Middle School Parent Engagement Text Messaging Study

本研究项目将采用实验方法来研究信息对父母参与青少年子女教育的影响，以及这反过来如何影响孩子的教育和社会结果。这项干预措施通过每周发送短信，向低收入父母提供信息和活动，帮助他们支持中学生的社会情感和学业技能。这些短信包括如何：(i)在孩子们从初中过渡到高中的过程中，支持和指导他们的学业轨迹；（ii）支持儿童的社交和情感学习技能；（二）儿童的知识、技能和能力是可以成长的。父母收到短信的孩子的教育和社会成果将与父母不收到短信的孩子的教育和社会成果进行比较。短信的目标是在中学生进入高中之前缩小学生的收入和成就差距。父母在中学时期的参与与一系列行为和学业成绩呈正相关；然而，在孩子成长的中学阶段，父母的参与减少了。该项目旨在展示家长短信项目在中学阶段的价值，并为学区提供复制路线图。本研究的结果将为政策的设计和实施提供重要的投入，以改善学校成绩，提高技能，并最终促进美国的经济增长。本研究项目采用随机对照试验（RCT）方法来研究信息对父母参与孩子生活的影响，以及这种参与对孩子的教育和社会结果的影响。它包括每周给实验组中学生的家长发三条短信。每条短信都关注孩子的学术主题、技能或活动。短信内容包括：支持和引导孩子从初中到高中的学习轨迹；支持儿童的社会和情感学习（SEL）技能；以及如何培养孩子的知识、技能和能力。Texts4Teens旨在在孩子进入高中之前缩小收入和成就之间的差距。这项研究的结果将为家长、学校和学区提供有关亲子参与信息如何影响学生学业和社会情感结果的详细信息，以及如何在孩子从初中到高中的教育轨迹中支持家长。研究结果还将确立美国在利用信息改善青少年教育和社会成果方面的全球领先地位。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This research project will use experimental methods to study the effects of information on parental involvement in their adolescent child's education and how this in turn affects the child's education and social outcomes. The intervention uses weekly text messages to provide low-income parents information and activities that will help them support their middle school children's socio-emotional and academic skills. The text messages include tips on how: (i) to support and guide children's academic trajectory as they transition from middle to high school; (ii) to support children's social and emotional learning (SEL) skills; and (ii) knowledge, skills, and abilities of children are grow-able. Educational and social outcomes of children whose parents receive text messages will be compared to those of children whose parents do not receive text messages. The goal of the text messaging is to narrow income-achievement gap of students before middle school students enter high school. Parental involvement during middle school years is positively associated with a range of behavioral and academic outcomes; yet parental involvement declines during the formative middle school years. This project is intended to demonstrate the value of a parental texting programs for the middle school years and provide a replication roadmap for school districts. The results of this research will provide important inputs into the design and implementation of policies to improve school outcomes, increase skills, and ultimately increase economic growth in the U.S. This research project uses a randomized control trial (RCT) method to study the effects of information on parental involvement in their child's life and the effect of this involvement on the child's educational and social outcomes. It involves sending three weekly text messages to parents of middle school students in the treatment group. Each text message focuses on an academic topic, skill, or activity for their child. The text messages include tips on: supporting and guiding children's academic trajectory as they move from middle school to high school; supporting children's social and emotional learning (SEL) skills; and how to grow knowledge, skills, and abilities of children. Texts4Teens is intended to narrow income-achievement gaps before children enter high school. The results of this research will provide parents, schools, and school districts with details on how information on parent-child engagement affects students' academic and social-emotional outcomes and on how to support parents in their child's educational trajectory from middle to high school. The results will also establish the U.S. as the global leader in the use of information to improve education and social outcomes of teenagers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.