| LA | 2011-12 | KIPP Believe Primary | In Y1 the school notes, 'We tell parents that we are committed to their students and if we run into an issue or obstacle we will find a way to work with them or make one. We will get through this together.' Respect from parents is high in Y1, though KIPP Believe notes that they should have focused more on parent engagement early on. | In Y2 staff list the school's families as a top strength, saying, 'they have trust in the process, they are so responsive, they really are the best', but say they would like families to be so invested in the mission that they see themselves as part of a movement and will stay with the school even if they move. The school also notes that 'Teachers have formal strategy plans for engaging with families. At home visits we walk them through everything, ' and the staff aligns to leadership's ideas around parent communication. | By Y3 staff describe specific strategies to engage parents and say they feel they do a good job. There is a 'Dream Team' to create parent engagement support among parents, and about 90% of parents show up for events. | Relationships with families remain a priority. The school reports 'families are our first community partners, ' and the school mobilizes multiple communication strategies (visits, meetings at different times of day) to engage parents. | Relationships with families are still a priority. Families are viewed as allies: 'We connect to the hopes and dreams of the students and their families. We all have the same goal.' Parents recognize that KIPP produces results for students and brings a wealth of knowledge to their work given their longevity in New Orleans. | Relationships with families are a priority at KIPP Believe. Though the school faced some challenges, staff worked to improve opportunities for parents to be involved. In Y1 the school notes, 'We tell parents that we are committed to their students and if we run into an issue or obstacle we will find a way to work with them or make one. We will get through this together.' Respect from parents is high in Y1, though the staff notes that they should have focused more on parent engagement early on. In Y2 the school lists families as a top strength, saying, 'they have trust in the process, they are so responsive, they really are the best', but say they would like families to be so invested in the mission that they see themselves as part of a movement and will stay with the school even if they move. KIPP Believe reports that 'Teachers have formal strategy plans for engaging with families. At home visits we walk them through everything', and staff aligns to the school leader's ideas around parent communication. By Y3 staff describe specific strategies to engage parents and say they feel they do a good job. There is a 'Dream Team' to create parent engagement support among parents, and about 90% of parents show up for events. In Y4 and Y5 relationships seem to remain strong. The school reports 'families are our first community partners' and 'We connect to the hopes and dreams of the students and their families. We all have the same goal.' | Parent engagement is cited as a challenge at the closing Gregory school. The school sent home a letter and had meetings with families, regular j-calls and placed an announcement on the school news to let families know about the closure. |
| LA | 2011-12 | Clark | Clark experienced difficulty with parent relationships in Y1 and staff expressed wishes that they had focused more on this early on. There was a disconnect in Y1 between how the school managed communications and how parents preferred to be communicated with. | In Y2 staff struggle to find ways to engage parents, parent respect is not high; teachers struggle to find time to reach out to parents. The school is making efforts to reach out, and the majority of teachers align with leadership around parent communication strategies. | In Y3 reports are mixed: while some staff describes increased strategies for parent outreach, some say this isn't apparent. | In Y4, Clark reports that parents are a difficult group to engage, and that engagement is still going poorly in the absence of strong strategies. | In Y5 Clark creates more touch points for parents, under the aegis of a new principal who is overhauling multiple systems including parent engagement. Parent engagement is still a major struggle, however. | Parent engagement is a major challenge at Clark throughout the first five years. Clark experienced difficulty with parent relationships in Y1 and staff expressed wishes that they had focused more on this early on. In Y2 the staff struggle to find ways to engage parents, respect from parents is not rated high, teachers struggle to find time to reach out to parents. The school is making efforts to reach out, and the majority of teachers align with leadership around parent communication strategies. In Y3 reports are mixed: while some staff describes increased strategies for parent outreach, some say this isn't apparent. Staff continues to report lack of parent engagement as a challenge in Y4 and Y5, though in Y5 Clark describes extensive efforts to improve this. | Parent engagement was marked as a challenge for the closing Clark school, and progress in that area differs depending on the respondent. The school sent out letters to let families know about the closure and hosted presentations and coffee chats by the school and CMO. |
