Introduction

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, schools nation-wide were forced to pivot to remote learning options during the last quarter of the 2019–2020 school year. Learning via alternative formats continued during the 2020–2021 school year, and as summer 2021 came to a close, school districts around the country were faced with the decision of how classes would be offered moving forward. Realizing the pandemic’s impact on education and the varying needs of students and families, 38 states decided that they would permanently open virtual schools to accommodate those who opted for this model (Gile, 2021). This trend was seen locally by individual states, including Minnesota where the research in this article is situated.

The Minnesota Department of Education received 300 applications as of early September 2021 from schools who were wanting to offer distance learning opportunities. This was an increase of nearly 100% with the typical number of requests per year being 2–3 districts prior to the pandemic (Hawkins, 2021). To date, 59 schools in Minnesota are listed as approved distance learning providers (Minnesota Department of Education [MDE], 2021).

This shift to remote learning has also shifted the role of parents supporting their child’s education as more living rooms become classrooms. According to a report conducted by Edge Research (2020), parents spent an average of 2.5 h of their workday helping children with their school work during the 2019–2020 school year. A majority of parents, 54%, reported that they felt either completely prepared or very prepared to help their child with homework. This response was higher among those with greater incomes and consistent internet access. Edge Research found that 25–28% of parents were very likely within the 2020–2021 school year to maintain a closer relationship with their child’s teacher than they had previously and to talk to them about their child’s academic progress.

This study explored the theoretical framework of the partnership model and learning theories that support remote learning. Findings represent survey results through the lens of school district technology directors, detailing how districts supported families during the initial move to remote learning in order to facilitate student learning. Findings can influence future school-home relationships as online learning becomes more prevalent for K-12 students.

Theoretical Framework

The Traditional Partnership Model

Studies show that student success in school and in life is related to how engaged families are in their children’s lives (Kelty & Wakabayashi, 2020). Parental involvement in the education of students begins with providing a safe and healthy home environment, offering authentic life learning experiences, being a consistent support, and nurturing a positive attitude about school. Studies indicate that parental involvement is most effective when approached as a partnership between educators and parents (Emeagwali, 2009; Epstein et al., 2018).

In the partnership model, teachers are viewed as experts on education and parents are considered to be experts on their children (Hornby, 2011).The goal is to establish a partnership built on strengths in order to provide the best possible education for children. Partnership is marked by mutual respect, two-way communication that enables the exchange of knowledge and ideas between all parties involved, and shared planning and decision-making responsibilities. Trust is developed when teachers are reliable and build open and honest relationships with parents while parents display confidence in the competence of the educators working with their children (Đurišić & Bunijevac, 2017).

The Partnership Model in an Online Learning Environment

Research studies exploring the need for effective partnerships as it relates to learning online are more prevalent and long-standing in higher education, often detailing the relationship between a university and students who are seeking training in a specific professional field (Herman et al., 2019; Malone et al., 1998; Nowell et al., 2017). With the advent of remote learning in K-12 education due to the global pandemic, this partnership is one that schools serving students at all levels have needed to explore and strengthen. Cannistraci (2020) writes, “K-12 technology leaders have always been responsible for maintaining and extending the network infrastructure within the school buildings. With remote learning, the focus has shifted to the homes of students and educators in addition to the school buildings” (para. 9).

In support of these efforts, the Office of Educational Technology (2020) published a parent and family digital learning guide aimed to help parents understand concepts which would support their child’s learning from home. An entire section within the guide is dedicated to helping parents and students establish and strengthen partnerships between school and home. Students are encouraged to increase their connection while learning remotely by using digital tools and publishing their work within collaborative spaces online so that others have access to view it. Educators are encouraged to provide virtual discussion rooms and digital forums to facilitate student socialization. The guide asserts that there must be two-way communication between the student and teacher so that all learners feel supported in their learning. This can happen through informal check-ins and regularly scheduled meetings.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international entity that works to address global policies, studied the impact of the school-home relationship in light of the education needs that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. The OECD (2020) recommends that schools increase engagement between themselves and homes in order to support remote learning. Students do better learning from home when their emotions and academics are supported by their parents. Adults, both parents and teachers, modeling positive attitudes towards online learning and providing emotional support for students has shown to be effective in addressing the challenges students experience as they strive to sustain concentration and stay motivated when their classmates, teacher, and classroom are not physically present. Teachers need to act as an educational partner by participating in professional training in order to provide effective instruction in an online environment. Not only does the relationship between home and school need to be strengthened through clear and consistent communication, but the learning provided by the teacher through digital formats needs to be effective.

