Parent Teacher Home Visit Program

About the Program

Too often, a home visit from a teacher means one thing to a family: trouble. But with the Parent Teacher Home Visit (PTHV) Program, the goal is to start by building a strong and positive relationship between the family and the school. The visits begin with the teacher asking about the family’s hopes and dreams for their child. By involving the parents and families, we create a better chance of success for students.

Interested in a home visit? Ask your student's teacher today if they participate in the Parent Teacher Home Visit Program!

Contact Us

Resources

For DPS Teachers

We offer resources and trainings on conducting successful Parent Teacher Home Visits for our DPS teachers and teammates in schools.

DPS PTHV Logo

National PTHV Website

History of the Home Visit Program

The district’s PTHV program got its start at Fairview Elementary, where passionate educators had established the first program in DPS. Believing that the program was making a big difference for his students, teacher Don Diehl invited the superintendent at the time to join him on a home visit to see the positive impact firsthand — and soon thereafter, DPS launched a pilot program in four additional schools in 2010 – Valverde, Munroe, Barrett and Maxwell. After the first pilot year, the program expanded rapidly, and has been a part of over 100 schools in the district. Educators and families have participated in more than 85,000 visits in the last 13 years! These days, any district-run traditional or innovation school can choose to engage in the PTHV program as one of their district supports for promoting family engagement.

DPS’ program has been recognized as the second-largest home visit program in the nation and we participate in national studies about the outcomes of home visits for student and family success.

Group of people making funny faces at zoom

What is a home visit?

Home visits are meetings between school staff and families focused on building positive relationships. They are:

  • 30-40 minutes long

  • Voluntary for both staff and families

  • Hosted somewhere outside of school (home, park, library, etc.)

  • Based around the question – what are your hopes and dreams for your child?

Why home visits?

Home visits are a research-based approach correlated with improvements in

  • Student achievement

  • Attendance

  • Behavior

Types of Home Visits

  • In-Person Visit

    • Inside your home

    • At a neutral location such as a library or park (not on school grounds)

  • Virtual Visit

    • A video call such as Zoom, Google Meets, Facetime, etc.

Picture of family