ERIC Number: EJ1352256
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 32
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1557-3060
EISSN: EISSN-1557-3079
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Can Technology Transform Communication between Schools, Teachers, and Parents? Evidence from a Randomized Field Trial
Matthew A. Kraft; Alexander J. Bolves
Education Finance and Policy, v17 n3 p479-510 Sum 2022
We study the adoption and implementation of a new mobile communication application (app) among a sample of 132 New York City public schools. The app provides a platform for sharing general announcements and news, as well as engaging in personalized two-way communication with individual parents. We provide participating schools with free access to the app and randomize schools to receive intensive support (training, guidance, monitoring, and encouragement) for maximizing the efficacy of the app. Although user supports led to higher levels of communication within the app in the treatment year, overall usage remained low and declined in the following year when treatment schools no longer received intensive supports. We find few subsequent effects on perceptions of communication quality or student outcomes. We leverage rich internal user data to explore how take-up and usage patterns varied across staff and school characteristics. These analyses help to identify early adopters and reluctant users, revealing both opportunities and obstacles to engaging parents through new communication technology.
Descriptors: Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Computer Mediated Communication, Computer Oriented Programs, Public Schools, Parent School Relationship, Interpersonal Communication, Parent Teacher Cooperation, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation
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Related Records: ED671041
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York (New York)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A