| LA | 2011-12 | Tubman | In Y1 parent respect is rated low, and Tubman notes a disconnect in communication with parents. | Parent engagement in Y2 is mixed: while many staff describes it as a top challenge, some also describe it as a strength. Staff describe multiple strategic efforts toward engagement but still wish it was better; lack of trust remains an issue, but staff sees this improving. The majority of staff are well-aligned to leadership's parent communication strategies. | Y3 staff continues to work on improving communication with families, and reports of success around this are mixed. There is a dedicated increase in focus on parent engagement in Y3. | Tubman continues to struggle with parent engagement in Y4. Parents are considered difficult to engage, and "incidents" at parent engagement events make such approaches fraught. Participation in parent-teacher conferences, however, is reported to be about 75%. Tubman views their low rates of staff/teacher turnover as a boost to parent engagement - relationships can be built and sustained over time. | Parent engagement continues to be a challenge but teacher-parent conference attendance is still at about 70%, and there are more opportunities for parents to engage in Y5, due to a dedicated effort at Tubman. | Parent engagement is a challenge for Tubman staff across all five years, but the school continues to provide opportunities, and overall relationships seem to improve across time. In Y1 parent respect is rated low, and staff notes a disconnect in communication with parents. Parent engagement in Y2 is mixed: while many staff describes it as a top challenge, some also describe it as a strength. Tubman describes multiple strategic efforts toward engagement but still would like to see improvement; lack of trust from parents remains an issue, but staff sees this improving. The majority of staff are well-aligned to leadership's parent communication strategies. In Y3 staff continue to work on improving communication and reports of success around this are mixed. In Y4 and Y5 Tubman says that turnout at events is strong and the longevity of the relationship helps, but that many parents are 'not an easy population to engage.' | The closing school sent out multiple letters to notify families of the closure. They hosted meetings and handed out flyers to help families understand their choices. They also worked to increase parental involvement, added a parent liaison, invited parents to use school resources and fielded more parent volunteers to improve school performance before closing. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Carver Prep | Parent engagement regarding the school turnover was managed by the CMO, not the school. In year one respect from parents is moderately high, and there are strategies to engage parents, but parent engagement is identified as 'our biggest glaring omission as a network.' Parent communications happen about every three weeks but more frequently to address negative student behavior. Parent turnout at conferences is moderately high (40-70%), but teachers see parent communication as a definite 'area for growth.' | In Y2 teachers describe lack of parental buy- in to the college-going culture and poor alumni relations as contributors to the engagement challenges. | Parent relationships seem to improve somewhat in Y3, although a lack of parent buy-in to school culture remains an issue. Changes in discipline policies have helped strengthen parent relationships. Challenges to parent involvement include lack of time, transportation, language barriers, poverty (work schedules), and lack of prioritizing. There are a parent group and network staff who are dedicated to parent engagement in Y3, as well as a school advisory system which serves as the main point of contact. | In Y4 the school notes that there are still some tensions between the school and parents around behavior expectations and that the school can do a better job of communicating with parents. A staff member comments, 'When kids have intense behavior needs, and you're a strict school, there's going to be a lot of tension there. Parents don't love to hear about it, and I don't blame them for that frustration, but we still have to communicate with them.' | | Parent engagement is a major challenge at Carver Prep across the first two years but seems to improve some as the school matures. In year one respect from parents is moderately high, and there are strategies to engage parents, but parent engagement is identified as 'our biggest glaring omission as a network.' Parent turnout at conferences is moderately high (40-70%), but teachers see parent communication as a definite 'area for growth.' In Y2 teachers describe behavior plans that parents aren't included in and poor alumni relations as contributors to the engagement challenges. Parent relationships seem to improve somewhat in Y3. Changes in discipline policies have helped strengthen parent relationships. Challenges to parent involvement include time, transportation, language barriers, poverty (work schedules), and lack of prioritizing. There are a parent group and network staff who are dedicated to parent engagement in Y3, as well as an advisory system which serves as the primary point of contact. In Y4 Carver Prep notes that there are still some tensions between the school and parents around behavior expectations; 'When kids have intense behavior needs, and you're a strict school, there's going to be a lot of tension there. Parents don't love to hear about it, and I don't blame them for that frustration, but we still have to communicate with them.' | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing Carver. Reports on the amount of improvement the school made regarding parent engagement varied by respondent, ranging from very positive to negative. Families were notified of the decision through a letter, an open meeting, and phone calls, and the school has continued to support these efforts through various meetings. