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Hanover Research outlines retention and family‑engagement recommendations; district spent $330,000 on the study
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Summary
Hanover Research presented findings and recommendations on teacher retention, discipline, and family engagement to the Peoria Public Schools board and provided two report versions; administration said the district spent $165,000 per year (total $330,000) on a two‑year engagement that had been planned as three years.
Hanover Research presented a capstone of work with Peoria Public Schools, outlining recommendations aimed at strengthening staff engagement and retention and boosting family and student engagement.
"My name is Sean Watkins. I'm the content director here at Hanover Research," Sean Watkins said as he introduced the presentation and framed the firms' approach. Hanover summarized about 10 projects on staff engagement and four on family and student engagement conducted since January 2024 and distilled a set of findings and recommendations.
The firm recommended increasing district leaders' visibility in schools and creating transparent feedback loops; enforcing consistent, districtwide discipline procedures supported by trauma‑informed training; and offering targeted pay incentives and consistent professional development to reduce burnout and strengthen retention. On family engagement, Hanover urged two‑way communication channels, culturally responsive supports, restorative practices to address discipline disparities, and expanded student voice through project‑based learning.
During board questions, a member asked for the written reports and for implementation details. The superintendent said two versions of the final deliverable exist — a short presentation and a longer in‑depth report — and that administration would provide the additional materials on request.
When a board member asked about cost, the superintendent said the project had been reduced from a planned three years to two years after a grant source changed and that ‘‘it was 165,000 a year … so altogether … we only expended 330,000 over 2 years.’’ The superintendent added that some adjustments from the research had already been made in real time through professional development and principal coaching, and that the full report would include a plan for when and how specific recommendations would be implemented.
Next steps: board members requested the in‑depth report and specific implementation timelines. The administration said the district will provide the longer report and outlined implementation planning once board leadership reviews the capstone.
Why it matters: The recommendations focus on areas board members have repeatedly identified — inconsistent discipline, staff workload and pay, and parent engagement — and identify district‑level levers that could influence hiring and retention across schools.
