LXD Research provides EdVestors with an innovative research deliverable
Originally published on the EdVestors’ Blog
Attendance! Teacher Retention! Test Scores! Community Partnerships! When EdVestors awarded the James Otis Elementary School (“the Otis”) the 2021 School on the Move Prize, EdVestors knew that the Otis was doing something special.
What really impressed me was the attention to detail from the teachers and the differentiation that went into providing every family with the resources that they needed to support the child.
The Otis parent
the 2021 EdVestors’ School on the Move Prize Winner, the Otis stood out among Boston Public Schools (BPS). The Otis’ highly effective engagement strategies with wide-reaching impacts had our attention. However, the details of the Otis’ engagement practices were not yet documented in full and the question of generalizability of practices to educational sites beyond the Otis was not yet answered. There was an opportunity and a need to know more.
EdVestors partnered with Learning Experience Design Research at Charles River Media Group (“LXD Research”) to shine a spotlight on practices that succeed at the Otis to demonstrate “what works” when educational communities foster intentional partnerships between schools and families. From February to May 2022, the Otis welcomed and supported the LXD Research team in an exploratory study of the Otis’ engagement practices. The goal of LXD Research’s partnership with the Otis and EdVestors was to study best practices in family and community engagement at Otis, especially the use of Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT), and create a useful toolkit for other schools.
Why Holistic Engagement Matters
Best practices for sustaining successful teacher-family relationships through the pandemic are mostly undocumented. A survey conducted by Action for Healthy Kids in January 2020 showed a substantial inclusion gap: the difference between parents interested in partnering with schools on student academics and well-being and the parents who feel included. The Otis succeeds in closing this gap.
Research Methods – Connecting with the Otis
In partnership with Otis and EdVestors, LXD Research implemented a mixed-methods evaluation focused on data collection activities that supported a multi-modal use of findings and their dissemination to educational stakeholders. Research activities centered on connecting with the network of stakeholders that make up the Otis to hear their experiences and rigorously analyzing data to document emerging themes and webs of activities and meaning.
- Family partners: Interviews with four parents to learn about their experiences with APTT and family engagement at the Otis, families had five children across K-6.
- Educators: Observations of the Otis’ virtual APTT sessions & APTT and family engagement educator survey with K-6 grade classroom teachers, specialists, interventionists, and substitutes.
- Administration and staff: Interviews with three school leadership and staff members to learn school-based priorities and thinking behind the Otis’ APTT program.
- Community partners: Interviews with three community partners that actively contribute resources and support to the Otis.
Key Findings
LXD Research found that APTT is not practiced at the Otis in isolation but instead thrives as part of a larger matrix of family-school engagement and collaboration across roles. For example, Principal Goncalves noted that teacher collaboration at the Otis is encouraged and facilitated (i.e. there are no grade or subject silos). The Otis has a structure in place to support and empower its culture of academic family engagement. The Otis practices what may be called a holistic form of Academic Family Engagement as a complementary approach to family engagement that implements academic partnership, planning, and outreach as part of an active, structured, and intentional culture of engagement practices and relationships between families, staff, and teachers. Academic Family Engagement supports teacher engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
The Otis’ Voices & Insights
- Community partners see the Otis’ family engagement as academically focused, leadership-driven, and outcome-oriented – this sets the Otis apart from other schools.
- Staff members at the Otis highlight their efforts to actively reach out to families to inquire about student absences, promote APTT sessions, share good news, ask if families need anything, and more on a daily basis.
- The Otis educators report that the Otis stands out from other schools because of the Otis’ long-term leadership, staff continuity, community coordinator position, family engagement activities (including APTT), and identity as a family-friendly school.
- Families highlight the importance of family-friendly culture and events and programming for all families, including newcomer families, as factors in building community at the Otis.
The Academic Family Engagement Toolkit
LXD Research synthesized observation, survey, and interview data from the Otis into an actionable Academic Family Engagement (AFE) Toolkit that represents the partner, staff, educator, and family voices of the AFE culture.
- Essential Conditions
- Action Guide
- Self-Reflection Checklist
- Communications Guide
The AFE Toolkit is designed to be used in parts or full by an educational program depending on site needs and capacity. The practices observed at the Otis were rolled out over years of effort, collaboration, and iteration. With the Otis’ example and timeline in mind, the message from the Otis about AFE is clear – don’t try to do it all at once but do start!
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About Edvestors
EdVestors’ mission is to advance equitable, meaningful education that prepares every Boston student to activate their power and shape their future. We drive toward our vision by 1) activating people and resources, 2) learning and iterating in context, and 3) influencing system change. We believe that continuously attending to all three drivers ensures our programs and initiatives will create impact. Since starting in 2002, EdVestors has raised and directed over $35 million for urban school improvement efforts through EdVestors’ Racial Equity Seed Fund, BPS Arts Expansion, the School on the Move Prize, Zeroing in on Math, and Career Pathways. Learn more at www.edvestors.org.
About LXD ResearchLXD Research is an independent evaluation, research, and consulting division within Charles River Media Group, LLC focusing on educational technology. We design rigorous research studies, multifaceted data analytic reporting, and dynamic content to disseminate insights. Visit www.LXDResearch.com.