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Carver Collegiate | In Y1 at Carver Collegiate, there are established modes of parent engagement and respect from parents is rated moderately high, though staff acknowledges that there was little follow-up to a parent interest sheet that was taken because staff became overwhelmed with other priorities. In Y1 the school reports, 'We are attentive to the needs of families and students. We engage in lots of communication.' | Y2 reports around parent engagement are mixed: communication with parents is still considered a growth area but is also considered a strength by some respondents. Carver Collegiate still struggles to regularly communicate positive reports to parents vs. merely alerting parents to problems. Geography and transportation are also challenges preventing Carver Collegiate families from engaging fully. | In Y3 there are intentional efforts around calling parents and improving communication. Policies for improvement are in place, as well as a dedicated staff person for parent engagement. Transportation remains a major barrier to parent engagement, and it is considered a top long-term challenge for the school. | In Y4 there is still a lack of community trust of the school. The school says the 'narrative they hear about us outside the school from other people and the media' is damaging and inaccurate, and the school is working to improve the communication of a positive narrative generally but especially with parents. | | In Y1 at Carver Collegiate, there are established modes of parent engagement and respect from parents is rated moderately high, though staff acknowledges that there was little follow-up to a parent interest sheet that was taken because staff became overwhelmed with other priorities. In Y1 the school reports, 'We are attentive to the needs of families and students. We engage in lots of communication.' Reports around parent engagement are mixed in Y2. In Y3 there are intentional efforts around calling parents and improving communication. Policies for improvement are in place, as well as a dedicated staff person for parent engagement. In Y4 there is still a lack of community trust of the school. The school says the 'narrative they hear about us outside the school from other people and the media' is damaging and inaccurate, and the school is working to improve the communication of a positive narrative. | The students and families of the closing school were not well notified of the closure; staff report that parents were very upset and confused. However, there are multiple supports in place to help families understand their choices such as meetings, phone calls and communication with grandparents, OneApp workshops and explaining school lotteries. Teachers also cite improvement in parent engagement over the last year. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Cohen | In Y1, parent survey responses (the key parent engagement strategy) averaged a C rating from school respondents. | All respondents said that the lack of parent involvement is a major challenge in Y2. One staff member reports: 'I've noticed that a lot of parents are like, "I'm tired, I'm done." Another staff member says, 'Most parents know what we are doing and are supportive, especially the ones who have been in our school system for 2-5 years. The newer families are less supportive.' | Parent engagement is stronger in Y3. Cohen struggles to get parents into the building but advisors take a more proactive stance in reaching out, and the school has more activities/opportunities for parents to engage this year. Cohen still struggles to maintain up to date contact information for families, which often stymies engagement. | Parent engagement remains a challenge in Y4. In particular, the school notes that the school's location and reputation have a negative connotation for families. Additionally, the school's teaching staff - which are mostly not native New Orleanians - presents a barrier to parents in engagement. | | Cohen seems to improve with parent engagement efforts as time goes on, but it remains a major challenge throughout the school's first five years. All respondents say that parent involvement is a major challenge in Y2. Observations from staff include, 'I've noticed that a lot of parents are like, "I'm tired, I'm done." The school also notes 'Most parents know what we are doing and are supportive, especially the ones who have been in our school system for 2-5 years. The newer families are less supportive.' In Y3 and Y4 challenges include accessing correct contact information and continuing to build trust. Efforts to improve parent engagement include multiple events for families, the creation of a parent committee, and attempts to hire staff that are more reflective of the community. | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing school, but all respondents agree that progress has been made in this area over the last year. Families have been supported through meetings and classes to help understand post-closure options. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Craig | The school reports pride in parent buy-in but also notes that citywide enrollment disrupts a sense of community-building and parent engagement. Craig wishes the "parent piece" could be better in all ways. | Lack of transportation and no pre-existing culture of parent engagement for parents at their children's schools were cited as the primary barriers to involvement in Y2. | Lack of parent engagement remains a challenge, due in part to transportation/location and citywide enrollment. There are opportunities for parents to engage managed by both the school and the CMO, but according to the school, parents are not well versed in the benefits of engagement. | Participation in the school's PTO has improved slightly in Y4, but other barriers remain the same: general lack of engagement, transportation/geographic barriers