Epidemiologists (Eames et al., 2011) have observed that the social patterns of children change when schools are closed, especially during the holiday season. A study was conducted in the United Kingdom of 110 school children during the 2009 H1N1 epidemic. It was found that when schools are closed, children have about a third fewer contacts with other people and they often interact more frequently with adults. Shifts in social patterns of students who are not at school need to be reflected in the delivery of remote education. There is a call for increased online interaction with synchronous experiences to offset the changes in human interaction when students are learning remotely.

Technology tools can be utilized to provide successful online learning that is personalized for every student just as in-person instruction is differentiated in the classroom. Buckley (2006) is credited with defining a model of personalized learning in which either the teacher provides personalized instruction or students engage in personalized learning experiences provided for them through the use of technology. Through assessment, technology tools can determine which skills a student has already mastered and can individualize instruction for optimal learning. Parents can support their children while completing homework and online instruction by modeling correct behavior, providing clear directions and support, helping them stay on task, offering structured feedback, and setting and achieving specific goals (Cedar Center, 2020).

Research Purpose and Methodology

The purpose of the study was to learn how Minnesota school districts addressed the needs of staff members, students, and families as the COVID-19 pandemic required learning models to pivot to hybrid and distance learning. Technology directors serving traditional public schools, public charter schools, and cooperatives were emailed a 10 question survey asking them to identify barriers that inhibited optimal school-home partnerships and share how their districts responded to the challenges that impacted student learning. Technology director contact information was acquired from the Minnesota Department of Education. A reminder to participate email was distributed one week after the initial invitation to participate. The survey was open for participation for two weeks.

Technology directors in the state of Minnesota do not require a specific license, however, many hold an administrative license similar to that of a building principal. The educational role of technology director is identified with different titles around the nation including “Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer, Director of Information Systems, Director of Instructional Technology, Director of Education Technology, and Network and Systems Administrator” (Cannistraci, 2020, para. 3). For the purposes of this study, a technology director is defined as those on the district leadership team in charge of purchasing and implementing the use of technology for both teachers and students.

The sample size of district technology directors was approximately 505. The number is not exact due to some districts having multiple technology directors, districts sharing technology directors, and districts not having a technology director. Fifty-six district level technology directors completed the survey, which reflected an 11% response rate. Likert scale responses were analyzed and descriptive statistics were displayed in pie chart format. Analysis of open-ended responses employed iterative categorization (IC), a rigorous and transparent technique that included multiple inter-rater coding discourse meetings. Stages of IC were filtered through the tenets of the traditional partnership model to ensure that the qualitative data generated an improved understanding of school-home partnerships transforming learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The iterative analysis began with an interpretive analytical stage of conceptualizing through a deductive approach (Neale, 2020). This approach tends to be used by researchers who bring an explicit heuristic, world view, or perspective to their research (Hyde, 2000). A deductive approach assessed descriptive categories for evidence to construct, support, refute or amend historical traditional partnerships in an online learning environment.

Next, the data was coded. Codes are labels for, “certain words, phrases, patterns of behavior, subject’s ways of thinking, and events” that “repeat or stand out” (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007, p. 173). Open-ended responses were reviewed line-by-line and segments of text were assigned the relevant codes and reduced to bullet points. Groups of bullet points with commonalities were given a header, which was followed by a compare and contrast of groupings to ensure a logical order of emerging narrative. Findings were summarized in a few paragraphs of text.

Finding summaries were critically reviewed by an outside coder to check for similarities, differences, or anomalies within the data set. The critique led to a more robust and focused narrative. Yet, findings were tentative because of the bound sample and limited number of participants. The aim was to identify notable patterns in the data that may benefit students, families, and schools in the post-pandemic era.

Summary of the Study Findings

Technology directors shared district initiatives aimed to optimize an on-line learning model and strengthen school-home partnerships. An analysis of data revealed three themes: maximizing caregiver support to improve student learning, increasing attendance and engagement in the online learning environment, and building technology savviness in parents and caregivers.

Maximizing Caregiver Support to Improve Student Learning

With child care centers, community centers, and Boys and Girls Clubs closed because of COVID-19, parents and caregivers found themselves in a distressing position. Families were forced to choose between keeping their family safe, earning a living and providing basic needs, and supporting their children’s learning. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (Marshall et al., 2021) found that less than half (45%) of parents with school-age children participating in online learning models transitioned to telework, and an alarming 15 million parents reported that no adult worked from home. Parents who did not move to telework were disproportionately in poor health, low income status, lower educational attainment and Black or Latinx. Figure 1 represents Minnesota school districts’ level of concern for a lack of adult supervision for students in online learning.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Lack of adult academic support and supervision for students in online or hybrid learning models. Note. Over 82% of school districts reported caregiver support for students in online programming was a moderate or significant concern. Less than 2% of districts were not concerned with adult support and supervision for students in online learning models

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Technology directors listed an array of efforts aimed to address the range of support and instruction caregivers provided their child(ren) in distance and hybrid learning models. Open communication was key. To learn what families needed, districts distributed digital polls and created action plans based on findings. Staff members, teachers, and administration held virtual office hours. Personalized Zoom, Google Meets, and phone calls were offered to families, and students were provided support beyond the traditional school day for assistance with homework in the evening. When needed, students were offered the opportunity to come to school in-person to work on their homework.

