One of the family engagement events at Morgan County High School during the 2024-2025 school year. Photo submitted by Danell McKinney
My name is Danell McKinney, and I serve as the assistant principal at Morgan County High School, located in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky. As a lifelong member of the community and a graduate from Morgan County High School, I am greatly invested in the community and have a passion for student success. As part of our school improvement efforts, I took on a key leadership role in our Family Friendly Schools initiative, recognizing the power of strong school, family, and community partnerships in promoting student achievement and well-being.
The decision to pursue the Family Friendly School Certification was born when I attended a professional learning session that introduced me to the initiative, and success stories were shared by a neighboring district. My goal of obtaining certification became a shared realization among our school leadership team to create meaningful family engagement and participation. While Morgan County High School has always valued community involvement, we recognized gaps in how we were reaching all families. After reviewing previous survey data, sign-in sheets of after school events, and discussing feedback from parents, it became clear that we needed a more intentional approach to partnering with families. We knew we could do better.
With a collaborative approach, I worked closely with our principal, teachers, family resource center staff, and members of our school-based decision making council to develop a diverse Family Engagement Action Team that included foster parents and grandparents who were caregivers for students. We began by reviewing the Family Engagement Digital Playbook provided by The Prichard Committee and the Kentucky Department of Education’s family engagement rubric. The Family Engagement Action Team then completed the self-assessment provided in the digital playbook to determine what we were already doing well and to identify our areas of growth.
Regular meetings helped to guide our efforts, collect feedback from parents, and share ideas. To increase diverse feedback on a short two-or-three-question survey about two-way communication, identified as an area of growth from the self-assessment, the idea was proposed to utilize the parent drop-off/pick-up line. A staff member would ask the same questions contained in the survey that was shared on social media platforms and document the responses.
During this process, a parent stated, “I feel like the school actually wants to hear from me, not just when something is wrong.” This outreach effort allowed us to hear from families who previously had limited interaction with the school.
The certification process confirmed that several of our practices were heading in the right direction, but also presented a challenge in other areas. One of the biggest shifts was how we documented our family engagement strategies. We began tracking which families attended events and how feedback from families was used to inform decisions. Another significant change was ensuring staff received professional development on culturally responsive communication and family partnership strategies. The certification offered a helpful structure and meaningful recognition of the changes we were striving for.
To create sustainable change, we have embedded family engagement strategies into our Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Our Family Engagement Action Team will also be expanded to include student representatives and community partners to ensure we maintain a broad, inclusive perspective. Most importantly, we will continue to gather data, listen to our families, and adapt our strategies based on what we hear.
As in most rural areas, our school serves as a hub for the entire community. When families feel connected and respected, students benefit academically, socially, and emotionally. We know the work is ongoing, and we’re committed to continuing the Family Friendly Schools initiative to increase our effectiveness of creating lifelong learners.
Danell McKinney is the assistant principal at Morgan County High School.
The Family Friendly Schools Certification is awarded by the Prichard Committee after applications are reviewed and scored by a working group of families, educators and community organizations. The group is focused on increasing open communication, learning opportunities and shared decision-making power across the Kentucky education system.
The next certification window will open on Aug. 15 and close on Oct. 1. For more details on the Family Friendly Schools Certification, visit the Prichard Committee’s Family Engagement website.
Leave A Comment