Saskatchewan Launches Innovative Parent Teacher Home Visits Pilot Project

Released on November 15, 2021

The Government of Saskatchewan has partnered with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) to create a new voluntary Parent Teacher Home Visits pilot project that aims to increase parental engagement in their kids’ education and build connections between school and home.

Up to 400 Saskatchewan families from five school divisions will have the opportunity to participate in the initial pilot project. These include families within the Île-à-la-Crosse, Northern Lights, Holy Trinity, Sun West and Regina Public school divisions. Families were offered the opportunity to participate in the voluntary project by direct communication with the school and school staff, through letters, social media and with some school community councils as well.

The five school divisions were selected due to their readiness level and by having division strategic plans supporting parent and community engagement strategies. The school divisions determined internally which schools would participate and it is voluntary for both teachers and families to participate.

“Parental involvement is crucial in the success of a child at school,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. “When parents know what is being taught to their children, they can become more involved and build that relationship between student, home and school.”

Participating parents and teachers will meet twice during the school year. The first meeting will be in the fall 2021 and the second in the spring 2022. The visits will take place in the family home or can be arranged on the doorstep, in the backyard, in a park or community facility, as well as virtually if necessary. Parent and teachers will build relationships to work together to help support students’ individual education needs.

The Government of Saskatchewan has allocated $200,000 to the SSBA to deliver the Parent Teacher Home Visits pilot project from August 1, 2021, to August 31, 2022. These funds will support staff compensation, training costs, research and communications to schools and communities.

“Building on Saskatchewan’s rich history with community education, school boards have prioritized building connections and relationships as a foundational part of learning,” SSBA President Shawn Davidson said.  “We heard it clearly through our local consultations, and the research strongly supports, that engaging parents and families can have a big impact on student success."

This project is modelled on the Parent Teacher Home Visits Project Organization, which has been successful in the United States since 1998. Research results of Parent Teacher Home Visits Project in the United States show that schools that systematically implemented this project experienced decreased rates of student chronic absenteeism and increased rates of student English language arts and math proficiency.

The Parent Teacher Home Visits pilot project aligns with the pillar of Connections Between People, and Relationships Between Systems and Structures of the provincial education plan framework which is currently being used to build the future education strategic plan from 2022 to 2030. By building relationships and strong connections between the school and home life, students’ academic and social-emotional well-being can be improved.

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