Empowered Families, Empowered Schools - Sprint · PDF fileEmpowered Families, Empowered Schools Throughout these modern school reform movements, and there have been several in the

Solutions for Education

Steven M. Constantino, Ed.D.

Empowered Families, Empowered Schools How family involvement and technology enhance student performance

Empowered Families, Empowered Schools

Introduction

The United States is presently mired inan education reform movement that hasquickly moved our schools towardhigh-stake standardized testing as ameans of setting high standards andpromoting positive school reform. Thisidea has captured the support ofpresidents, governors, state legislaturesand boards of education across the

nation. This latest reform effort impliesa pursuit of mandated content andtesting regimes as a mechanism toimprove the American educationsystem. To truly educate children andencourage them to be engaged and stayengaged in their own learning, we mustlearn how to structure our educationsystem so that students are nurtured notonly by their teachers and schools, butalso by strong partnerships betweentheir families and schools that arenecessary for every student to achieveat high levels.

Executive Summary

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For more than 30 years, research regarding family involvement in education has shown that

children have advantages when their parents support and encourage school activities. Schools

that are most successful in engaging parents and other family members in support of their

children’s learning look beyond traditional definitions of parent involvement and understand two

very important concepts: 1) not every adult in the life of a child is a parent, and 2) involvement

does not necessarily imply engagement.

Students whose families are aware of what they are studying in school, who are in regular

communication with their teachers, and who help to reinforce schoolwork show higher

achievement all the way through secondary school.

Technology can significantly bolster the partnerships between home and school. In a 1997

report, J. Blanchard explained how technology can serve the family-school connection: (1)

communication and information; (2) learning and instruction; (3) interest and motivation; as well

as (4) resources and costs.

Technology can open any school in America to the homes of students. Through the Empowered

EducationSM initiative, Sprint provides technology solutions that effectively bridge the

communications gap between the school and the home. Sprint provides a wide-range of

appropriate technologies that integrate effectively into the K-12 learning environment.

Blanchard, J. (1997). The family-school connection, literacydevelopment and technology: Meanings and issues. Paperpresented at the meeting of the National ReadingConference, Scottsdale,AZ.


Throughout these modern schoolreform movements, and there havebeen several in the past 30 years, anequally significant amount of scientificresearch exists that strongly links the engagement of families in theeducational lives of their children as a strong conduit to the successful

achievement of all students. Simply put: we cannot expect total engagementand high standards from our students ifboth families and schools cannot formpowerful alliances to guide our studentsto academic and lifelong success. If weare to truly leave no child behind, thenwe must be committed to leaving nofamily behind as well. Henderson and Mapp (2002) summarize thecontributions of family involvementresearch succinctly and masterfully:“The evidence is consistent, positiveand convincing: families have a major influence on their children’sachievement in school and throughlife.” (p.7) For lasting and effectivefamily engagement practices andprograms, educators must search forways to open lines of communication

between home and school. This notionof family engagement determininglevels of student achievement is by nomeans a new concept or a passing fad.

Creating Positive School Cultures

with the Help of Families

Beliefs. Values. Actions. Interactions.These tend to be the core descriptorswhen defining the parameters ofinstitutional culture. Creating a positiveschool culture implies that the vision ofthe school leadership include the beliefthat all children can learn, the corevalue of families as influential teachersof their children and partners withschools, the action necessary to bringall constituents together to supportchildren, and the interaction with

students and their families to keepfocused on the importance of success in school. The strength inunderstanding and supporting thenotion of positive school culturescenters on the inclusion of thosepersons in the environment outside ofthe school, primarily families. Familiesare an integral part of cultural changein schools. Reform ideas presented inresearch and literature discuss importantaspects of school reform. However,very often, the idea of families being a

Henderson, A.T. & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave ofevidence: The impact of school, family, and communityconnections on student achievement. Austin,TX: SouthEastern Developmental Laboratory.

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If we are to truly leave no child behind, then wemust be committed to leaving no family behindas well.

For lasting and effective family engagementpractices and programs, educators must search forways to open lines of communication betweenhome and school.


component of each of those aspects islost. A certain level of naiveté existswithin those that propose any type ofschool reform that does not include acomponent for families.

Assessing the Engagement of

Students and Their Families

Emerging from years of research and practice is a model for studentengagement that promotes the strengthof the interactions between school,families, individual students and theirpeers (Constantino, 2002). Theseoverlapping relationships aresurrounded by outside influences such as non-school activities, otheradults and neighborhood influences.

