Project Tomorrow’s 2012 Speak Up survey shows that many of today’s K-12 parents identify themselves as advanced users of technology -- from mobile phones and tablets to social media. It all means that district administrators will need to re-think the way they communicate with parents. This presentation explores more ground breaking research on the new digital parents and how they’re driving change in K-12 communities. We address using digital tools to communicate with parents; new ways to establish two-way communication with parents; and how other K-12 school districts are improving school-to-home communications, including real-world examples.

1. DIGITAL PARENTS WEBINAR

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4. DIGITAL PARENTS WEBINAR

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8. Speak Up National Research Project
Annual national research project
 Online surveys + focus groups
 Open for all K-12 schools and schools of education
 Institutions receive free report with their own data
Collect ideas ↔ Stimulate conversations
 K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators
 Pre-Service Teachers in Schools of Education
Inform policies & programs
 Analysis and reporting of findings and trends
 Consulting services to help transform teaching and learning
+ 3 million surveys since 2003

9. Speak Up National Research Project - 2012
 K-12 Students 364,233
 Teachers & Librarians 56,346
 Parents (in English & Spanish) 39,713
 School/District Administrators 5,511
 Technology Leaders 500
 About the participating schools & districts
o 8,020 schools and 2,431 districts
o 30% urban / 43% rural / 27% suburban
o All 50 states + DC
o Honor Roll of States with highest participation:
TX, CA, OH, IN, AL, NC, WI, AZ, FL, PA

10. New Digital Parent Profile
 Value proposition for the use of technology in education
 Personal usage of mobile devices
 Personal experience with online learning
 Strong interest in digital school-to-home communications
37% of parents of school-aged children
fit this profile today

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17. What social media do you
regularly use in your personal life?
Elementary
School
Parents
Middle
School
Parents
High School
Parents
Communicating via text messages 86% 86% 86%
Maintaining a social networking
site
62% 55% 52%
Watching online videos 40% 36% 34%
Streaming online TV shows 37% 34% 32%
Playing online or mobile app
games
30% 28% 25%
Using Twitter 14% 13% 13%

18. Do you have a
mobile device?
Cell phone
without Internet
access
Smartphone Tablet
computer
Parents -
2008
90% 32% 5%
Parents -
2012
35% 73% 49%

19. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Twitter
Skype
Facebook
Class blogs
Mobile app
Text messaging
Portal with grade info
Personal emails
Tech Leaders: currently supporting these tools
Principals: say these tools are beneficial
New Digital Parents: want to use these tools

20.  How well are your current communications tools and strategies supporting
your efforts to engage, connect and communicate with your students’
parents?
 Are your school or district communications tools meeting the expectations of
your New Digital Parents for effective communications?
 How can you leverage digital tools and resources to not only improve school to
home communications, but to engage parents in supporting the learning
process?

22. • Enhance and improve home-school communication
• Well informed and engaged parents
• Student success in school

23. Websites
Parent
Portal
Notification
System

24. • Immediate
• Updated
• Concise
• Consistent

25. Website Usage
Needs
Deficiencies
Focus

26. • Virtual Backpack
 District
 Schools
 Community
• Forms
• Flyers

27. Blogging
Parent Input
Meet Their Needs

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31. Parents Always in the Know
• Attendance
• Courses
• Schedule
• Where are they right now?
• Assignments
• Grades
• Report Cards
• Contact Information

35. DIGITAL PARENTS WEBINAR
To learn more about how Schoolwires solutions
support parent/family involvement,
visit our website www.schoolwires.com
Email us at sales@schoolwires.com to discuss your
options and the Centricity2 Essential packaging