continue. | | Reports of family engagement at Craig are mixed across all four years. Each year there are reports of improved family engagement as well as lists of challenges and the need for improvement. Major challenges are the geographic location and transportation. In Y1 most teachers report high respect from parents and by Y4 the school believes it has improved in the area of parent involvement and community perception of the school. | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing Craig school. Staff report that progress has been made through meetings, opportunities for parents to chaperone, various meal events with families, and info sessions. Families were notified of the closure through letters, meetings, and PA announcements. Supports offered to families included meetings and office hours. Closing Craig staff report that parents were supported through this closure and had a positive reaction. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Crescent Leadership Academy | In Y1 CLA staff report middle to high levels of parent respect. Staff came into the year expecting very low parental engagement and very low student buy-in but say that families exceeded their expectations. | The school lacks a parent coordinator. CLA is trying to encourage parent involvement via the introduction of extracurriculars and communications about the benefits (not just the punishment) of attending CLA. Parent engagement remains a huge challenge despite these efforts. | Parent engagement remains extremely difficult, with the bulk of parent-school communications centered on negative behavior or low-performance issues regarding students. The school is in two locations this year, and one location is taking a proactive stance of reaching out to parents more, but this is not the case at the other location. | The isolated location of the school contributes to a lack of parent engagement. Parent turnout to quarterly conferences is very low. Phone calls to parents are more successful, but parents also block calls from the school. | | CLA has faced a lot of challenges to parent engagement across time, though there have been many outreach efforts. In Y1 staff report middle to high levels of parent respect and the school reports that 'parents do care and are trying their best.' In Y2 there are increased extra-curricular activities like sports and cheerleading, but parent turnout is still low. In Y3 it seems the new leadership made significant efforts at 'frequent parent contact,' but even through Y4 building and maintaining relationships remains a challenge. | Families were notified of the closure through a letter and meetings. Closing school staff say families have been supported through additional meetings, office hours, and OneApp training. |
| LA | 2012-13 | John McDonogh | In Y1 respect from parents is rated very high and there are opportunities for parents to engage at the school, but the highest reported turnout of parents at report card conferences is about 20%. There is a reported lack of trust between community/families and the school staff. | Staff respect for parents is rated a 5 out of 10, and effective engagement and communication strategies are not in place. | | | | There does not appear to be a solid strategy or implementation around parent engagement at John McDonogh. In Y1 respect from parents is rated very high and there are opportunities for parents to engage at the school, but the highest reported turnout of parents at report card conferences is about 20%. In year two staff describe the challenges they face with parent engagement, saying, 'we are struggling with parental communication, we are struggling with identifying strategies for increasing parental involvement' and 'survival is more important [to parents], parents don't understand the importance of academic future.' | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing John McDonogh school with a little bit of improvement noted. Families were notified of the closure through meetings and various forms of remote communication. Staff report that parents are willing to take a chance with this closure because they want better opportunities for their children. |
| LA | 2012-13 | McDonogh 42 | Meetings surrounding turnaround before the new school opening were not well attended. The school has opportunities for parents to engage but uptake is not excellent. The school isn't sure what more they could have done to engage parents in Y1 given limited resources. | Staff at Mc 42 report that parents are not steeped in a culture of engagement with their children's schools. When parents do want to engage, barriers include transportation and, for formal in-school opportunities (like classroom volunteering), background checks which many parents can't pass. The school also struggles to maintain up to date contact information. Barriers to parent engagement overall are summed up as "time, proximity, and trust." | There are strategies for parent engagement and a parent outreach committee. Transportation is a challenge, but parent interest and buy-in is also a challenge. Lack of parental involvement is listed as a top challenge, though one staff member notes that the parent orientation had much better attendance this year than in the past. | Mc 42 staff claim that 'low parental involvement' remains a long-term challenge. The school is working diligently 'to improve [parent engagement] through increased events, communication, etc.'