Research outcomes imply that theschool becomes an overlapping sphereof influence along with the individualstudent, peers and family. The outsideinfluences are better described as amacro system that encompasses theoverlapping spheres. The interaction ofthe school, family, individual studentand peers within the context of outsideinfluences is the catalyst to the forces ofengagement. The five forces thendetermine the degree to which studentsare engaged with school.

There are numerous points wherepeers, individual students, schools andfamilies overlap their influence thatultimately results a continuum ofstudent engagement from minimalengagement to significant engagement.What emerged from this study was aphenomenon that occurs as a result ofthe interaction of families, peers,individual students and schools. Datafrom the study clearly show that studentengagement in school is predicated onfive forces for engagement, those beingdesire, attitude, motivation, behaviorsand actions. Schools can promote theengagement of students by encouragingthe involvement of families in theeducational lives of students. Familiesof students do have influence on theirchildren’s relationships with friends andthere is significant interaction betweenstudents and the families of their peers.

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A certain level of naiveté exists within thosethat propose any type of school reform that doesnot include a component for families.

Peers IndividualStudents

School Family

DESIRESATTITUDES

MOTIVATIONBEHAVIORS

ACTIONS

Individual Student Engagement

OTHER OUTSIDE INFLUENCES

Constantino, S. M. (2002). Making your school familyfriendly:A guide for secondary educators. Reston,VA:National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Figure 1.The Model for Student Engagement© (Constantino, 2002)


A brief overview of the research studyfindings shows:

• Throughout the collected data,students identified their peers asimportant components of their ownschool life and engagement.

• The involvement of families in thelives of their children remains astrong component to studentengagement in school and school-related activities within the sample ofstudents interviewed. Families whoare involved and engaged with theirchild and their child’s school canmotivate their children to do well andachieve to their highest level. Familyexpectations alone can be asignificant driving force in studentengagement with school.

Understanding the Need for

Family Engagement

The evolutionary nature of therelationship between public schoolsand their students suggests a need

for continued activity in the area ofschool-family partnerships. In 1999, thepercentage of homes operating belowthe poverty level was 11.9% for familiesfrom all races, 7.7% for whites, 23.6%for blacks and 26.5% for Hispanics (U.S.Bureau of the Census, 2001). Becauseof this poverty, there exists a kind ofsocial stress many low income familiesexperience that causes them to have

difficulty promoting the social andpsychological development theirchildren need to function successfullyin school (Comer, 1980). The country isalso rapidly becoming more culturallydiverse with a decline in the white non-Hispanic population from 75.6% to71.9% during the period 1990 to 1999,an increase in the black populationfrom 12.3% to 12.8% and increase inthe Hispanic population from 9.0 % to11.5% during the same period (U.S.Bureau of the Census, 2001).

For more than 30 years, researchregarding family involvement ineducation has shown that children haveadvantages when their parents supportand encourage school activities(Coleman et al., 1966; Dave, 1963;Epstein & McPartland, 1979;Marjoribanks, 1979).

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Families who are involved and engaged withtheir child and their child’s school can motivatetheir children to do well and achieve to theirhighest level.

U.S. Census Bureau (2001). Population profile of the United States. (pp. 63-70).Washington D.C.: U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office.

Comer, J. P. (1980). School power: Implications of anintervention project. New York: Free Press.

Coleman, J. S., Campbell, E. Q., Hobson, C. J., McPartland, J. M.,Mood,A.,Weinfeld, F. D., and York, R. L. (1966). Equality ofeducational opportunity. Washington, DC: U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office.

Dave, R. H. (1963). The identification and measurement of environmental process variables that are related toeducational achievement. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,University of Chicago.

Epstein, J. L. & McPartland, J. M. (1979).Authority structures.In H.Walberg (Ed.), Educational environments and effects(pp. 293-310). Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.

Marjoribanks, K. (1979). Families and their learningenvironments:An empirical analysis. London: RoutledgeKegan Paul.


School and family partnerships point to the family’s role as the first and best educator of children and to theimportance of family involvement in the educational lives of their children(Steinberg, 1996). These importantpartnerships link the involvement offamilies with schools as an indicator of student success (Dornbusch & Ritter, 1988; Epstein, 1987, 1992;Steinberg, 1996).

