60-second check-in
How well is your district equipping families to support learning at home?
Pick the option that best describes how things stand today, not how you want them to be.
0 of 4 answered
Question 1 of 4
How does your district reach out to families about learning? Pick the option that best matches your current approach.
Why this is scored this way: Communication-only approaches (A, B) have limited impact on student outcomes. Skill-based family literacy workshops (C) are where measurable gains begin. Coaching families (D) can accelerate literacy growth 2 to 3 times faster.
Question 2 of 4
Kids spend around 80% of their waking hours outside of school. How is your district making use of that time? Select the answer that best matches your current approach.
Why this is scored this way: Encouragement without guidance (A) leaves out-of-school time to chance. Resources without opportunities for practice (B) provide some structure but limited transfer. Family literacy workshops where families practice together (C) begin extending learning beyond the classroom. Structured daily routines aligned to classroom instruction (D) create a connected learning experience across school and home and can significantly accelerate literacy growth.
Question 3 of 4
When do families and educators in your district first align about learning goals and expectations for the year? Pick the answer that best describes your district.
Why this is scored this way: Reactive communication (A) means families are the last to know. Back-to-school communication (B) shares information but does not yet build true partnership around student learning. Structured conversations early in the year (C) help families and teachers begin aligning around goals and support for students. When districts intentionally design family partnership structures and shared learning goals before school starts (D) families and teachers are aligned from day one.
Question 4 of 4
How does your district use the summer to prepare for family partnership in the coming year? Pick the answer that best describes your district.
Why this is scored this way: No planning (A) means "September scramble" every year. Calendar updates (B) handle logistics but not build sustained partnership structures. Reviewing data and identifying improvements (C) is thoughtful, but structures are still built in autumn. Deliberate summer design (D) means everything is ready from day one, which is one of the strongest indicators of sustained family partnership.
Your results
Here is how your answers add up
See your total score, your tier, and what it means for your district below.
0
/ 16
Scoring key
| Points | What it means | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Families are coached as co-educators using science-of-reading methods, with regular support adn practice built in. | Tier 4 |
| 3 | Families participate in structured, skill-based family literacy workshops connected to classroom learning. | Tier 3 |
| 2 | Families are informed and included but not yet consistently equipped to support learning at home, | Tier 2 |
| 1 | Communication is mostly one-way. Families are informed but not yet positioned as learning partners | Tier 1 |
Your tier result
4–7
pts
Tier 1 — Communication-focused
Your district keeps families informed, which is a solid starting point. Your opportunity ahead is to move from communication to real partnership, where families are consistently equipped to actively support learning at home.
Audit your current family touchpoints against the 4-Tier Framework to identify what is missing.
Identify one to two pilot schools to test a structured family literacy workshop model this year.
Review ESSA requirements so your next investment qualifies for Title I or Title IV funding.
8–11
pts
Tier 2 — Involvement-focused
Families are showing up and getting some structured support. Your next step is moving from involvement to genuine partnership, where families consistently practice strategies that reinforce classroom learning at home.
Evaluate whether your current family literacy events build skills or simply share information.
Add a pre- and post-assessment to your next family event cycle to measure skill transfer.
Align your family learning experiences to what students are working on in class, especially in literacy.
12–14
pts
Tier 3 — Home-learning focused
Your district is equipping families with practical literacy strategies and your summer planning shows real intentionality. The main question now is consistency: whether your partnership structures work consistently across schools and for all families.
Ensure family learning experiences and coaching are aligned to your science-of-reading curriculum.
Review language access: is facilitation available in the languages your families actually speak?
Build a six month follow-up plan to confirm that gains persist after the program ends.
15–16
pts
Tier 4 — Family Partnership System
Your district has built something genuinely strong. Families are coached as co-educators, structures are designed intentionally, and you are thinking ahead. Your work now is about scale and equity, making sure the model reaches every family.
Document and systematize your partership model so it can scale without losing fidelity as you grow.
Share your results with peer districts. Your data is exactly what other leaders need.
Consider how summer and after-school learning can push gains past 100% reading gap closure.