Report Finds Time & Fragmented Systems Are Key Barriers to Family Engagement

Time and Fragmented Systems Are Key Barriers to Using Data Effectively to Engage Families and Support Students

Ridgeland, Mississippi, October 24, 2024 — SchoolStatus, a leading provider of K-12 family engagement, school communications, and attendance solutions, today released findings from a national survey of 1,020 K-12 educators and administrators. The survey revealed that half of respondents struggle to access necessary student data, with 86% noting that data gaps limit their ability to support academic success and attendance. 

The majority of respondents (90%) believe school-family communication is important for achieving student success, but many struggle with issues like inconsistent communication tools, data access gaps, and family disengagement. To address these issues, educators advocate for translation services or tools (42%) and AI-driven solutions (26%) to enhance communication and reduce absenteeism.

“These findings underscore the importance of timely, comprehensive student information in helping educators provide the support students need,” said Juan Duenas, M.Ed., Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Sheldon Independent School District. “With the right tools and unified systems, we can better understand each student’s needs, collaborate more closely with families, and make data-driven decisions that truly impact student success.”

Key insights from the 2024 Educator Report: The Critical Role of School-Home Alignment include*:

Family Engagement Remains a Priority, but Challenges Persist

• 77% of educators surveyed believe school-home communication is essential for improving student outcomes.
• 43% report uncertainty about whether families receive school messages, and 32% face language barriers; time constraints (38%) and incomplete student data (34%) were also cited as challenges.
• Only 32% use student information and insights for data-driven discussions with families, revealing an opportunity for schools to better leverage data to engage families.

Supportive Interventions and Family Engagement Are Key to Tackling Chronic Absenteeism 

• 73% of educators identify attendance as crucial for academic success, yet 46% say they struggle to get families to prioritize student attendance.
• Only 27% report having highly effective tools for identifying at-risk students, with many relying on outdated, manual, or inconsistent processes.
• 67% of respondents believe schools focus too much on punitive measures rather than supportive interventions to address absenteeism.
• 82% believe that targeted strategies to engage families could significantly reduce chronic absenteeism, highlighting the importance of family involvement.

Data Gaps and Access Challenges Hinder Student Support

• Only 37% of educators surveyed feel they have all the necessary information to address student needs; 86% feel these gaps impact their ability to support students.
• 37% are still using spreadsheets and manual methods to track student data, highlighting inefficiencies in current processes.
• Insufficient time to analyze and apply data (38%), lack of training on how to use data (32%), and fragmented data across multiple systems (31%) are the biggest obstacles to using data to improve student outcomes.

“This survey highlights the critical need for unified data systems that not only support individual classrooms but address broader, systemic challenges in education,” said SchoolStatus founder and CEO Russ Davis. “The fragmented and inaccessible data that many educators struggle with isn’t just an isolated issue—it impacts family involvement, student attendance, and ultimately, academic outcomes across entire schools and districts. These findings underscore the importance of closing these data gaps to create a more connected, informed approach to student support that can drive meaningful, long-term improvement in education.”

About the Survey

Conducted by SchoolStatus in September 2024, the survey gathered insights from 1,020 K-12 educators and school administrators. The survey aimed to explore challenges and opportunities related to family engagement, data use, and strategies for improving student outcomes. SurveyMonkey was the data collection platform. Full findings are available here.

About SchoolStatus

SchoolStatus is a unified K-12 platform that leverages family engagement to drive greater impact for students through school communications, attendance, and educator growth solutions. Serving over 22 million students across all 50 states, SchoolStatus provides data-backed insights that break down barriers and build relationships between school and home. For more information, visit schoolstatus.com.

*Survey findings shared in this press release are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Media Contact:
Sydney Stressman
Zer0 to 5ive for SchoolStatus
[email protected]
609.238.6663