Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences Establishing Positive School-home Relationships

The problem in this study was that at Windland Elementary School (WES; pseudonym) early childhood teachers experienced a 16% decrease in parent satisfaction with the school's ability to eliminate or reduce barriers to parent engagement. Framed by six types of activities that encompass family engagement from Epstein et al., the purpose of this study was to explore early childhood teachers' experiences in establishing and maintaining school-home relationships at WES. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 Kindergarten through Grade 3 teachers who had at least 3 years’ teaching experience at WES. Thematic analysis using open coding yielded four key themes: teachers established school-home relationships through communication and family engagement events, teachers used communication and teachers used family events as ways to maintain parental engagement, and teachers identified strategies and resources needed to maintain relationships. Participants used several of the parent engagement activities outlined by Epstein et al. to establish and maintain relationships, but offered less information about how teachers support families in parenting and decision-making at school. Findings informed a project in the form of a position paper describing research-based strategies to strengthen school-home relationships in a large elementary school setting while overcoming teacher-identified challenges. By strengthening communication, expanding opportunities for engagement, and supporting educators in relationship-building, this project can be a resource for promoting positive social change. The findings and the subsect position paper seek to support educators by improving trust and collaboration between schools and families, thereby advancing early childhood learning and more equitable family engagement practices.