{"id":205067,"date":"2013-10-03T09:51:13","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T13:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=205067"},"modified":"2023-09-25T09:54:34","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T13:54:34","slug":"casual-but-regular-teacher-parent-teacher-student-communications-can-increase-both-engagement-and-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2013\/10\/casual-but-regular-teacher-parent-teacher-student-communications-can-increase-both-engagement-and-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"Casual but Regular Teacher-Parent, Teacher-Student Communications Can Increase Both Engagement and Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students with teachers who make brief, but regular phone calls to parents are more likely to complete their homework, less likely to need to be redirected in class, and may even view the classroom as their \u201csecond home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greater participation, fewer behavioral problems and stronger teacher-student relationships are also benefits that may occur when teachers increase causal, personalized communications and regularly reach out to parents and students, said Shaun Dougherty, a Neag School of Education assistant professor of Educational Leadership & Policy. His study \u201cThe Effect of Teacher-Family Communication on Student Engagement: Evidence From a Randomized Field Experiment\u201d was recently published in the\u00a0Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Co-authored with Matthew Kraft, an assistant professor of Education at Brown University, the article is the result of research conducted while the two were fellows at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Center for Education Policy Research. Both are also former high school teachers who saw the increased student engagement that came from their own periodic calls to students\u2019 home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea seems almost too easy, but at the same time can be a bit overwhelming for the teacher,\u201d said Dougherty, who came to UConn in August as part of the University\u2019s recent cluster hiring plan. This ambitious undertaking brought 18 new faculty members to the Neag School to not just teach, but to work in teams or \u201cclusters\u201d with existing faculty to perform research in areas critically important to the future of education.<\/p>\n

\"Shawn<\/a>With a doctorate in Quantitative Policy Analysis in Education from Harvard University, Dougherty\u2019s interests include looking at how data can be used to create educational policies that require \u201csmall effort, but can have huge results\u201d\u2014particularly those that can help close the achievement gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeachers already have such full days. But just a 2- to 3-minute phone call at the start of the school year, followed by two to three more over the course of the school year, could make a huge difference. It shows parents that teachers want them to be involved; that parent participation is welcome; and that for the student to become her or his best, school and family need to work together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among other data, the study provides teachers with suggested strategies to communicate with students directly, as well as evidence of the impact a strong student-teacher relationship can have on motivation and engagement.<\/p>\n

Conducted during a mandatory 2010 summer academy at Boston\u2019s Match Education charter middle and high schools, the study focuses on sixth- and ninth-graders during a concentrated period when their parents received regular calls from English teachers. The teachers also periodically reached out to the students themselves, using written notes, emails or text messages to send short, encouraging messages.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe phone calls to parents don\u2019t have to be lengthy,\u201d Dougherty explained. \u201cThey should be quick calls to say \u2018Hello, here\u2019s an overview of what\u2019s going on, here are Johnny\u2019s current strengths, here are Johnny\u2019s current challenges, and here\u2019s how I hope we can work together.\u2019 Notes to the kids can also take less time, and be more effective, than keeping a child behind after class, or pulling him or her aside. The note can be as simple as \u201dI really appreciated your attentiveness in class today\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019ve noticed the way you\u2019ve turned things around. Good job.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost kids prefer this method of communication,\u201d Dougherty continued, \u201cand for the teacher, it\u2019s expedient. It doesn\u2019t take away from class time, and it can have a huge effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, according to the study, improvements seen among Match schools students\u2014many of whom are low income and low performing\u2014included:<\/p>\n