These technology platforms [that focus on one directional communication] are another way to help schools meet the letter of the law—but I don’t know that they help them meet the spirit of the law.” (EdWeek, 2017.)
Most studies on technology-mediated communication are limited to email or text communication. As technology plays a more pervasive role in family-teacher communication, the need to determine the most effective and inclusive way for teachers to engage families using digital forms of communication will be critical.
Our Theory of Change
HEARD is designed around a theory of change that 1) enabling two-way communication between teachers and families, 2) enabling communication among families, and 3) facilitating family engagement in student learning will build trust, collaboration and self-efficacy that improves parent-teacher partnerships around student learning — ultimately increasing student success in school communities.
How HEARD Works
Schools use a variety of different channels to communicate with and organize families. Taken together, these channels create an unmanageable volume of communication for teachers and families, making it hard to filter what’s important and engage effectively.
HEARD is a private social network that consolidates many of these channels into one multi-purpose hub. Accessible on any device and in any language, HEARD enables a school community to connect, communication, collaborate, and make home-school connections in a way that’s easy, effective and inclusive.
HEARD enables teachers to give parents a regular window into the day’s learning. More and more surveys point to parents’ desire to get more information on curriculum and what is being taught. Long newsletters capturing what happened a week ago aren’t as helpful as daily bite-size glimpses of current class activity. These snapshots of learning are not only easier for teachers to share, but provide more regular and relevant opportunities for parents to engage their child beyond “how was school today?” Families are better informed and can help support teachers and their child.
Feedback and Focus Groups
A December 2017 feedback survey of teachers on HEARD showed that 100 percent of teachers surveyed said they would recommend HEARD to a fellow educator and 83% said HEARD met their needs “very well” or “extremely well.” Teachers agreed HEARD enables parent engagement (89%), is an effective tool in communicating with parents (83%), and supports home-school connections (78%).
A focus group with Spanish-speaking families showed that families like seeing what’s happening in class via HEARD and want more communication about learning concepts and how to support children at home. Another family focus group revealed that getting updates from the class and shared articles from other parents was the most useful aspect of HEARD and the level of detail teachers used when posting about class learning was the most liked aspect of HEARD.
Engaging More Families
For schools wanting to engage families, this can take various forms -- from creating better communication with families, creating a more welcoming school culture, hosting community events, inviting parents into policy decisions.
Some family engagement strategies often involve providing lists of items and activities for teachers to use to reach out to families and for families to do with their children. While this information dissemination strategy gives staff and families skills and tools, teachers and parents also need the opportunity to practice what they learn and receive feedback and coaching from each other, peers, and facilitators.
Some schools and teachers get the help of family engagement organizations -- like Families in Schools. These organizations provide teacher training, support teachers in facilitating in-person home visits, and in-person parent education. They also help to further the research and belief that a student’s learning should be a partnership between schools and families.
The U.S. Department of Education and Dr. Karen Mapp’s dual-capacity building framework for family-sc