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District launches voluntary "positive home visits" pilot aimed at strengthening family ties
Summary
District staff described a voluntary positive-home-visits pilot under the community schools program: more than 80 staff were trained to make scheduled visits to build home-school relationships this summer, with a protocol and data collection planned.
La Mesa-Spring Valley School District staff described a new community schools initiative to pilot "positive home visits" intended to strengthen home-to-school connections, and the board discussed participant selection and safeguards.
Diane told trustees the program trained more than 80 staff, primarily certificated staff and community schools facilitators, to make voluntary, scheduled home visits in pairs. "We had over 80 staff trained to do positive home visits... they have a protocol that they follow, they make the appointment, they schedule the time with the family, and go out and do that," Diane said.
Board members raised concerns about whether the visits would be "cold calls" and how families would be selected. Diane and other staff said visits are scheduled (not cold calls), voluntary, and are intended to start small at selected sites to gather baseline data. Staff said they would prioritize families and sites where relationships-building would be most beneficial and would collect data to evaluate the pilot.
Members noted the potential benefit for easing first-day anxiety for students and suggested teachers focus visits on families where the outreach would be most helpful. District staff said staff interest has been high and the program will be monitored as it expands.
