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Project Tomorrow and ClassDojo for Districts

The Family Engagement Disconnect:

Leaders think 80% of families are satisfied, but only 56% say they are.

See how you can close the gap in this new research report.

Why family engagement matters now

Districts are under pressure from every direction. Enrollment is declining as families have more options. Chronic absenteeism nearly doubled during the pandemic and remains well above pre-pandemic levels. And only 43% of Americans give their local public schools an A or B grade, down from 53% in 2013.**PDK Poll, 2025

Strong family ties move the needle

Districts can regain ground by building stronger family relationships. Decades of research link family engagement to better attendance, higher achievement, and higher graduation rates. District leaders agree: 81% say family engagement raises academic performance.

The Family Engagement Disconnect draws on Project Tomorrow’s 2025–26 Speak Up surveys of 1,760 K-12 district administrators and 3,931 families, plus interviews with 20 district leaders nationwide, representing nearly 1.4 million students across 108 districts. Project Tomorrow produced the report in collaboration with ClassDojo for Districts.

Get the report to know

  • Where leaders’ and families’ views of satisfaction diverge
  • Why more communication isn’t closing the gap
  • What families want to know vs. what they actually receive
  • Which channels districts rely on vs. which ones build trust
  • How using multiple communication tools affects language and access barriers
Cover of the report: The Family Engagement Disconnect: How Districts Communicate vs. What Families Want and Need

Free webinar

From Insight to Action: Closing the Family Engagement Disconnect

December 1011am PT / 2pm ET

Join Project Tomorrow and district leaders for a conversation about the findings and the practical steps districts are taking to build real two-way relationships with families.

You’ll hear

  • The story behind the data, straight from the research team
  • How district leaders are improving communication and rebuilding family trust
  • Questions to bring back to your own team
Register now

Featured speakers

  • Dr. Julie Evans, EdD

    Chief Executive OfficerProject Tomorrow

  • Dr. Kelly May-Vollmar, EdD

    SuperintendentDesert Sands USD, CA

  • Alexandra Coppadge Wright

    Chief of Communications & Customer ServiceSchool District of Philadelphia, PA

  • Angel Mead

    District & Community Relations CoordinatorBanning USD, CA

“[I would like to see] better communication about my specific students. Parents and teachers should be partners in education.”

High school parent

Virginia

“I have zero contact with any middle school teachers and don’t know what is going on.”

Middle school parent

Pennsylvania

“I would like to better understand how my child is progressing per curriculum so that we can quickly correct any weak areas.”

Parent

Kentucky

“Parents are…getting exhausted from apps.”

Parent and district communications leader

Arizona

“I would like the school system to rely on one app for everything. There are so many apps.”

Elementary school parent

Virginia

“It would be easier if teachers could all use the same methodology across tools, but that’s just not the case.”

Parent

Wisconsin

Project Tomorrow

About Project Tomorrow

For more than 20 years, Project Tomorrow has helped schools hear directly from students, families, and educators. Its nationally recognized Speak Up Research Project gives leaders research-based insights that improve outcomes for every student. Learn more

About ClassDojo for Districts

ClassDojo for Districts brings every classroom, school and family together in one unified space, from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Learn more

  • 1 in 4

    U.S. families with kids under 13 use it weekly

  • 95%

    of U.S. schools use ClassDojo

  • K–12

    Built for every grade, including middle and high school

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