. Report card meeting turnout is still low, and parental attitudes toward engagement are still blamed for low parent engagement. | | Although staff at McDonogh 42 report ongoing efforts toward parent engagement, it remains a top challenge throughout the four years of the study. Only two people came to parent meetings that were held before opening, but more came to parent meetings in September. Parents have many opportunities to engage with the school in Y1 and respect from parents and attendance at parent-teacher conferences is relatively high, but staff report that parent engagement is a major challenge. Staff continues to identify parent engagement as a top challenge in Y2 (eleven respondents note this in the survey) and cite multiple barriers including transportation, working phone numbers, and parent attitudes. Mc 42 says there are many ways in which the school could increase opportunities for parents to be involved and notes that trust, proximity, and time are all challenges. In Y3 and Y4 there are strategies for parent engagement and a parent outreach committee, but staff continues to name lack of parent involvement as a top issue. | Families were notified of the closure decision through a letter and meetings. They have been supported through additional meetings, and the parent liaison has offered OneApp support. Staff at the closing McDonogh 42 report that parents are apathetic toward the closure. |
| TN | 2012-13 | Brick Church Middle School | Brick Church reports low parent turnout at turnaround meetings prior to the new school opening. BCCP has strategies to encourage community engagement (e.g., visiting churches) and tries to create opportunities for parents to engage, but lack dedicated staff to focus on this function. Respect for parents from the staff is high. | Parental engagement remains challenging at Brick Church. Overcoming parent perceptions of the closing school is a barrier to parent engagement. Some parents push back on the school's commitment to rigor, and on the school's frequent communication around rigor, and staff at Brick Church fear parents will end up with feedback fatigue. Staff respect for parents remains highly rated (8/10) but the school struggles to come up with parent engagement strategies that meet parents' needs. | The school offers more and more strategic ways to engage, including a newly hired parent liaison. The school is still uncertain about how to engage parents around rigor. Other barriers to parent engagement include family transiency and single/working parents whose schedules don't allow for engagement. | Parent engagement remains a challenge in Y4. Barriers include the lack of up-to-date contact info, parents' work schedules, and finding ways to engage parents comfortably in an otherwise uncomfortable (to parents) school setting. | | Though respect from parents is high in Y1 and there are multiple strategies for parent engagment, the school struggles from lack of dedicated staff to manage this. Overall parent relationships are strong in Y2 and Y3, but there are concerns that the school is not meeting parents needs and not aligning with parents on goals as much as they would like. The poor reputation of the closing school is a challenge. In Y4 the school still struggles to get parents in the door. | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing Brick Church. Reports on whether parent engagement progressed in the final year vary by respondent-some staff report progress and others report regression. Families were notified of the closure decision through a letter and meetings. The school has offered office hours and meetings to help support families with post-closure options. |
| TN | 2012-13 | Humes | In Y1 Humes says, 'We send the message to parents that they are partners. There are about 50% of parents who show up all the time. We want 100%. We are working hard to change that. That is why [the school] hired the Parent Counselor.' Humes parents are required to come to orientation, and there are established modes of communication, but teachers feel that there is still a lack of parent buy-in and support of school culture. | In Y2 some staff respondents report that the school does not respect parents well. There are multiple events and ongoing activities to engage parents and families. Parents face barriers to attending events, and communications with parents are often focused on negatives rather than positives. There is some concern that in a school choice environment, the school sees parents and students as expendable because parents who don't effectively engage or fully buy in can go elsewhere and be replaced with a family who is a better fit for Humes. | One staff member notes pride in the number of student events and parent turnout and another expresses a deep commitment to parent engagement. There are challenges with getting information to parents, though there are multiple strategies for engagement. The school also struggles to overcome the preceding reputation of the school. | There are challenges with parent perception of the school and a lack of resources for transportation for parents, both of which create challenges to strong school-family relationships. The school does believe that parent support is an important contributor to academic success. | | Humes struggles with parent involvement, communication, and trust throughout the four years of the study. In Y1 the school says, 'We send the message to parents that they are partners. There are about 50% of parents who show up all the time-we want 100%. We are working hard to change that. That is why [the school] hired the Parent Counselor.' Humes parents are required to come to orientation, and there are established modes of communication, but teachers feel that there is still a lack of parent buy-in and support of school culture. In Y2 the school describes conflicts between school leadership and parents that are creating significant issues. In Y3 school leadership has changed, and there are some reports of improvement with parent relationships, but this remains a top challenge. By Y4 the school sees parents as critical to student's academic success ('We do parent surveys quarterly, there is constant parent voice. When we interview deans, parents are on the panel'), but reports the history of failure at the school presents real barriers to relationships. | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing Humes school. In response to the question of what would it take to overcome challenges one staff member said, "New parents who demand better quality." The school offered no supports to families around the turnover, and there was moderate progress in improving parent engagement. |
