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2015-2016Impact Report

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{ INTRODUCTION2015-2016 Impact Report

Kinvolved is building a movement that elevates student attendance, one of our youth’s most essential Civil Rights. By supporting districts, schools, and nonprofits in creating a community that is inclusive of students and families of varied backgrounds, research proves that more students attend school.

KiNVO, Kinvolved’s mobile and web app, enables K-12 school staff and families to engage through real-time, translated, text messaging. Through open communication and access to simple attendance data, communities work together to ensure students attend school all day, everyday.

Our second product, the Campus Kit, winner of the Robin Hood Foundation College Success Prize, is in beta testing. It supports community college students’ efforts to persist to graduation.

While Kinvolved worked with after school programs and during the summer term with programs like Practice Makes Perfect, our 2015-2016 school year

impact report showcases the successes of Kinvolved’s efforts in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) during the academic year. Attendance improved by 1.6% across all NYCDOE schools that partnered with Kinvolved. ³ This is three times the average NYCDOE school’s rate of improvement. This means that on average, nearly 400 more students per day attended school in Kinvolved’s 38 partner schools. Furthermore, these students gained 333,178 hours of instructional time.

This report is a window into the impact that Kinvolved has had on student attendance and family involvement in school. KiNVO by Kinvolved is only as powerful as the intention behind it. What is evident is that, when a school uses KiNVO as part of a broader attendance improvement strategy, attendance rates rise.

This report tells the stories of the Kinvolved community, of teachers, administrators, nonprofit leaders, family members, and students who inspire us. Their dedication to attendance and developing an open community is unparalleled, and this report celebrates their accomplishments. Following their lead, KiNVO has become much more than a simple attendance tracking app. It has become a tool that promotes access, opportunity, and accountability.

More than 6.5 million students nationally, or about 13%, miss three or more weeks of school per year.1 These students are concentrated across just 4% of urban school districts, especially in under-resourced communities. Students who miss school at this rate have only a 20% chance of graduating high school.2

Learn more about KiNVO by Kinvolved at www.kinvolved.com

Attendance improved by 2.6% across NYCDOE high

schools that partnered with Kinvolved.³

at·tend·ance/əˈtendəns/

noun

the action or state of going regularly to or being present at a place or event.

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2.0

2.5

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2.6%

1.3%0.7%

0.2%

1.6%

0.5%

Elementary Middle Schools High Schools All Schools

Kinvolved Schools All NYCDOE Schools

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Kinvolved supported 74 schools nationally during the 2015-2016 academic year. This report is focused on Kinvolved’s 38 NYCDOE schools, which enrolled approximately 21,000 students. Attendance improved by 1.6% across these K-12 schools. Kinvolved’s partner high schools made the greatest gains, 2.6% improvement, which is 13 times the rate of improvement of the average NYCDOE high school.

{ THE DATA2015-2016 Impact Report

ABSOLUTE CHANGE IN ATTENDANCE OF KINVO SCHOOLS VS. ALL OTHER NYCDOE*

School Years 2014 - 2015 and 2015 - 2016

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20

40

60

80

10087.7% 89.3% 90.2% 90.6%90.2% 91.5% 93% 93.8%

83.1% 85.7% 86.7% 87.1%

Elementary Middle Schools High Schools All Schools

Kinvolved Schools School Year 2014 - 2015

Kinvolved Schools School Year 2015 - 2016

All NYCDOE SchoolsSchool Year 2015 - 2016

All NYCDOE Schools School Year 2014 - 2015

* Data analysis by Gorman Analytics

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE OF KINVO SCHOOLS VS. ALL OTHER NYCDOE*

School Years 2014 - 2015 and 2015 - 2016

Based on attendance funding formulas,these schools earned

$1,756,760 or a return nearly

10 times their investment in KiNVO.4

On average,

400 more students per day

attended school.

With a high school degree, these students will each earn

$9,000 more each year,

which amounts to

$144M over their lifetimes.

