Dive Brief:

• Blackboard and Project Tomorrow have released new data from surveys of district communications officers and parents in their latest report, “Trends in Digital Communications Priorities and Challenges.”
• District Administration reports 93% of communications officers say parents are their primary audience, 53% of them actively seek out collaborations with key partners, and 40% of them cite networking among community groups as a key engagement strategy.
• Communications officers report district Facebook accounts, face-to-face meetings, school portals, text messages, emails, phone calls and mobile apps are among the most effective tools they have for sharing district information.

Dive Insight:

Home-school communication is critically important to student success. Students whose parents are more involved with their schooling tend to do better, academically, and they have better attendance. In some ways, communicating with parents is easier in 2016 because of the plethora of options for doing so, but the variety can make it harder to get parents, teachers and administrators in sync. Some parents prefer text messages while others appreciate easy-to-use mobile apps.

For teachers seeking out mobile apps for their classrooms, things to consider include cost, messaging options, calendar and scheduling features and versatility across platforms. Schools should also consider the fact that there are still parents — or grandparents raising their grandchildren — who prefer written communication.