| TN | 2012-13 | KIPP Memphis Academy Middle | In Y1 KIPP Academy teachers felt highly respected by parents. There were open meetings with closing school families and home visits, and report card turnout was about 65%. KMAM also conducted home visits to create connections between families and school. | Long-term challenges remain at KIPP Academy regarding 'Clearing up miscommunication, addressing needs of parents and families, and continuing to build relationships with the community' as well as geographic barriers to parent engagement. Even so, some parents feel like they are partners at KIPP and there are multiple ongoing ways for parents to be involved. | KIPP Academy still sees a need in Y3 to improve parent engagement and to meet parents where they are at by finding out how they want to engage and creating those opportunities. KMAM hires a dedicated staffer in Y3 to focus on this. Parents still face barriers to engagement such as work schedules. | In Y4 the school says they have great relationships with parents. One staff member reports, 'I've been incredibly fortunate, the stars aligned and I can't take credit for it.' and, 'We have back to school nights, we want more parent events, more learning alongside their children.' | | Although there are challenges similar to those of other i3 schools, KIPP Academy has created and maintained strong relationships with parents throughout the first four years. In Y1 teachers felt highly respected by parents. There were open meetings with closing school families and home visits, and report card turnout was about 65%. In Y2 the school reports challenges with communication, geographic location, and the ability to assess and meet the needs of parents, but says that parents feel like they are partners at KIPP and there are multiple ongoing ways for parents to be involved. These challenges remain in Y3 but there is a dedicated staff member to work with parents and one staff member reports that the school does an excellent job communicating with parents. In Y4 the school says they have great relationships with parents. One staff member says, 'I've been incredibly fortunate [regarding parent engagement], the stars aligned and I can't take credit for it.' Another says, 'We have back to school nights, we want more parent events, more learning alongside their children.' | Closing school staff report moderate improvement in parent engagement in the final year. Families first learned of the closure through news channels before a letter was sent home. Parents were upset because many generations had come through the school. |
| LA | 2013-14 | Einstein Extension | Parent buy-in to all aspects of the school (e.g., culture, uniforms) isn't as high as the school would like, but respect for parents from the staff is rated highly. Einstein has a parent-teacher organization (PTO) and many opportunities for parents to engage. Percentage of parents attending conferences ranges from 15-40 percent. There are challenges with language barriers and parents not understanding rigor and discipline. The school utilizes a parent/student contract. | Language barriers remain a challenge to parent communication, but 'the school is adamant about communication.' Einstein would like to do more outreach and have a universal response from all parents, rather than just reaching those parents already well equipped to engage. Transportation, geography, and working parent schedules are all barriers to engagement. | Parent investment is considered a top strength at Einstein in Y3. Language barriers remain due to an inability to get interpreters from the district. Parent attendance at events is described by school staff as 'remarkable.' A PTO was established this year specific to this building, but staff notes that parents would likely have benefited from a parent orientation at the beginning of the year as well. | | | In Y1 parent outreach at Einstein appears to be strong, though attendance at report card conferences is low. There are a lot of ways for parents to engage but also challenges with language barriers and parents not understanding rigor and discipline. Language barriers remain a challenge throughout the three years, but parent engagement is listed as a top strength in Y3, and a PTO has been established. | Reports of progress on parent engagement vary from strong progress to regression of progress. Families were notified of the closure through letters. Support has been given to families through meetings, office hours, letters, and OneApp help. |
