaluate and adapt current practices, including data collection, communication, and visualization
- Strategies and tools for planning conferences, frequent communication, collaborating with families, supporting regular attendance, and setting up a PTO
- Cultural considerations for working with diverse families
- Family well-being resources to share with parents and caregivers
- Other one-page resources developed under SBDI
The School-Based Diversion Initiative was co-developed in 2008 by CHDI, the Court Support Services Division (CSSD) of the Judicial Branch, and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. SBDI implementation is now jointly funded and overseen by CSSD, the State Department of Education (SDE), and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). CHDI is the state Coordinating Center for SBDI.
Our work: School mental health
Learn more about CHDI's work to build schools' capacity to support students' mental health and well-being.
Learn more about SBDI
How SBDI works, its impact and reach, and how your school can get involved.