School-family partnerships are nowviewed as one of the components ofschool organization that may help topromote student learning and successin school (Epstein, 1996). Havingsynthesized 66 studies and reports onfamily involvement, Henderson andBerla (1995) reported that studies havedocumented the following benefits forstudents: higher grades and test scores;better attendance and homeworkcompletion; fewer placements in specialeducation; more positive attitudes andbehavior; higher graduation rates; andgreater enrollment in post-secondaryeducation. Families, teachers and

schools can benefit from school andfamily partnerships.

These important relationships lead toimproving parental knowledge of theirchild’s development, their ability toparent, their ability to assist theirchildren with school and learning, andthe quality of relationships between allstakeholders (Epstein, 1992).

Schools that are most successful inengaging parents and other familymembers in support of their children’slearning look beyond traditionaldefinitions of parent involvement andunderstand two very importantconcepts: 1) not every adult in the life of a child is a parent, and 2)involvement does not necessarily imply engagement. Therefore, schoolshave adapted the tenets of familyengagement as a foundation fromwhich to craft educational goals for all students.

The home-learning environment has a positive effect on a student’sachievement in school and can have an effect on achievement that is threetimes as large as family socio-economicstatus. The family educational cultureresults are an interesting departure from the usual SES variable usage.

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School and family partnerships point to the family’srole as the first and best educator of children and tothe importance of family involvement in theeducational lives of their children.

Steinberg, L. (1996). Beyond the classroom:Why schoolreform has failed and what parents need to do. New York:Simon and Shuster.

Dornbusch, S. M., & Ritter, P. L. (1988). Parents of high school students:A neglected resource. EducationalHorizons, 66(2), 75-77.

Epstein, J. L. (1987).Toward a theory of family-schoolconnections:Teacher practices and parent involvement.In K. Hurrelmann, F. Kaufmann, & F. Losel (Eds.) Socialintervention: Potential and constraints (pp.121-136).New York: DeGruyter.

Epstein, J. L. (1992). School and family partnerships. Reportno. 6. Baltimore, MD: Center on Families, Communities,Schools and Children’s Learning.

Henderson,A.T. & Berla, N. (Eds.) (1995). A new generationof evidence:The family is critical to student achievement.Washington, DC: Center for Law and Education.


Leithwood and Jantzi (1999) make animportant observation about this resultsuggesting that future school andleadership effects studies ought toconceptualize family variables morecentrally in their designs, which willlead to a systematic inquiry about howschools and families co-produce the fullarray of outcomes for which schools areresponsible. The actions of familieswithin the context of the educationallives of their children can be describedin two categories, involvement andstyle. The involvement of familiesincludes their engagement in theinstructional and noninstructional livesof their children as well as the family’seducational experiences and valuesabout the importance of education.

Students whose families are aware of what their children are studying in school, who are in regularcommunication with their teachers, and who help to reinforce schoolworkshow higher achievement all the waythrough secondary school. Mosteducators are aware of the power offamily engagement. However, multiple

barriers exist that keep familiesuninvolved and educators frustrated to find creative ways to promotehealthy relationships between homeand school.

The involvement of families in the lives of their children remains a strongcomponent to student engagement in school and school-related activities.Families who are involved and engagedwith their child and their child’s schoolcan provide their children motivation to do well and achieve to their highestlevel. Family expectations alone can bea driving force in student engagement.

Barriers to Family Engagement

Often, one of the salient questionsasked is why, when we have years of research that unequivocally provesthe importance of family engagement in raising student achievement, don’tmore schools adapt family engagementphilosophies, programs, practices and policies? The answer is multi-dimensional.

A new organization of society hascaused a decline in family involvementforcing educators to work harder togarner family participation in education.While researchers, educators andfamilies agree that improved family

Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (1999).The relative effects ofprincipal and teacher sources of leadership on studentengagement with school. Educational AdministrationQuarterly, 35, 679-706.

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Schools that are most successful in engagingparents and other family members in support of theirchildren’s learning look beyond traditionaldefinitions of parent involvement...

A new organization of society has caused a declinein family involvement forcing educators to workharder to garner family participation in education.


involvement is key to repairing manyeducational problems, few schools andcommunities have been able to achievea sufficient involvement to produce adesired level.