Synchronous online learning was offered to students in real-time to allow teachers to check for understanding and students to ask clarifying questions. Advisors met with students to develop success plans, and students were given additional support if needed through the formation of small groups and paraprofessional assistance. In other scenarios, parents were encouraged to attend an online class with their children when able. Virtual Community Education programs and Family Literacy nights were utilized to help schools connect with families.

Increasing Attendance and Engagement in the Online Learning Environment

Providing students access to education was the paramount effort for districts, and their efforts were successful. Districts quickly problem solved to provide students with technology devices and internet access. By the fall of 2020, the majority of districts (59%) had minimal or no concern regarding technology devices at home. Yet, districts learned that providing a device was not sufficient as student attendance and engagement continued to decline.

Absenteeism was mainly addressed by school districts through contact with parents and students. Communication between home and school occurred through a variety of methods including home visits, conferences, phone calls, and software alerts. Home visits often included delivery of both food and school assignments. A team of staff members were called upon to make these connections including deans, counselors, social workers, principals, advisors, distance learning liaisons, student success coordinators, student care teams, family literacy specialists, and classroom teachers. Districts noted the need to exercise compassion, prioritize relationships, and problem-solve when working with families during the pandemic.

Building Technology Savviness in Parents and Caregivers

Barriers parents reported to have affected the quality of their children’s online learning included a lack of training and support, lack of technical expertise, inadequate communication with professionals, and lack of qualifications (Abuhammad, 2020). Parents’ lack of training in online learning delivery and materials and the deficiency of trained personnel who could assist them were concerns. Parents with lower levels of education felt that they were not qualified to assist their children in studying specific subjects (Abuhammad, 2020). Figure 2 represents Minnesota school districts’ level of concern for a lack of technology knowledge in the home for students in online learning.

Fig. 2
figure 2

Lack of technology knowledge in the home for your district’s students learning in a hybrid or distance learning model. Note. The vast majority (83.9%) of school districts were moderately or minimally concerned about the lack of technology knowledge in the home of students during online learning. There were fewer responses at the ends of the concern continuum with approximately 9% significantly concerned and 7% not concerned

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Districts implemented proactive, conventional, and innovative strategies to support adult caregivers with technology questions. Proactive efforts included distributing how to documents, short videos, and posting online resources in multiple languages. The aim was to help caregivers use digital tools, troubleshoot devices, and operate software applications. In addition, districts limited the number of apps and platforms teachers used to help alleviate "parent paralysis."

Conventional approaches included caregivers contacting the teacher, calling the school, and emailing the school office. Districts created a physical help desk, a support phone line, and an online portal specifically to provide students and families with technology assistance.

Innovative strategies often involve using financial and human resources in new ways. In some districts, staff members were hired to bridge family-technology concerns. While in other districts staff members were redesignated with titles and responsibilities such as Tech Team Digital Navigators. Districts organized technology information sessions and invited families to the school campus, met with families individually to provide assistance, and made home visits. School districts attempted to serve the larger community by offering technology related community education classes.

Recommendations and Discussion

Maximizing Caregiver Support to Improve Student Learning

When it comes to supporting families, this study found that open communication between home and school was essential. Edge Research (2020) found that parents preferred school communication to be related through phone calls and text messaging while most teachers preferred the use of e-mail. It is recommended that schools explore various options for facilitating this including making calls through their digital platforms like Google or Zoom without using a camera or using an app that calls or texts using a different number in order to protect personal privacy (Katz, 2020). Schools can also explore options available through their school’s short message system (SMS) that is likely already in place to communicate emergency messages (SimpleTexting, 2021). Effective school communication should not only include technical information about devices, internet access, and passwords, but also be utilized as a training opportunity for parents so they are well equipped with the tools and learning models needed to support their child.

Increasing Attendance and Engagement in the Online Learning Environment

An insightful finding in this study was that home visits to address truancy need to be carried out with compassion. They often took a holistic approach bringing both food and homework, delivered by a variety of school staff from classroom teachers to specialists and administrators. Compassion is always an important quality for educators to cultivate, but was challenging to develop alongside the stressors that occurred during the pandemic. Compassion fatigue, a unique type of workplace burnout, was first documented in the 1990s in care-giving professions (Joinson, 1992), but has since been studied in teachers (Hoffman et al., 2007). Administrators could consider incorporating self-care practices into professional development opportunities for teachers such as mindful breathing, meditation, and journaling (Cooksey & Luetkemeyer, 2021). Educators could develop mindfulness practices that could not only sustain their careers, but they could develop tools to pass along to families during their home visits or when addressing other challenging scenarios with students and parents. There are several apps available that help with mindfulness and breathing for teachers and students such as Calm, HeadSpace, and Stop, Breathe, and Think (Teach for America, 2020). Student success teams could be created to help disseminate self-care practices and frequently check in not only with students, but also with parents to monitor progress and ongoing needs.