| TN | 2013-14 | Cornerstone Lester | Cornerstone conducted multiple outreach efforts for families of the closing school but reports that "It was not a fluid transition. We did not know much about the families." Cornerstone offers many opportunities for parent involvement, multiple modes of communication, and parent-teacher conferences are attended by 20-50% of parents (attendance reports vary by teacher and class). | Barriers to parent engagement include parent work schedules, illness, some disengagement, changing phone numbers. The school tries to mitigate barriers to parents (flexible conferences, driving paperwork to their house, paying for taxis to medical appts). The school feels they have made progress in engagement in Y2. | Barriers to parent engagement include parent work schedules, incarceration, addiction, and negative attitudes toward school. There are multiple ways for parents to be involved, including a monthly parent council. Teachers reach out to parents weekly. | | | Respect from parents is fairly high, though attendance at conferences is mediocre at best. School staff report that they have improved their parent outreach efforts in Y2. Staff list multiple barriers to parent engagement, but also many ways the school mitigates these. Barriers to parent engagement remain in Y3, though teachers continue to reach out to parents regularly. | Parent engagement and support were cited as challenges for the closing school. All respondents noted progress made in achieving parent engagement. The school notified families of closure through letters and answered questions to help families understand their choices. |
| TN | 2013-14 | Hanley | Hanley requires parents to sign a letter of commitment that includes promising 30 service hours to the school. Parent communication is considered a core strategy for communicating academic expectations. The school/CMO held a meeting in January prior to the school opening to engage with the community and did neighborhood walks and home visits. A staff member reports: 'We held community events at the school on Saturdays once a month and hosted parent meetings every other week at our office down the street from the school.' Hanley staff speak to parents daily or weekly and make a point of reaching out to communicate positives, not just negatives. Staff report that 75-95% of parents come to conferences. | Lack of transportation and difficult parent work schedules are barriers to parent engagement in Y2. Parent engagement is in the Hanley mission statement. Consistency with parent communication has improved, and there are multiple calendared ways for parents to engage. The tight-knit history of the community, combined with the school takeover has presented barriers to parent engagement for the school-staff report that gaining the trust of the community and families is a top challenge. To resolve challenges, Hanley hired a school parent as a part-time parent coordinator in Y2. | A Hanley staff member reports: 'There is more open-door [time]this year, and more parents visit and come to conferences this year. The consistency of staff has also helped. ' There is still the Advisory Parent Council and a parent coordinator, but the school's time and capacity to build parent engagement has been limited. They are planning to improve this in the spring. | | | Parent engagement is part of the Hanley mission. In Y1, parents are required to sign letters of commitment that include hours at the school. There was a 'community engagement' white paper/strategic plan created, and events were held throughout the spring prior to opening. One staff member says ''Aspire is passionate about parent involvement. We make two positive calls for every negative call.' In Y2 transportation and parent schedules are challenges, as well as lingering attitudes toward the takeover, but the school still reports progress in parent engagement. In Y3 one staff member reports, 'There is more open-door [time] this year, and more parents visit and come to conferences this year. The consistency of staff has also helped. | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing Hanley. Reports of improvement in parent engagement ranged from regression to a lot of progress. |
| TN | 2013-14 | Klondike | Respect from parents is rated highly (9 out of 10) at Klondike in Y1. There are myriad ways for parents to be involved, multiple methods of communication. Staff report that 100% of parents attended conferences. Gestalt engaged with the closing school community in early summer before school started, held meetings, and went door to door to engage parents. | In Y2 at Klondike parent attitudes and perspectives regarding the school and students are listed as a barrier to engagement. Klondike hired a parent counselor this year to address these challenges. School staff report that turnaround/takeover created distrust among parents. There is a concern at the school that 'parents are unhappy with how and with what we communicate' and that 'there are no real systems in place to leverage my position and relationships.' Respect varies between families and teachers, but there is not strong mutual rapport. One staff member says, 'I would like more services related to parental support. There is a lack of parental knowledge about school and how to best support students'. | Klondike is proud of 'having parents say they like the leadership but the wish they had more parent events. There is a weekly parent/principal roundtable. The school is 'doing a lot to be available,' but parent engagement remains one of their top challenges. Transportation is a barrier, and parent attendance at events is often low. | | | In Y1 respect from parents is rated very high and there is excellent attendance at conferences. In Y2 parent attitudes and perspectives regarding the school and students are listed as a barrier to engagement by multiple staff members and one staff member says, 'there is not a ton of involvement' and 'there are no real systems in place to leverage my position and relationships.' Respect varies between families and teachers, but there is not a strong mutual rapport. By Y3 staff are proud of 'having parents say they like the leadership and that they can talk to them,' but still wish they had more parent events. There is a weekly parent/principal roundtable. Another staff member says that the school is 'doing a lot to be available,' but also that parent engagement is one of the top challenges. | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge with only a little bit of progress made in that area. The school notified families of closure through written communications, phone messages, and fliers. |
