Learning Heroes News Brief

The missing link

One thing likely missing from the upcoming NAEP release: 92% of parents, regardless of race, income, or education level, (still!) report their child is performing at or above grade level in reading and math.

That’s a heck of an Honor Roll

• There’s a big disconnect between the alarms sounding in the policy world and the grades kids receive in class. In fact, 84% of parents say their child gets all A’s and B’s.
• It’s no wonder, then, that only 19% worry a lot about their child’s reading and math skills.
• While teachers know grades don’t equate to grade level, parents don’t. Teachers say report cards reflect a lot of things: effort, participation in class, homework and more.

A little information goes a long way

When parents have access to more information, they take notice. When asked to imagine: your child received a B in math, their year-end state test results and their results on other standardized tests show they’re below grade level in math, most parents (57%) say they’d be very or extremely concerned.

Where does that leave us?

• If we expect parents to take advantage of all the school and district recovery innovations, we must first have a systems-wide approach to discussing grade level proficiency with parents, and a plan to integrate parents into the solution!
• Let’s tap into the alignment! Nearly nine in ten (89%) of both parents and teachers agree that joining forces will be essential in overcoming the pandemic’s impact on children’s learning.

Parent engagement is at an all-time high! We should be embracing that energy and commitment to fill Covid-related learning gaps.

*Findings and insights from Parents 2022 from Learning Heroes, in partnership with National PTA and National Urban League.