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May 2010 New Visions for Public Schools: Using Data to Engage Families Barbara Taveras, Caissa Douwes, Karen Johnson, with Diana Lee and Margaret Caspe Download a PDF of this publication (261 kb)

FINE Newsletter, Volume II, Issue 2
Issue Topic: Innovations in Family Engagement

Resources & Research From Harvard Family Research Project

The U. S. Department of Education has adopted using data for school improvement as one of its major education reform priorities. However, as states, districts, and schools develop new approaches to track academic progress, both accessing and understanding data are often out of reach for average parents. While school leaders and teachers have begun to share and analyze student data, parents are too often left out of the conversation. This is unfortunate, because data use presents a great opportunity for parents to become involved in their children’s education with a focus squarely on student achievement.

Barbara Taveras and Caissa Douwes from New Visions for Public Schools and Karen Johnson from BASE High School in New York City share how high schools in New York City have begun to engage families in students’ academic success and college readiness by supporting parents in understanding achievement data. This case study makes clear that supporting parents in grasping and utilizing this information is a shared responsibility among schools, families, and students.

This article is part of the upcoming May 2010 FINE Newsletter. The FINE Newsletter shares the newest and best family involvement research and resources from Harvard Family Research Project and other field leaders. To access the FINE Newsletter Archive, visit www.hfrp.org/FINENewsletter.