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Spearfish School District to pilot family-engagement walkthrough at West Elementary
Summary
District staff described a 16-month cooperative agreement with Black Hills Special Services and the State Family Engagement Center to run a family-friendly walkthrough and qualitative study at West Elementary, starting with invitations in mid-February and a walkthrough on April 30.
Spearfish School District staff told the school board on Feb. 10 that the district will pilot a 16-month family-engagement project at West Elementary in partnership with Black Hills Special Services and the State Family Engagement Center.
The program will pair a qualitative research study and a family-friendly “walkthrough” process tied to the district's Title I goals for K–5. District staff said the pilot will invite 24 families with a target of 15 participants and will use pre- and post-survey instruments to measure parent perception and follow-up actions. Letters to invited families are scheduled to go out Feb. 13 and the walkthrough is scheduled for April 30.
District presenters said the work is intended to strengthen parent partnerships and to produce practical, replicable improvements. “Parents want to be informed. They want to be partners,” said Nick (staff member), who presented the plan, adding that the project is designed to avoid survey fatigue by timing recruitment after fall assessments and accreditation activities.
According to the presentation, the walkthrough will use a framework provided by Black Hills Special Services and the State Family Engagement Center and will evaluate items ranging from parking-lot signage to multilingual information, the entrance experience and the overall sense of accessibility for families. The process will include action planning with staff after the walkthrough and a debrief period extending from May into June; staff emphasized they will prioritize findings and will not pursue items that would create undue financial stress for the district.
Presenters said the pilot is no-cost to the district as proposed, though staff may seek a small fiscal grant to compensate work performed outside contract hours. The district also said it expects some findings to be replicable at other schools if the pilot yields effective changes.
Next steps include sending family invitation letters on Feb. 13, conducting the April 30 walkthrough and returning a report to the board and school leadership in June with prioritized recommendations.