Barriers of time, cultural difference,socio-economic status and changingfamily structures prohibit importantfamily partnerships. Numerous surveysdone since 1995 find that a lack of time and mismatched schedules are just some of the barriers to buildingfamily engagement programs. Familiesconsidered as having high socio-economic status are more likely to beinvolved in their children’s education.The American Council on Educationand the Education Commission of theStates (1988) reveal that minoritiessuffer disproportionately frominadequate education and call for arenewed commitment to the educationof minorities.

Families cannot be involved if teacherslack the fundamental understanding ofthe importance of family engagementand do not see family engagement as anecessary component in the learningprocess. In Connors and Epstein’s(1994) survey, 90% of families andteachers thought involvement wasnecessary, but only 32% of teachers feltit was their responsibility to involvefamilies. As children get older and entersecondary school, there is a steep drop-off in the engagement of their families

in education. In one national study, forexample, the percentage of parents ofelementary students who were involvedin their children’s education was 50%higher than among parents ofsecondary school students.

There are numerous efforts to explainthis family involvement phenomenon.Research indicates that the rigor andlevel of academic work required at thehigh school level changes parent’sbeliefs as to their ability to help theirchildren, and, the emergence ofadolescence suppresses an activeinterest in overt parental engagementwith school. Secondary schools alsotend to be more compartmentalizedand no single teacher is primarilyresponsible for a particular student.

Larger attendance areas also createtransportation and proximity problemsthat discourage family engagement.Many researchers have identified thecomplex organization of the highschool, the larger numbers of studentsassigned to individual teachers, and the physical numbers of students andfamilies as deterrents to secondaryschool family involvement. Yet anotheridea touted in the late 1990s indicatesthat secondary school parents transferthe complete responsibility formanaging their children’s education to the schools.

Schools themselves must also accept responsibility for poor familyengagement practices. Schools professto understand and support familypartnership programs but their actual

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Connors, L. J. & Epstein, J. L (1994). Taking stock:Views ofteachers, parents, and students on school, family, andcommunity partnerships in high schools. Center of Families,Communities, Schools & Children’s Learning: Report No. 25.


behavior reflects mixed feelings as to the quantity and quality of familyinvolvement. Often, while complainingabout a lack of involvement fromfamilies, schools only want parents to be involved on their own terms.

Empowering Families through

Technology

“Technology provides only anopportunity; an active interest on theschool’s part in increasing parentalinvolvement is necessary if theopportunity is to be used” (Coleman, 1991, p.17).

How far beyond traditional definitionsof school-parent partnerships and howbest to promote an active interest onthe school’s part, is left to the visionand determination of school leadership.The term family engagement impliesthat families have at their disposal thetype of academic information necessaryto play a substantial role in theeducational life of their children. It isinappropriate for educators to assumethat because parent attendance tocertain school functions, meetings oractivities is sparse, those parents areapathetic or opposed to their child’sschool. Conversely, parents who doattend school functions may not betotally involved in the academic life of their child. If students succeed, then schools succeed. When schools

succeed, the community thrives. At thenucleus of this spiral of success aremeaningful and productive relationshipsbetween families and schools.

Technology can significantly bolster thepartnerships between home and schoolprovided school leadership understandsthe value in strong family partnerships.Students can also attain the autonomy

in their education and accountability for learning that is essential to long-term success. With the advent oftechnological applications in education,school leaders have new resources at their disposal. Blanchard (1997)explains how technology can serve the family-school connection: (1)communication and information; (2)learning and instruction; (3) interest and motivation; as well as (4) resourcesand costs. He expands on these fourareas by highlighting specifictechnological applications:

• establishing two-way communicationbetween homes and schools;

• discussing school experiences withinand among families and communities;

• involving families which are presentlydifficult to reach;

• helping teachers and families acquireneeded knowledge and skills;

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Coleman, J. S. (1991). Policy perspectives: Parentalinvolvement in education. Office of Educational Researchand Improvement: U.S. Department of Education.

Blanchard, J. (1997). The family-school connection, literacydevelopment and technology: Meanings and issues. Paperpresented at the meeting of the National ReadingConference, Scottsdale,AZ.

Technology can significantly bolster the partnershipsbetween home and school provided schoolleadership understands the value in strong familypartnerships.


• building the capacity of the schoolsto improve the educational health ofthe family;

• helping parents extend learning tothe home in more meaningful waysby allowing them to be instructors orcoaches as well as learning partners;

• helping families and schools motivatechildren;

• providing support and coordinationfor homes and schools to sustaininvolvement; and

• reducing resource costs of educatingchildren.

