Why does the City School District of New Rochelle have a home visit program?

The City School District of New Rochelle piloted a district-wide home visitation program during the 2022-2023 school year to reinforce and strengthen the home to school connection that had been disrupted by the covid-19 pandemic.  

Are home visits a bad thing?

Our model is focused upon building connections with our families and honoring the wealth of knowledge our parents/guardians possess about their child.    The partnership with Parent Teacher Home Visit (PTHV) was intentional.  The home visit model is focused upon building positive school and family partnerships and has had success in school districts around the country.

Should every family expect a home visit?

No.  We piloted the program toward the end of the 2022-2023 school year.  Three dozen staff members visited nearly 60 families in the six week period.  Last year, an additional twenty members participated in professional learning provided by PTHV, and approximately 140 families visited by almost 60 staff members last year.  

The program will continue in the 2024-2025 school year but only staff members who have completed the required professional learning series to conduct home visits will be reaching out to families for potential home visits.  

Participating in a home visit is not required.  A visit is completely voluntary. Families may decline a visit with no consequences. 

What does a home visit look like?

Parents and teachers convene at the student's home or setting of their choice along with the student to get to know each other and to talk about the student’s academic future. 

The visit is not about reviewing grades, attendance, or anything that resembles a teacher conference.  Our trained staff members ask parents or guardians to share their hopes, dreams, and academic expectations for their student(s) and talk with teachers about school resources. 

Home visiting is not a parent/teacher conference. It is an opportunity to get to know each other and to build a relationship to benefit students academically. This is NOT a meeting to tell you what to do as a parent or to talk about your parenting. It is a time to get to know each other outside of school. 

Do home visits have an impact on student achievement?

Studies show that visits utilizing the Parent Teacher Home Visits model have increased academic achievement and improved parent engagement in schools. The visits bring teachers and families closer and open the lines of communication between home and school. 

More information regarding the Parent Teacher Home Visit program curriculum can be found at www.pthvp.org. Feel free to direct any questions to Eddie Castro at ecastro@nredlearn.org.