{"id":2877,"date":"2024-03-14T01:27:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T01:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolstatus18.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=resource&p=2877"},"modified":"2024-11-29T07:29:45","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T07:29:45","slug":"lumpkin-county-school-district-case-study","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.schoolstatus.com\/resource\/lumpkin-county-school-district-case-study","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Rob Brown’s Recipe for Academic Success: Prioritizing Parent Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Finding the Clear Path Forward<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Superintendent Dr. Rob Brown joined Lumpkin County School District in 2016, he made family communication a central component of the district\u2019s strategic plan. \u201cWhen we developed our school system strategic plan, we wanted to include the necessary components that would help every student in our district have an avenue for success,\u201d says Superintendent Dr. Robert Brown. \u201cBecause we believed that family and community engagement was such a critical piece, it became one of the four pillars of our plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He tasked Jason Lemley with finding a new tool that gave leaders the ability to stay informed and develop better communication. But in the beginning, there were challenges to overcome. \u201cThere was no clear plan in place,\u201d says Director of Community Engagement, Jason Lemley. His North Georgia school district wasn\u2019t always as well-positioned for family engagement as they are today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Existing Solutions Didn\u2019t Fit All Their Needs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some communication tools were already active throughout the district but were not providing the details Brown and Lemely wanted. \u201cOf course, you also had teachers who weren\u2019t doing any of those things,\u201d says Lemley. \u201cThey weren\u2019t using any specific tool.\u201d Lemley will tell you that none of those solutions quite fit the bill. \u201cThere was no oversight.\u201d With hundreds of conversations taking place each week between the school and home via teachers, principals, nurses, and more, Lumpkin County Schools needed organization and transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFamilies send us the most important piece of their lives each day: their children,\u201d says Superintendent Brown. \u201cWe need families to see our schools as their partner in, not the owner of, their child\u2019s education. Our efforts to be proactive with purposeful communication is to develop that collaborative mentality. We believe our students have the best chance for success when their Families and the school have a positive relationship. All relationships need effective, frequent communication to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding the Right One-Stop Solution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With a vision in place, Lemley and his team began searching for a tool that would show where communication with families wasn\u2019t happening, where it was, and what was being said. \u201cWe needed a way to evaluate and measure engagement with families,\u201d shares Lemley. \u201cWe were going to do our due diligence for what we were looking for, which at the time was just two-way communication with some oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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What we found was that SchoolStatus would provide that solution with the oversight and the measurements that \r\nwe were looking for.”\r\n \u2013 Jason Lemley<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Lumpkin County School District soon found that SchoolStatus Connect delivered even more than the district was originally looking for. \u201cWhat was more impressive was that SchoolStatus [Connect] provided us with a method for informed conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leveraging Data-Driven Conversations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SchoolStatus Connect integrates assessments, benchmarks, and more to put student data on the same screen as family communication tools. Each communication, whether a call, text, email, or video chat, becomes a record in the digital student profile. The combination of traditional student data and family communication data creates a comprehensive view with a whole-child approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boosting Compliance Through On-Demand Data<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

K-12 educational institutions must follow laws, regulations, and internal policies to ensure the smooth running of activities. That means providing proof that families have been informed on things like Special Education measures. \u201cOur Special Ed Department, our Special Ed Director, and our Special Ed Coordinator, they love SchoolStatus [Connect],\u201d shares Lemley. \u201cThey\u2019re able to go in and see the conversations. Record keeping and communication is such a big deal in special education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, documentation is essential so families know what to expect and know their rights, and also so that information isn\u2019t misconstrued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contentious conversations occasionally happen district-wide. \u201cPrior to SchoolStatus [Connect], it was his word against her word,\u201d says Assistant Principal Whittney McPherson. \u201cIf we had a family that was upset about a phone call or a text message, it was hard to support your teacher because you didn\u2019t actually know what really happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Assistant Principal McPherson says it also adds a layer of protection for teachers for when a student fails a class, for example. \u201cWith SchoolStatus [Connect] we see a record of everything\u2013every text that was sent, every phone call that was there, every voicemail that was left,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Success<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are now in year two of our relationship with SchoolStatus, and our staff would have my job if I even thought about changing! SchoolStatus [Connect] has provided us a tool to make communication easier, more transparent, and quantifiable,\u201d says Superintendent Dr. Rob Brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have an expectation for our staff to communicate frequently and professionally with families, and now we have a tool to monitor that expectation. The old adage that we should \u2018inspect what we expect\u2019 is now something we can do easily and without adding an extra burden on our staff to track and record each conversation or communication. SchoolStatus [Connect] gives us an efficient and effective avenue for each employee to develop partnerships with families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About Lumpkin County Schools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lumpkin County School District<\/a> is a public school district in Lumpkin County, Georgia. The district serves the communities of Auraria and Dahlonega. The mission of Lumpkin County Schools is to educate and empower life-long learners. Their vision is to prepare all students for successful and productive lives in an ever-changing world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With help from SchoolStatus, they are meeting their goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n