#95- Family Empowerment As A Means To Improve School Outcomes Overall: A Data-Driven Perspective

Effective family engagement is a gradual process that demands careful planning and sustained effort. It recognizes the uniqueness of practices tailored to individual schools or families. ¹ We know that in order to engage families successfully, educators need to invest time in understanding family dynamics, challenges, and experiences. Establishing positive relationships is key, involving building trust and mutual respect. Additionally, educators should actively create opportunities for parents to collaborate meaningfully in the educational process. In our family empowerment initiative, we seek to build capacity with our school partners so that families and educators can work together to eliminate and remove barriers to best support student’s progress at school. We’ve tracked our partner schools’ data over the past few years and would like to share some encouraging outcomes.

Growth Status

We analyzed changes in growth status across new partner schools and returning partner schools. Schools receive a growth status evaluation after each school year, as determined by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Schools are evaluated on whether they met growth goals. Our analysis focused on comparing school growth status changes between 2022 and 2023 among two groups: schools newly affiliated with SchermCo’s Family Empowerment Initiatives and schools with continued partnership with SchermCo.

In schools new to SchermCo’s family empowerment initiatives, we observed a 16.6% growth, removing them from the “Not Meeting Expectations” category set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to the  “Meeting Expectations” category. Specifically, Harding University High School transitioned from not meeting expectations to meeting them, and Winding Springs Elementary progressed from meeting expectations to exceeding them.

In returning schools (schools with multi-year partnerships), we observed a 9.7% growth, removing them from the “Not Meeting Expectations” category set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Specifically, University Park Creative Arts transitioned from not meeting expectations to meeting them.

Performance Grades

We analyzed changes in performance grades across new partner schools and returning partner schools.

Schools receive grades ranging from A to F at the conclusion of each school year, as determined by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

North Carolina assigns school performance grades from A to F based on a formula combining achievement (80%) and growth (20%) scores. The achievement score includes metrics like student performance in reading, math, science tests (EOGs/EOCs), English learner progress, and graduation rates for high schools. The growth score measures student progress using EVASS (a web-based school improvement tool for educators) growth indexes for various subjects across different grade levels. ² The combination of these scores determines each North Carolina school’s annual grade.

Our analysis focused on comparing school grade improvements between 2022 and 2023 among two groups: schools newly affiliated with SchermCo’s Family Empowerment Initiatives and schools that had continued partnership with SchermCo. In this grading system, an A corresponds to a value of 5, and an F corresponds to a value of 1. Schools newly affiliated with SchermCo showed a 0.12 point or 5.5% increase in mean school grade between 2022 and 2023. Returning school partners showed a .26 point or a 12% increase in mean school grades between 2022 and 2023.

• Movement School Eastland improved one grade point from a D in 2022 to a C in 2023
• Sedgefield Middle improved one grade point from a D in 2022 to a C in 2023

Grade Level Proficiency

We analyzed overall grade level proficiency across new partner schools and returning partner schools.

Schools are evaluated on students’ grade level proficiency based on standardized test scores by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. 

Schools newly affiliated with SchermCo showed a 12.16 point or 41% increase in mean student level grade proficiency between 2022 and 2023. Returning school partners showed an 8.76 point or 24% increase in mean student level grade proficiency between 2022 and 2023.

• For Movement School Eastland (multi-year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 46.0% in 2022 to 51.2% in 2023.
• For Winding Springs Elementary (first year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 32.5% in 2022 to 41.3% in 2023.
• For Idlewild Elementary (multi-year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 57.1% in 2022 to 57.7% in 2023.
• For Reid Park Academy (first year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 31.2% in 2022 to 34.7% in 2023.
• For Bruns Avenue Elementary (multi-year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 21.1% in 2022 to 21.3% in 2023.
• For Sedgefield Middle (multi-year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 46.6% in 2022 to 54.0% in 2023.
• For Wilson STEM (multi-year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 28.3% in 2022 to 35.3% in 2023.
• For Coulwood STEM (first year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 52.0% in 2022 to 57.7% in 2023.
• For Sugar Creek Charter (multi-year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 48.5% in 2022 to 51.0% in 2023.
• For Harding Univ HS (first year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 20.0% in 2022 to 29.0% in 2023.
• For Garinger HS (first year partnership), the grade level proficiency changed from 19.9% in 2022 to 25.0% in 2023.

We know that family engagement and empowerment can lead to student success, and many other factors influence student performance. We are proud of our schools for all their strides and know that teachers and staff work hard to support students and families. We are proud to work alongside our school partners and believe that our work and support are just a micro part of their successes.

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 ¹ Source: “The Importance of Family Engagement.” IRIS Center, 2023, iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/fam/cresource/q1/p01/. 

 ² Source: “A-F School Performance Grades.” Public Schools First NC, Sept. 2023, publicschoolsfirstnc.org/resources/fact-sheets/a-f-school-performance-grades/.