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2026 Pre-Conference Workshops

Pre-Conference sessions are held concurrently on Monday, November 16, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The registration fee is $135.00 per person per pre-conference session as an add-on to your conference registration. Lunch is included for all registered conference attendees. Registration is required; register by Friday, October 23rd to secure your spot. 

Pre-Conference Option #1: Laying the Foundation: Family Engagement for Student Success

A pre-conference opportunity designed for new professionals to the family engagement space.

Learning outcomes:

  • Understand the role and impact of family engagement on student success.

  • Navigate the nuances of family communication, including FERPA and promoting student agency.

  • Identify communication strategies based on student year and milestones.

  • Begin building a professional network in the parent and family engagement field.

  • Discover key tools, resources, and communities available to support their work.

Registration is required, this workshop is limited to 45 attendees.

 Pre-Conference Option #2: Research to Reality: Workshopping Parent & Family Engagement Research Projects

This pre-conference session invites participants who are (1) working on integrating current research into practice, (2) developing assessment or research projects on current parent and family engagement initiatives, and/or (3) designing an independent research project on the topic of parent and family engagement for a graduate program.

 

Facilitators: Dr. Judy Marquez and Dr. Cassandra Harper

Dr. Judy Marquez Kiyama is a professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education, Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice, at the University of Arizona. Dr. Kiyama is a community-engaged scholar with nearly 25 years experience in research, practice, and administration. Working alongside minoritized and first-generation families and communities are at the core of Dr. Kiyama’s research efforts. Her research is organized in three interconnected areas: the role of parents and families; equity and power in educational research; and minoritized groups as collective networks of change.

Dr. Casandra E. Harper is a Professor of Higher Education in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis department at the University of Missouri. Her research is focused on parent and family engagement and the diversity of the individual college student experience, which has included attention to race, ethnicity, gender, ability, first-generation status, and class the following key experiences and outcomes: multiracial identity development, racial identification, openness to diversity, the influence of student-faculty and student-parent interactions, perceptions of campus climate, and financial aid as it relates to college access and academic success. Casandra received her B.S. in Psychology and her M.A. in Higher Education from the University of Arizona and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change at UCLA. 

Learning outcomes:

  • Identify current research trends and evidence-based practices in parent and family engagement that can inform program development and decision-making..

  • Apply research and assessment methodologies to evaluate parent and family engagement initiatives within their own institutional context.

  • Develop a framework for a research, assessment, or evaluation project that aligns with institutional goals and advances the field of parent and family engagement.

Registration is required, this workshop is limited to 45 attendees.