| TN | 2013-14 | KIPP Memphis Preparatory Academy | Respect from parents for school staff is moderately high at KIPP Prep in Y1. Parents can come into the school anytime; there are parent roundtables, multiple methods of communication and ways to engage. Parent participation ranges from 45-95% (varies by teacher and classroom). One staff member reports: 'Parent participation is strong- they drop in all the time.' Parents are asked to sign a letter of commitment, and a staff member reports that 'Home visits were a huge bridge to families.' | Relationships with community/parents continue to be considered by staff to be a strength at KIPP Prep in Y2, though the school is working to increase parent organizations and host more events. Lack of transportation presents one barrier to parent engagement, and many parents still lack trust in the school (related to takeover). In addition to building level parent engagement, KIPP Memphis conducts a monthly Parent University. | One staff member at KIPP Prep notes that 'parent engagement slipped a little this year,' but another says family engagement is still considered a strength. On average 55% of parents show up to events. Lack of transportation and work schedules are cited as barriers to involvement. There are multiple and frequent ways for families to engage with the school. The school says parent engagement has become a strength over the last year, not because KMPM's approach has changed but because there are more hands on deck this year to implement. | | | Respect for school staff from parents in Y1 is middle-high (average 7.25 out of 10), and staff notes that parents can (and do) come into the school at any time. Multiple staff members note the importance and effectiveness of home visits and face to face time. Messages around parent engagement are mixed in Y2: parents are noted as a top strength, but there are also lingering concerns over distrust of KIPP as a takeover. Things are still mixed in Y3--one respondent says things have improved this year and another says parent engagement has 'slipped a little.' | Reports of progress in parent engagement varied from regression to a little bit of progress depending on the respondent. Families were notified of the closure through a letter, news, and a community meeting. The announcement increased parent engagement as parents sought to understand why the school was closing. |
| TN | 2014-15 | Freedom Preparatory Academy | In spring Y1 of operation staff at Freedom Prep believe the school struggles with parent engagement. | In Y2 Freedom Prep says retention of families will be a long term challenge. The school has myriad ways with which they engage with families, though they state that communication can always be improved. The lack of enrichment activities and the rigorous course work can be challenges to building relationships with families, but Freedom Prep believes that parents want to engage. The school is working to increase more wraparound services for families. Staff report a deep connection and investment both by and to families at the school and started a PTO in Y2. | | | | Though there are multiple ways for parents to engage with the school and staff communicate frequently through multiple methods, reports around parent engagement are mixed in Y1. Some staff feel that the school struggles with parent engagement and some believe they are doing a really good job of this. Staff report 50-60% of parents attend conferences. In Y2 Freedom Prep says the lack of enrichment activities and the rigorous course work can be challenges to building relationships with families, but that parents want to engage. The school is working to increase wraparound services for families. Staff say there is deep connection and investment both by and to families at the school. | Parent engagement was cited as a challenge at the closing school. One staff member said they were able to make a little progress in this area. |
| LA | 2015-16 | KIPP East Community Primary | KIPP East held a parent orientation at the beginning of Y1, and there are multiple methods of communication with families and ways for parents to be involved. Parent surveys get an 'A,' and respect from parents a 9 out of 10, though the facility presents challenges to hosting large events. Ninety percent of students had a parent attend at least one parent conference. There is daily, or weekly communication with parents and ' strong relationships are a guiding principle' at KIPP East. | | | | | KIPP East held a parent orientation at the beginning of Y1, and there are multiple methods of communication with families and ways for parents to be involved. Parent surveys get an 'A,' and respect from parents a 9 out of 10, though the facility presents challenges to hosting large events. Ninety percent of students had a parent attend at least one parent conference. There is daily, or weekly communication with parents and ' strong relationships are a guiding principle' at KIPP East. | |
| LA | 2015-16 | Wilson | Wilson held several parent forums prior to turnover in Y1, as well as made phone calls and sent letters. Parents were invited to orientation, but only about half attended. Respect from parents for teachers ranges from 8- 10 out of 10. There are a lot of opportunities for parents to be involved in the school. | | | | | Wilson held several parent forums prior to turnover in Y1, as well as made phone calls and sent letters. Parents were invited to orientation, but only about half attended. Respect from parents for teachers ranges from 8- 10 out of 10. There are a lot of opportunities for parents to be involved in the school. | |