Arlington ISD outlines family engagement framework and tiered supports to boost student success

Arlington ISD on June 5 presented a district priority update on family and community engagement, outlining a framework intended to increase family partnership and support student achievement.

Aaron Perales, executive director of Family and Community Engagement, told trustees the department built four core beliefs about families' capacity and a four‑strand framework (welcoming environments, two‑way communication, school support for home learning, and degree of engagement). He described a tiered model that parallels academic multi‑tiered systems of support: Tier 1 (universal involvement such as open houses and meet‑the‑teacher events), Tier 2 (targeted cohort interventions) and Tier 3 (wraparound services that bring district departments and community partners together around students with the greatest needs).

Perales described the department's structures: a family engagement advisory council (representatives from every campus), Title I family engagement liaisons, and a new stipend position called Family Academic Support Representative piloted this year. He said the advisory council met multiple times and has produced a draft family engagement plan that assigns responsibilities (what welcoming environments mean for administrators, parents, community members, teachers and students).

Trustees praised the work and gave examples of campus implementation: Trustee Richardson described a targeted after‑hours meeting at Short Elementary that brought in families for reading activities; Trustee Mike referenced large community events such as FatherFest to illustrate outreach success. Perales said the department plans continued capacity building for campuses and tools to help administrators and staff apply common language and practices across schools.

The presentation did not propose new board policy; it outlined implementation steps and resources to scale family engagement work across AISD.