After-school programs have become animportant component to the educationof all children since the No Child LeftBehind legislation was signed into law.This type of supplemental educationprovides extra help in those areas ofweakness for students. Administratorscan and should investigate the availabletechnology that will help all childrenlearn in remedial and after-schoolprograms, not only for the education of the students themselves, but for themanagement of data that will benecessary to report adequate yearlyprogress of the identified subgroups of children.

Connecting With All Families at

Stonewall Jackson: The Impact

of Technology

Stonewall Jackson High School islocated in Manassas, Va., approximately35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.Stonewall has a student population of2,600 students in grades nine through12 with a diverse population from

both a cultural and socio-economicstandpoint. In 1995, the school wasseen as a problem school withdeclining test scores, student unrest and community dissatisfaction.

Since 1995, several reform andimprovement initiatives have beendeveloped and implemented toimprove the achievement of students.The most significant reform rests withinthose programs, practices and policiesestablished to promote the engagementof all families in the educational lives of their children.

Stonewall Jackson High Schoollaunched a telephone and Internetcommunity information network as away to use communications technologyto expand and improve familyengagement and ultimately, theachievement of all students. Thisapplication provides an informationexchange between home and schooland opportunities for families to retrievegrades, attendance and other pertinentinformation from the school using thetelephone or Internet. Most importantly,the system is interactive. In addition toretrieving information from messagesand the Internet, families can leaveinformation for school staff as well.

The ability for families to see theirchildren’s progress in school is now justa phone call or a mouse-click away.Families can log on to the system, andwith a pass code, retrieve their child’sgrades, completed or incompleteassignments, and attendance patterns by day and by period. Parents can alsoreview upcoming assignments, or

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peruse the site while listening toteacher-made voice messages aboutclassroom activities and how familiescan enhance their child’s academicexperiences at home. This informationis now available to busy families, 24hours a day, seven days a week, 365days a year.

A study was conducted at StonewallJackson High School in 1996 todetermine the effectiveness ofcommunications and familyinvolvement. Baseline data collected at Stonewall Jackson before theimplementation of technology showedthat the average rate of familyinvolvement was 1.3 contacts perteacher per day. For the first six monthsof the deployment of the technology,there was an average of 11,518 calls tothe school per month. This represents9.0 calls per teacher per day or a 592%increase in family/school contacts.

Today, the school’s automated systemaverages 300 telephone calls per day.So far, there have been more than200,000 visits to the school’s Web sitethis year. Since the system launched in2000, total communications betweenhome and school via the Internet andphone have reached more than 1.3million. Stonewall Jackson is now oneof only a handful of schools nationwidethat can boast of more than 1 millionsystem accesses.

With all of this attention focused onfamily involvement and peer influencesand recognition, Stonewall Jackson hasachieved significant successes and

improvements since 1995. Baseline datapresented in internal school divisionreports show a dramatic increase inScholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores. In the past five years, SAT scores haverisen 72 points. The InternationalBaccalaureate program nowencompasses 48% of the student bodyin one or more rigorous courses, withthe number of full diploma programparticipants growing from three in 1995 to more than 40 in 2001. TheInternational Baccalaureate Organisationworldwide is comprised of more than

1,000 schools in 80 countries. StonewallJackson has grown to the 17th largestprogram in the world.

As a result of the large number ofstudents sitting for advanced exams,Newsweek magazine proclaimedStonewall Jackson one of the “Top 100”most challenging high schools in theUnited States (March 13, 2000).

The school’s crowning accolade is itsfeature in Time magazine (May 21,2001) as “High School of the Year.” The school was selected to receive thisrecognition for both its commitment to

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Today, the school’s automated system averages300 telephone calls per day. So far, there havebeen more than 200,000 visits to the school’s Website this year. Since the system launched in 2000,total communications between home and schoolvia the Internet and phone have reached morethan 1.3 million.


the involvement of families and thechallenging academic programs that areavailable to all students.

