Jordan School's Guide for Parental Engagement Study
Jordan's RAMP initiative, funded by USAID and UKAID, conducted an evaluation study of a pilot project that aimed to implement the 'School's Guide for Parental Engagement in Supporting their Child's Literacy Learning.' This guide contains a collection of 31 tools designed to enhance overall student learning and specifically improve reading and writing skills in Arabic during the early grades. Among these tools, five are mandatory:
1. Model and Example of Implementation Plan.
2. Parent Volunteering Form: We Love Parent Volunteers.
3. Presentation to Foster the Love of Reading Habits in Your Children.
4. Presentation on the Most Important Activities that Enhance Reading and Writing Skills in Your Child.
5. Guide for Providing Sustainable, Needs-Based Support.
The remaining tools are optional, with schools encouraged to adapt them to meet their specific needs.
The primary objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the guide in engaging parents to support their children's literacy development. The Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development implemented the study during the 2021/2022 academic year, involving 35 supervisors across various MOE directorates to evaluate the guide's content and usage in 84 schools from different regions in Jordan. Data collection methods included questionnaires and focus groups.
The study's findings regarding parent engagement revealed the following:
In the quantitative aspect of the results:
• All trained teachers and school staff found the guide practical and effective, with 100% of them reporting significant positive engagement with parents as a result of using the guide and its tools.
• The application of these tools proved effective, with all educational supervisors and over 90% of school principals and teaching staff confirming a noticeable positive change in the level and quality of parental involvement with the school after implementing the program and its tools. This strengthened the relationship between the school and the local community, leading to increased communication through social media, more visits to participating schools for activities, and greater contributions within the classroom to improve children's reading and writing skills.
• Nearly all schools implemented both the mandatory (96%) and optional (98%) tools based on their specific needs. Parental involvement was deemed beneficial and effective by all participants, including supervisors, school principals, and parents themselves.
These results indicated that the application of the tools effectively increased parental interaction and engagement with the school, resulting in a stronger relationship between the school and the local community. Parental involvement manifested through increased communication via various channels, more school visits, and voluntary participation inside the classroom to support students' reading and writing skills.
However, the effective community engagement and parental involvement programs faced some challenges, including content confusion and overlap.
Previous studies conducted by the Queen Rania Foundation in high-achieving schools highlighted the importance of successful school-parent interaction and engagement in supporting children's learning. It was acknowledged that some parents may face difficulties in providing the necessary support for their children's reading skills and lack confidence in their interactions with the school.
In light of the positive results of the 'School's Guide for Parental Engagement in Supporting their Child's Literacy Learning,' it was deemed essential to integrate and standardize various program elements into a unified parental engagement program with the school. To address the challenge of busy parents unable to attend school physically, the program increased remote participation through virtual meetings and online communication channels.
Several recommendations were made to address these challenges.
1. Work with the Ministry to coordinate community engagement programs, avoiding duplication, and integrate this guide's content into existing programs to benefit all schools.
2. Provide unified team training for school staff during program implementation.
3. Develop flexible programs for schools to tailor to their needs, and periodically review and determine mandatory tools.
4. Distribute hard copies of the guide to schools for use in case of internet unavailability or lack of smart devices or skills.
5. Improve training with a focus on practical aspects, extended duration, suitable timing and locations, revised trainer criteria, and school supervisors conducting training.
6. Add mobile download feature, create a tool index, clarify terminology, distinguish between tools and resources, and merge some tools to reduce overlap.
7. Boost teacher motivation to participate despite busy schedules due to program significance and positive results.
8. Assist schools in providing computer devices and internet connectivity.
9. Maintain electronic resources for content sharing with parents, relieve financial burdens, and encourage schools to involve parents using the "We Love Parent Volunteers" tool.