Download the 2024 – 2025 DLN Calendar here!
’24-’25 DLN CALENDAR
The District Leaders Network on Family and Community Engagement (DLN) is a group of approximately 200 individuals in district-level leadership positions primarily responsible for the oversight of their district’s family and community engagement (FCE) initiatives. DLN is a peer-driven knowledge network designed to engage our members as both experts and learners through a national structure that supports member capacity building and the alignment of the implementation of systemic engagement practices.
The Network is unique in purpose, function and design and is grounded in the belief that through the District Leaders Network, members can increase their individual and collective capacity to implement a systemic approach to family and community engagement, resulting in more consistent practice across districts, greater sustainability, and measurable impact on student outcomes and school improvement.
Membership is granted exclusively to those who are tasked with oversight of their district’s engagement efforts. Learn more here.
NETWORKING & PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Meet, Greet & Learn – Provides an opportunity for members to informally interact with leaders in the field of engagement. We leverage the “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) format to engage in a conversation with our guests. Past guests include Dr. Karen Mapp, Dr. Steven Constantino, Gina Martinez-Keddy of Parent Teacher Home Visits and Cecily Darden-Adams of the US Department of Education. Guests share updates and resources during these sessions.
DLN Learning Labs – provide district leaders and their teams with a two-day deep-dive experience in a member district. Held annually in the Fall, members learn from the host district how they have implemented district-level engagement practice grounded in the key elements of systemic engagement. Additionally, host districts will share how their work is organized, aligned and measured at the district level and will showcase exemplary practices that can be replicated by other districts.
Annual DLN Pre-Conference Session – The DLN Annual in-person meeting is held the day before the opening of the National Community Schools & Family Engagement Conference. The pre-conference session provides members with the opportunity to connect in person, engage in capacity-building opportunities and provide input on programming and networking activities.
Fall & Winter Membership Meetings – These virtual meetings provide members with additional networking opportunities to learn and share as well as receive national updates.
Regional Communities of Practice – These bimonthly sessions provide a space for DLN leaders to learn, share and engage in collective problem solving and the development of innovation at the regional level.
DLN CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES:
- Systemic Engagement Suite of Supports – Leading the implementation of engagement at the district level requires a systemic approach for both impact and sustainability. IEL/DLN has developed a suite of supports to build capacity for effective implementation of systemic engagement.
- Professional Learning Opportunities – IEL/DLN offers professional learning opportunities in the areas of engagement leadership, team/staff development and measuring impact. Micro-credentials can be earned in the following areas: Systemic Engagement, Engagement Leadership and Community Engagement.
Building Engagement Practice That Is Sustainable Requires
A Systemic Approach.
Introducing:
IEL/DLN SYSTEMIC ENGAGEMENT SUITE OF SUPPORTS
Leading the implementation of engagement at the district level requires a systemic approach for both impact and sustainability. IEL/DLN has developed a suite of supports to build capacity for effective implementation of systemic engagement. The IEL/DLN suite of support was developed by current & former district engagement leaders to build capacity for effective implementation of systemic strategies, systems & practices at the district level.
Based on the IEL publication, Taking it to the Next Level: Strengthening and Sustaining Family Engagement through Integrated Systemic Practice, this suite of supports focuses on building/enhancing capacity for effective implementation.
Three options are available to assess your district’s current practice and provide guidance for enhancing your implementation efforts.
- OPTION 1: SYSTEMIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT – Your district will get access to the Systemic Engagement Self-Assessment Toolkit that includes the self-assessment tool, which generates a set of suggestions for growth based on your assessment and a 1-hr consultation from the IEL team to serve as a thought partner for next steps. Cost: $950 Link coming soon.
- OPTION 2: SYSTEMIC ENGAGEMENT SERIES FOR TEAMS – Designed to be a deeper dive into your district’s engagement practice, Strengthening & Sustaining Integrated, Systemic Engagement is a 5-session series for district teams that includes the Systemic Engagement Toolkit and suggestions for growth. Your team will be introduced to exemplars and tools that will guide them to develop an action plan for strengthening systemic engagement in your district. Cost: $4500 For more information and to register your team click here.
- OPTION 3: SYSTEMIC ENGAGEMENT AUDIT – This is a comprehensive audit process of your district’s implementation of systemic engagement led by a team of current and former district leaders. The process includes a document review, survey and focus groups of key constituents and a site visit. The team generates a report that details your district’s strengths, opportunities for growth and recommendations for improving/enhancing the implementation of systemic engagement. Cost: Based on district size
For more information and pricing click here
Additional Helpful Resources
- The Dual Capacity Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships – version 2
IEL/DLN Publication – Taking it to the Next Level – Strengthening and Sustaining Family Engagement through integrated, Systemic Practice
This publication describes the key elements for successfully implementing systemic engagement practices as detailed in organizational conditions of the Dual Capacity Building Framework for Family School Partnerships. Highlighted within this publication are systemic exemplars and strategies from across the country. IEL has developed a companion toolkit with a self assessment and recommendations for growth.
To learn more, contact fcenetwork@iel.org.
To join the District Leaders Network, click here.