Students themselves have strongfeelings about their family and theirfamily’s involvement with school. For example, even though certainstudents are not overly enthusiasticabout their parents’ ability to accessgrade and attendance information withtechnology, they ultimately welcometheir parents’ review either to celebratetheir successes or to openly discussproblems in school. This interactionbetween students and their familiesseems to be important in determiningthe engagement level of students. Ifparents use the information to praise or help their child, the interaction waswelcome. However, if the information isused to belittle, demean or punish theirchild, the information then becomes adeterrent to school engagement.Whether viewing this phenomenonpositively or negatively, one cannotdiscount the important relationshipbetween children and their parents.

Families who maintain a positiveattitude about their child’s school helptheir child be more engaged andsuccessful. In some cases, studentsreport that there was a time when theirfamilies argued with school personneland that terse relationships resulted inthe student’s withdrawal from schooland specific classes. Students arecognizant of the school’s efforts topromote family involvement. In somecases, even though students reportedthat they feel no direct encouragement

from the school itself, they report thatthe relationship between the school and their parents is positive and thatrelationship helps parents open moreconstructive channels of communicationwith their child.

Implementation of an automatedcommunications system to enhancefamily engagement practices has at itsnucleus, a belief in community-basededucation and a vision for studentexcellence. School leaders who believe that all children can learn have embraced the idea that familyengagement, while not the only conduitto academic excellence, is critical to thesuccess of every child. School leaderswho see the technological revolutionsweeping American schools know it tobe a strong ally in promoting strongfamilies and strong schools. Technologycan open any school in America to the homes of students. With a solidleadership vision, collaboration andconsistent communication with everyfamily, student and teacher, educationalleaders can foster a deeper and moremeaningful association between familiesand schools.

What Every Teacher Needs

In order to garner effective andongoing relationships between familiesand schools, teachers and othereducation professionals must have attheir disposal the tools necessary tobuild lasting and effective partnershipswith all families.

First and foremost, teachers needexposure to training in the arena of

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family engagement in education. Manyteacher preparation programs either do not include family engagementinformation or provide a minimalexposure to this important research andconcept. Teachers who are trained inthe importance of family engagementand who are given resources and ideasto promote family engagement, see the power that can be harnessed byinvolving families in the educationallives of children. Further, teachers need more direct exposure to familyengagement initiatives such as outreachand home-visit programs.

As technology continues to redefine theprocess of teaching and learning, its usein establishing relationships betweenhome and school breaks down many ofthe barriers that exist when trying todevelop strong family engagement

programs. Teachers need access totechnology. Even though the Internetincreases in availability every day, the telephone remains the best way to communicate with all families.Teachers who have telephones in theirclassrooms can easily stay in touch withall families. Telephones in classroomsmake communication easier, which in turn, bolsters interest in usingtechnology to support student learning.

Schools that are reluctant to providetelephones must understand the great advantages of making thiscommunication readily available toteachers. Teachers also need access to the Internet and should have acomputer in their classroom from which they can share information with students and families.

The Empowered EducationSM Initiative:

A Solution from Sprint

Through the Empowered Educationinitiative, Sprint provides technologysolutions that effectively bridge thecommunications gap between schooland home. Sprint provides a wide-range of K-12 appropriatetechnologies that integrate effectivelyinto the learning environment.

One of the most daunting tasks forschool leaders is to keep abreast of the rapid changes taking place in thefield of technology. Sprint, a trustedtelecommunications expert and a leaderin the education market, can assistdistricts by designing and deployingvoice, data and video communicationsthat will enhance the operation ofschools, the engagement of studentsand families, and ultimately help everychild learn to his or her full potential.

Sprint understands the importance ofmonitoring student achievement andprogress and can demonstrate linksbetween research and program designs.While schools around the country arestruggling to understand and create adevelopment tool to manage services,Sprint provides the Empowered

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Through the Empowered Education initiative, Sprintprovides technology solutions that effectively bridgethe communications gap between school and home.


Education desktop. This desktop can provide schools with an award-winning* platform through whichstudents and teachers use the power ofthe Internet for real “anytime, anywherelearning” and expanded access to theschool community and work. TheSprint platform helps schools anddistricts to:

• easily and quickly integratetechnology into everyday teachingand learning;

• organize teaching tools and resources;

• expand learning outside theclassroom; and

• coordinate and disseminate essentialschool information.

Easy to use, the Empowered Educationdesktop needs only one login andprovides one-click access to a selectionof more than 12,000 programs from 75education content providers.

