Communication between school and home remains a challenge for many districts

Key points:

A third of parents say they feel uninformed about their children's progress in school, and less than 40 percent receive regular communication about how to support their children's academic success, according to a survey from an educational technology solutions company. . School status.

The lack of clarity around school-home communications is a cause for concern, given that 77 percent of families surveyed in the School-family communication report 2024 Recognize the importance of school-home communication.

Attendance also emerged as a critical factor for student success, with 88 percent of families across all grades considering it essential.

Underscoring the urgency of these findings, the Biden-Harris Administration recently identified two-way communication between school and home and addressed chronic absenteeism as top priorities for improving overall student achievement in 2024. This highlights an opportunity for districts to leverage survey results to improve collaboration with families and improve the effectiveness of communication on these topics.

The survey gathered insights from diverse K-12 families about school communication preferences and the relevance, inclusivity, and accessibility of current communications.

Agile and accessible digital communication channels
K-12 families are grappling with technology and information overload, emphasizing the desire for a single, easy-to-use solution for school-home communications.

• 62 percent of respondents expressed that having a central communications center would simplify their connection with their child's school.
• 72 percent of respondents prefer emails and 70 percent prefer text messages, highlighting that strong digital communication is key to engagement.

Frequent, relevant and actionable communications about student progress.
The survey also illuminated a clear need for improvement to ensure the accessibility and understanding of information.

• 69 percent of families want daily (48 percent) or weekly (21 percent) communication about their child's academic progress, but currently only 52 percent receive updates with that frequency.
• 45 percent reported that school communications are not frequent enough.
• 42 percent indicated that the school provides insufficient information.
• 53 percent expressed that the information shared by their child's school is not always easy to access and understand.

Positive and proactive communication about attendance
Attendance emerged as a critical aspect of student success, and K-12 families expressed the importance of proactive and positive messages.

• More than 45 percent of families only receive communication about the importance of attendance after their child misses school.
• More than 70 percent of families believe that positive updates celebrating good attendance or improvements in attendance are helpful.

“At a time when K-12 districts and educators face academic setbacks, chronic absenteeism, and more, districts have an important opportunity to improve collaboration with families to address these critical issues and support student success,” said SchoolStatus Founder and CEO Russ Davis. . “Families want to participate in their children's education and, in order to participate fully, they need relevant, accessible and practical information.”

Material of a Press release was used in this report.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. She graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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