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NORC at the University Chicago
NORC investigates how to improve parent and family engagement in schools, including identifying potential facilitators and barriers for meaningful engagement.

Research shows that increasing parent and family engagement in schools leads to beneficial outcomes for both schools and communities. However, parents do not always know how to be involved in their child’s school and need direction from educators. Additionally, though districts and schools must comply with updated parent engagement requirements instituted through reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act, many educators lack meaningful ways to engage parents and families in their children’s schools. 

NORC is partnering with Education Northwest to evaluate the Washington State Family Engagement Centers program, funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The program provides state and local education agencies with technical assistance and training to enhance parent and family engagement efforts with the goal of improving student outcomes. NORC will use a process evaluation to provide formative and summative feedback that enables Family Engagement Center program staff and partners to refine and adjust the supports they provide. 

In addition to evaluating parent engagement policies and programs, NORC also works to elevate the voices of parents and families so that policy makers and educators can identify the most impactful ways to support families and children in school. With support from the Joyce Foundation, Kids First Chicago reached out to NORC to design and administer two waves of surveys that would capture parents’ perceptions of their child’s learning experiences during the pandemic. Kid First Chicago used the survey results to identify areas to improve communication between families and schools and areas of support for students.

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Parent & Family Engagement Experts

Highlighted Projects

Family Resilience Program Evaluation

Evaluating a parenting intervention for English, Spanish, and Amharic-speaking participants

Client:

Parent Encouragement Program

The Interpersonal Conflict and Resolution (iCOR) Study

A nationally representative dyadic study of behaviors in young adult relationships with strangers, friends and family, and intimate partners.

Client:

National Institute of Justice

National Survey on Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence (STRiV)

A longitudinal social epidemiological study of youth and young adult experiences of aggression and violence, parent/caregiver perspectives, and relevant risk and protective factors

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Understanding What Matters in the School Choice Process

The first comprehensive review of all text data from Great Schools, a popular school review website

Client:

Institute of Education Sciences

Making Connections Research Scholars

Providing analytical opportunities for early-career scholars and researchers of color

Funder:

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Analyzing Parent Narratives to Create Parent Gauge™

Helping Head Start build a tool to assess parent, family, and community engagement

Client:

National Head Start Association, Ford Foundation, Rainin Foundation, Region V Head Start Association

HeartMath for Youth Resiliency & Violence Prevention

Pilot testing an educational program to build youth resilience and conflict management skills

Client:

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Cyber-Abuse Research Initiative (CARI)

A comprehensive nationally representative study of technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) among U.S. young adults ages 18-35

Client:

U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic & Treatment (EPSDT)

Assessing and analyzing state availability, delivery, and provision of EPSDT benefit services

Client:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Partnering with Social Media Influencers as Messengers to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy

Engaging mommy bloggers to help understand HPV vaccine hesitancy communities of color

Client:

Merck

Engaging Online Influencers to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

An intervention to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among parents of color through online influencers of color

Client:

Pfizer

Environments Promoting Wellness & Resilience (EmPWR) Evaluation

Exploring the influence of the built environment on mental health and well-being within domestic violence shelters

Funder:

New York City Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity)

ND THRIVES: North Dakota Rural and Tribal Suicide Care Initiative

Implementing community-based suicide prevention program for youth in north-central and northeastern North Dakota

Funder:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Elder Abuse Survivor Equity (EASE) Study

Applying a cultural lens to personal and technology-facilitated elder abuse to better protect diverse communities

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Evaluation Training and Technical Assistance Center (ETAC)

Evaluation training, TA, and rigorous evaluations for DoD sexual assault prevention activities

Client:

Department of Defense (DoD)

Positive Adolescent Interpersonal Relationships (PAIR)

Expanding NORC’s STRiV research to reflect diverse adolescent experiences and communities

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Washington Statewide Family Engagement Center Project

Evaluating a collaborative family engagement infrastructure across Washington state

Client:

U.S. Department of Education

Evaluating Oakland Promise’s Cradle-to-Career Programs

NORC’s assessments enable Oakland program to identify past benefits for future funding

Client:

Oakland Promise

Oakland Promise Brilliant Baby Evaluation

Assessing the impact of a “two-generation” intervention on college attainment

Client:

Oakland Promise