The advantages of the EmpoweredEducation desktop and familyengagement are staggering. With thistechnology, families can retrieveimportant school information not onlyabout the progress of their child, butcan also stay current with school trends and practices, understand thecurriculum being taught to their child,learn with their child via software thatis delivered through the desktop,

understand how to help their childmaster the required assessments in agiven school and have an importantwindow into the educational world oftheir child.

John Bailey, director of the Office ofEducational Technology for the U.S.Department of Education, makes aninteresting point in his recent articlepublished in Scholastic Administratormagazine (March 2003). Mr. Baileyindicates that the issue at hand is notthe degree to which “dot com”companies can supply services, buthow quickly traditional businesses canmake dot com strategies part of theirbusiness processes.

Sprint knows that savvy administratorshave already begun to use technologyto expand and augment traditionaleducational programs and stands readyto provide products and services thatwill help shape the face of education inthis century. Many of the programsunder the No Child Left Behind Actencourage the use of technology toprovide educational opportunities for allstudents. Sprint rises to this challengeand provides a full continuum ofservices to all schools while assistingeducators in the application process forE-Rate funds. Sprint provides servicesfor distance learning, technologies thatreach beyond the Web and programsthat can enhance professionaldevelopment and allow schools tobecome the educational centers ofcommunities.

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*The technology for the Empowered Education desktop hasreceived a number of awards, including: EdNet PioneerAward (2002); Blue Diamond Award (1998 & 2001);ASPireaward winner (2000).


Sprint appreciates the significant rolethat families play in the educationalsuccesses of children. It not only offersthis family involvement solution, but afull slate of training and services toensure that schools understand theimportance of family engagement andcan reach the same successes asschools like Stonewall Jackson High School.

Sprint also offers a family engagementsolution that provides two-waycommunication between families,teachers and students. In addition toproviding telephone technologies, thesystem also offers families easy accessto grades, attendance reports andhomework information over atouchtone telephone or the Internet. It helps breach the digital dividebetween families who do, and do not,have access to the Internet. Teacherswho have access to telephones in their classrooms create an even moreseamless and successful opportunity for schools and families to exchangeinformation.

As teachers understand the power offamily engagement, they continue toseek ways to help all children learn at

high levels by providing educationaloptions that cater to a wide variety oflearning styles. The partnershipbetween Sprint and LearningStation®

constitutes a huge step and tremendousopportunity for teachers to provideresources to students that can beaccessed within the classroom or at home.

Conclusion

Families who are in tune with theirchild’s school and are provided thenecessary tools to be involved arepowerful forces in helping their childlearn at the highest levels possible.School leaders who understand thepower of family engagement inpromoting high standards andachievement among all students willultimately succeed with every childbecause they have incorporatedfamilies, who are the first and mostinfluential teacher of children.

Within this paradigm of family-schoolrelationships lies the power thattechnology can bring to enhancerelationships between home andschool. More importantly, thistechnology can provide families withthe type of information that will allowthem to support their children’s learningat home. Technology empowersfamilies. Empowered families createsuccessful students. The EmpoweredEducation initiative from Sprint createsopportunities to ensure that no student– or family – is left behind.

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Sprint provides services for distance learning,technologies that reach beyond the Web andprograms that can enhance professionaldevelopment and allow schools to become theeducational centers of communities.

About the Author

Steven M. Constantino, Ed.D., founderof Family Friendly Schools and principalat Stonewall Jackson High School inManassas, Va., has been nationallyrecognized for his efforts to involvefamilies in the educational lives ofstudents. Dr. Constantino believes thatfor schools to be successful, all who areaffiliated with them must take a role inshaping a positive school culture. Dr.Constantino is a much sought afterspeaker, consultant and workshopleader in the area of building successfulschool, family and communityengagement programs.

About Sprint

With a rich heritage more than acentury strong, Sprint remains one ofthe most financially stable companies inthe telecom industry. When you chooseSprint, you’re choosing a company thatwins industry and customer accoladesfor service, reliability and customersatisfaction and one that is committedto developing next-generation solutionsthat can transform the way you getbusiness done.

For more information, contact your Sprint representative.

05/2003 L3-370-18Copyright © Sprint 2003. All Rights Reserved. Sprint, the diamond logo design and Empowered Education are trademarks of Sprint CommunicationsCompany L.P. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1-800-786-6272 www.sprint.com/education

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Empowered Families, Empowered Schools - Sprint · PDF fileEmpowered Families, Empowered Schools Throughout these modern school reform movements, and there have been several in the