Improving School-Home Communication: Insights from 1,000 Families
Can you pinpoint that moment where a teacher said or did something that changed the course of your life? For many of us, that moment exists, shaping our educational journey in unforeseen ways. In my case, that pivotal moment didn’t come from what the teacher said to me, but rather from a conversation she had with my mother.
It was during my 10th-grade year when my English teacher casually mentioned to my mom, who happened to be a teacher as well, that I had been missing class frequently. This chance encounter at the grocery store sparked a turning point for me, preventing me from dropping out of high school. With my mother now aware of my struggles, I began showing up to school daily and making up for the work I had missed. This experience highlighted the crucial role of keeping families informed and involved in their children’s education, as it can truly make a difference in a student’s academic success.
Inspired by this realization, I embarked on a journey to revolutionize school-home communication as the youngest school technology director in Mississippi. However, I soon discovered that conventional methods were inadequate in fostering genuine engagement between schools and families. What was lacking was a tool that facilitated two-way communication: conversations rooted in data, tailored to each child’s needs, and accessible in languages that families understand.
My vision of seamless school-home communication only grew stronger over the years, fueling my mission to empower families with insights and create opportunities for collaborative interventions among families, teachers, and administrators. This winter, my team focused on integrating various solutions to address pressing issues such as chronic absenteeism, underscoring the importance of effective communication in tackling complex challenges within educational settings.
Amidst these efforts, I attended my daughter’s parent-teacher conference, a high-value touchpoint that underscored the significance of personalized communication for families. Recognizing the impact of such interactions on parental engagement, I realized the necessity of understanding families’ perspectives and needs to enhance school-home partnerships effectively.
To gain deeper insights into these dynamics, we launched the 2024 K-12 Family Communication Survey, aimed at capturing the experiences and preferences of U.S. families and caregivers with K-12 children. With over 1,000 responses, the survey results shed light on the profound desire for increased transparency and collaboration between schools and families.
One striking finding from the survey revealed that more than 78 percent of families lacked suggestions and resources to support learning at home, especially in middle and high school settings where communication on student success was scarce. Additionally, 45 percent of families reported receiving communications only after a student had been absent, highlighting the reactive nature of current communication practices.
Moreover, the survey highlighted the unique challenges faced by multilingual families, with 70 percent expressing a preference for receiving text messages about their child. However, over one-third of multilingual respondents encountered difficulties due to language barriers, hindering their engagement with school-related information critical to supporting their child’s education.
It is evident that the prevailing communication norms are leaving many families uninformed and disconnected from their children’s academic progress. This status quo is unacceptable, necessitating a shift towards a modern, family-friendly approach to school-home communication. Every student deserves an advocate, whether it be a teacher or a family member, equipped with the tools to support their educational journey.
As we strive to reimagine school-home communication, it is imperative to prioritize proactive, positive engagement strategies that empower families and foster collaborative partnerships within the educational community. By placing families’ perspectives at the forefront, we can bridge the communication gap and cultivate a culture of transparency, support, and shared responsibility in education. Together, we can create a more inclusive and empowering environment for students, families, and educators alike.