National Survey Finds Parent and Educator Agreement on the Importance of Stronger Family-School Partnerships

Learning Heroes’ annual national survey reveals support from parents, teachers, and principals for stronger school-family partnerships grounded in equitable family engagement practices

By Carnegie Corporation of New York January 28, 2022

Family & Community Engagement

After almost two years of disrupted learning, a research survey by Learning Heroes, a Carnegie Corporation of New York grantee, dives deeply into the beliefs and perceptions of the key players who contribute to student success.

Learning Heroes' sixth annual national survey, Parents 2021: Going Beyond the Headlines, looks at the perceptions of parents, teachers, and, for the first time, principals. The survey assesses their mindsets around school-family partnerships, and the support they need to develop and collaborate around equitable family engagement practices.

“We believe that when parents are empowered as true partners of their children's education students thrive, schools are stronger, and the whole community benefits,” said Ambika Kapur, a program officer in the Corporation’s Education program in her opening remarks for a webinar that discussed the survey results with national leaders of family engagement work. “This research is essential as it can inform families and schools about how they can help with the learning progress of their children.”

Among the survey’s key findings:

Even more involved: Parents say they will be as or more involved in their children's education (93 percent), even after an unprecedented year of engagement in their children’s education. Parents prioritize getting a better understanding of what is expected of their child (86 percent very/somewhat likely) and seeking a better understanding of where their child is academically (85 percent very/somewhat likely). Similarly, eighty-six percent of teachers and 84 percent of principals say they will spend the same or more effort on family engagement this year.
Parents and educators agree what’s most important for schools: Safety of students and staff, academic progress, mental health, and emotional well-being are the top priorities for parents and educators this year. For school communications, parents prioritize direct and truthful information about performance (87 percent top priority/very important) and having a clear picture of their child's achievement (85 percent top priority/very important). Teachers agree, saying that the most important priorities for communications are making sure parents have a clear picture of their child’s academics (88 percent top priority/very important) and building trust (86 percent top priority/very important).
Gap continues between parent and teacher perceptions of achievement: More than nine in ten parents (92 percent) believe their child is at least on grade level, with most (84 percent) saying that their child gets B's or better. Meanwhile 44 percent of teachers say most of their students are ready for grade-level work.
Politicians being involved in curriculum has risen to top of parent concerns: When it comes to what keeps parents up at night, this year’s top worry (68 percent) is “politicians making decisions about what their children learn in the classroom,” ranking slightly higher than their children's happiness and emotional well-being (65 percent) and, given their belief that their child is on grade level, being on track academically (53 percent).

Parents and educators need formal structures and support systems in place to make deeper involvement with one another possible. This research helps to break down the barriers that lead to inequities and to support districts as they ground their family engagement strategies in what parents, teachers, and principals prioritize – trust and meaningful two-way communication between schools and families.

To learn more, check out the survey and related resources Parents 2021: Going Beyond the Headlines.

TOP: Students leave Darwin Elementary in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, the first day back to school from winter break for Chicago Public Schools. (Credit: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)