Building Technology Savviness in Parents and Caregivers

Our study observed a variety of strategies were implemented to help provide parents with the technical knowledge and skills needed to support their children while learning online, remotely from home. While the pandemic continues to linger, school leaders need to consider what the technological landscape will look like in future school years and how to build a bridge, perhaps a network, that continues to connect home and school. It is likely that devices need to be an ongoing investment for all students to have at home. Stress, and “parental paralysis” as noted earlier, could perhaps be alleviated if the device a student was issued utilized a platform that was already familiar to parents or one currently at use in their home. A simple electronic survey could help make this determination. Equally important, internet access needs to be expanded in areas where it is inconsistent so that all families have the adequate access they need to support the activity in their home. This can be accomplished either by working with a local internet service provider (ISP) or by providing hotspots. Multiple hotspots and/or high speed internet service may need to be provided so that homes not only have access to the internet, but adequate access, especially if there are multiple school aged children in the home with parents working remotely.

Limitations of the Study

Previous research identified the partnership model as ideal for a school-home relationship (Emeagwali, 2009; Epstein et al., 2018). The model does not reflect the complex and networked inequities experienced by marginalized populations, such as social class barriers, housing discrimination, lack of access to healthcare, and educational systemic racism (Berman & Paradies, 2010; Mitchell et al., 2019; Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, 2015). The identified themes can serve to bridge the partnership model as theory to the realities confronting schools and families. Findings provide insights that guide educational institutions to better serve all stakeholders.

The study represents Minnesota school districts and transferability of findings may be limited. Findings should be contextualized within each district in order to elicit the greatest gains. Relevance of the study must be bookmarked by the COVID-19 pandemic as a pivot to online learning modalities occurred rapidly and with great challenge. Schools and families identified benefits to online programming, yet there is a need to better understand the long-term implications of the school-home relationship.

Implications for Further Research

As the pandemic continues to persist, there continues to be opportunities for further insight. When the Technology directors in this study surveyed, they were asked if they would like to join a focus group to help discuss the challenges districts are facing and how districts are successfully addressing these challenges. Of the 56 respondents, 24 indicated their interest in joining such a group. When considering this possibility, questions to ask this same group of respondents would include questions about the following topics:

  • Technological challenges

  • School-home partnerships for remote learners

  • Addressing issues like the digital divide

  • Training for teachers who instruct online.

  • Opportunities for the future

The goal of offering focus groups for technology directors is two-fold. First, it will advance the collective knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that remote learning has had on education. Parents and students could be surveyed to determine if the actions taken by districts to meet their needs were effective. Data could be triangulated with the information gathered from this study, transcripts from focus groups, and survey data from stakeholders in order to gain further insight. Second, it will provide an opportunity for professionals to support one another through this transitional time and offer advice and insight that other districts may have not yet considered or implemented. Ultimately, the goal is to disseminate the insights gained as widely as possible for maximum benefit. If this focus group proves successful, then perhaps technology directors from outside of Minnesota and around the nation would be interested in working together so that the findings can be generalized to a larger audience.

Conclusion

This study began by surveying technology directors in the state of Minnesota in order to learn how they were meeting the needs of students and families in their districts in order to strengthen school-home partnerships during remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of the technology director has always been concerned with devices and Internet connectivity, but this has taken on a greater scope in light of remote learning, especially when it comes to considering the needs of families who do not have equitable access to technology within their homes (Cannistraci, 2020).

Effective teaching and learning from home using technology can be partially explained through the lens of the partnership model where Hornby (2011) gives agency to the parent and the teacher when addressing a child’s learning, the parent being the expert on the child and the teacher being the expert in education. Together, both can work to support student learning remotely from kitchen tables using Google Meets and Zoom rooms. Resources provided by the Office of Education Technology (2020) can help guide school-home partnership, but ultimately studies like this one are needed to provide further insight into the dynamics of this seismic shift in education.

Upon surveying technology directors in Minnesota, it was revealed that delivering successful remote learning is a multi-layered process with many factors to consider including maximizing caregiver support to improve student learning, increasing attendance and engagement in the online learning environment, and building technology savviness in parents and caregivers. Open communication, compassion, and training are needed to address these areas. Ultimately, this study revealed that technology integration needs to move beyond the walls of the school building into the walls of the living room. It takes a village to raise a child and to educate one.