Schools and Families

Late last year my friend Lawrence Kohn, a co-leader at Houston Education Leadership Partners, shared a post titled “Why Public Schools Need Authentic Family Engagement Now More Than Ever.” Kohn writes:

“My colleague, Dr. Vikas Mittal from Rice University, recently made a great post about Houston ISD and customer satisfaction, pointing out that the academic strides that have been made but that the district needs to pay attention to more than just teaching and academics. In his post, he notes:

‘…my research with 10,000 parents nationwide, shows that 29% of value for K-12 customers comes from teaching/academics while 39% comes from administration and staff as well as family and community engagement, and 15% from safety.’”

“If parents value family and community engagement to his point at 39% (HIGHER than they value teaching and academics), then the district should shore up in that area.”

“Why am I mentioning this? Because as Vikas noted in his post, the district is losing enrollment; they are losing their customer base. However, this is not only true for HISD, but also true for schools nationwide.”

“The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that from fall 2022 to fall 2013, total enrollment nationally is projected to decrease by 5%, from 49.6 million to 46.9 million students. One of the reasons they give aside from the pandemic: Increased interest in homeschooling, private, and charter schools contributed to enrollment shifts.”

“But let’s not forget the point Vikas made about family and community engagement. I’d like to separate them and discuss family engagement alone because there is research on the impact family engagement has in schools, and there are unique methods to authentically engage families.”

“First, there are three variables related to family engagement that impact achievement in all schools, yet few schools or districts are aware of them, nor on how to improve them. Why? As important as family engagement is, it’s NEVER part of teacher or leader preparations. It’s an ‘error of omission’ so to speak.”

“On the other hand, families, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, have no idea HOW to engage with the school, and many are wary to do so, as they often lack trust with schools and/or had poor experiences as students themselves.”

“The three variables are based on the research of Dr. Kenneth Leithwood from the University of Toronto:

Parent’s expectations for their children’s success at school and beyond – The academic and occupational aspirations that parents hold and communicate to their children, linked to improved student achievement.

Parents social and intellectual capital about schooling – The degree to which parents engage in educational activities with their children.

Forms of communication between parents and children – The extent of parents’ active participation in school events, volunteering, and effective communication with educators.”

“These are three proven family engagement variables that impact achievement and that can be influenced by school, district leaders and families – if they know what to do. This takes some specific professional development and some deep effort, but the impact is very powerful.”

“Dr. Karen Mapp from Harvard created the Dual Capacity Framework to share how engagement capacity can be built form the school side and the family side. It is incredibly impactful work, as her research and other research show. Note how these relate to the three variables above AND how this relates to what Vikas posits.”

“Impact on Student Achievement –

Higher Grades and Test Scores: Studies indicate that students with engaged families earn higher grades and perform better on standardized tests. Family engagement is linked to improved literacy acquisition and overall academic success.

Enrollment in Advanced Programs: Engaged families often encourage and support their children’s enrollment in higher-level programs, fostering advanced academic opportunities.”

“Impact on Attendance –

Improved Attendance Rates: Family engagement correlates with better student attendance. When families are involved, students are more likely to attend school regularly, which is crucial for academic success. Teachers attend more regularly, as well.”

“Impact on Enrollment –

Higher Enrollment in Postsecondary Education: Students from families that actively engage with their education are more likely to pursue higher education, leading to increased enrollment in postsecondary institutions.”

“Teacher Satisfaction and Morale –

Improved Teacher Morale: When families are actively engaged, teachers experience increased support, leading to enhanced job satisfaction.

Great Teacher Retention: Schools with effective family engagement strategies often see higher rates of teacher retention, as educators feel more connected and valued within the school community.”

“Additional Benefits –

Better Social Skills and Behavior: Family engagement contributes to the development of students’ social competencies and positive behavior in school settings.

Decreased Discipline Problems: Active family involvement is associated with a reduction in behavioral issues, creating a more conducive learning environment.”

“So, it seems research on family engagement checks the boxes for what Vikas discovered parents value the most: teaching/academics and family and community engagement. If we want to give parents what they value most, perhaps schools and districts can focus on Dr. Mapp’s work.”

There’s an old management model titled “Can They? Will They?” The model asks a leader to ask these two questions to decide whether organizational change can occur. Applied to whether traditional K-12 schools can and will commit to making parents and other caretakers partners in the teaching and learning business, the answer has to be:

Can They? Yes

Will They? Hell no.

My 35 years inside the public education system taught me that traditional schools engage parents on school leadership terms. As long as parents are playing the game and moving in the direction school leaders want, then everything is good. But once parents want too much from the traditional system, K-12 leaders turn their heads the other way and ignore their demands.

The inability for the traditional system to truly partner with parents in most schools is a big reason why, if we want families more involved with their children’s education, we need a new system of learning – because the traditional system, although they could, won’t embrace families as true partners.

Til tomorrow. SVB