involvED: Applying a Scientific Approach to Education Technology Innovation for Promoting Family Engagement in the Schools

Abstract

Parent involvement is a reverently studied, crucial concept that impacts overall student achievement. An educational technology tool, involvED, was developed by a School Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker using principles of behavioral change research and grounded in family systems theory. Incorporating a scientific approach for targeted, meaningful intervention in regards to family involvement allows for addressment of equity gaps by educating underprivileged families on vital skills, including academic readiness, social emotional learning and trauma informed practices and responses, all while providing incentives for various levels of engagement. The researchers hypothesized that by educating families in an efficient, convenient and consistent manner, as well as providing user- selected incentives for engagement, it would not only increase parent attendance at school events, but also increase the academic, social and emotional skills of the child. Positive statistically significant effects were found amongst users of the tool on both dependent variables, event attendance and the academic, social and emotional ratings of the targeted students by the classroom teacher via the SAEBRS. By addressing potential parental skill deficits and incentivizing prosocial behaviors, student outcomes are positively affected, influencing a breadth of stakeholders.