These students gained

333,178 hours of instruction time.

impact in partner schools

3x

The rate of improvement NYCDOE Schools vs Kinvolved Partner Schools

13x2x

Elementary Middle Schools High Schools All Schools

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20

40

60

80

100

Studentswith

disabilties

English LanguageLearners

PovertyFemale Male Asian Black Hispanic Other White

50% 48% 50% 52%

3%11%

35% 33%

58%

42%

1% 2% 3%12%

24% 21%16% 13%

87%80%

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The “academic impact of absenteeism is greatest for children living in poverty whose families typically have fewer - and less access to - resources to make up for the lost school learning opportunities.” ²

DEMOGRAPHICS FOR KINVOLVED SCHOOLS VS. ALL NYCDOE SCHOOLS*

School Years 2014 - 2015 and 2015 - 2016

{ DEMOGRAPHICSCharacteristics of Kinvolved partner schools vs. NYCDOE averages

Research shows that the “academic impact of absenteeism is greatest for children living in poverty whose families typically have fewer - and less access to - resources to make up for the lost school learning opportunities.” 2

“Communities whose children are struggling with chronic absenteeism often live in the poorest housing and have the greatest proximity to industrial pollutants, creating challenges like chronic asthma; these communities face consistent

exposure to neighborhood violence, and some of the highest unemployment rates, all resulting in widespread inter-generational poverty.”2

“Tensions between schools and poor communities, especially poor communities of color, can also exacerbate efforts to address absenteeism. Although feeling welcome and engaged by the school is essential to motivating students and their families to show up every day, negative past experiences with schools may make it difficult for families to trust and connect with schools,” state Chang and Balfanz.2

Kinvolved aims to close the gap between schools and families,

particularly when addressing challenges related to absenteeism.

Research has shown that “parents of low-income and minority students are often viewed as a contributing cause of student failure...this ‘deficit’ view of parents hinders educational innovation, especially for K-12 students. An ‘asset’ view of parents instead unlocks new interventions that empower parents as partners in improving student outcomes.”5

Kinvolved knows that parental involvement is a crucial piece of the solution to the chronic absenteeism puzzle. Real-time information is equally important to families as it is to schools.

In Kinvolved partner schools, 87% of students, 18,2170, live at or under the poverty line, based on Demographic Snapshots provided by the NYCDOE. This is 7% higher than the average NYCDOE school.

Kinvolved aims to close the gap between schools and families, particularly when addressing challenges related to absenteeism.

“An ‘asset’ view of parents instead unlocks new interventions that empower parents as partners in improving student outcomes.” ⁵

* Data analysis by Gorman Analytics

Kinvolved Schools All NYCDOE Schools

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KINVOLVED COMMUNITY

Absenteeism and lateness are complex challenges. Together, we are much more empowered to change absence patterns. Collectively, we are making a difference in students’ lives by making sure they attend school.

{ Spotlight

Teachers and families exchanged 970,971 text messages during the 2015-2016 school year. While teachers primarily used KiNVO to record attendance and send messages informing parents about attendance patterns, KiNVO grew to be much more powerful tool. It builds trust through communication and collaboration that has historically lacked in communities that Kinvolved serves.

“When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” ⁶

Henderson & MappNational Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools

administrators used KiNVO to analyze attendance data and send school wide communications.

teachers used KiNVO to record attendance and send messages to families.

students benefitted from increased attention to their attendance patterns.

parents received messages about their children’s attendance and could communicate directly with their children’s support team at school.

Who used and benefited from KiNVO during the 2015-2016 school year?

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Kinvolved has analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data to understand our impact. By speaking directly with our community members, understanding their challenges and struggles in the classroom and at home, Kinvolved continues to support users with empathy. A variety of perspectives continue to mold our technology, strategy, and vision.

We conducted six focus groups, speaking with more than 50 teachers and administrators.

127 teachers completed surveys.40 teachers participated in individual interviews.* 25 parents completed surveys and engaged in conversation around the importance of family involvement.

Three themes emerged from these conversations, interviews, and survey data:

ACCESS OPPORTUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY

THE STORY BEHIND KINVOLVED'S IMPACT { How did we help catalyze increased attendance?

Based on survey data, we learned that:

teachers reported that attendance has improved in their classrooms during the 2015-2016 school year.

88.5%

of teachers reported that KiNVO by Kinvolved made it easier to inform families about student attendance patterns.

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* See Appendix A for select Spotlight Stories.

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ACCESSWe found that many users of the app equated KiNVO to an “access” point, or a way to make the school environment and community more “accessible” to parents.

{ Ensuring all have equal opportunity, regardless of socioeconomic background

Teachers in focus groups and individual interviews discussed how many of their students’ parents worked multiple jobs, lived far from the school, or were caring for multiple children. This made in-person interaction and communication difficult, and in years past, a barrier to forming positive relationships, or any relationship at all.

“With KiNVO, I can communicate daily with parents who are working overnight as taxi drivers or nurses or who may find it difficult or uncomfortable to come into school…this simple form of communication is a way for us to stay connected,” said a high school teacher in the Bronx.

We also learned that schools and families shared information more frequently via KiNVO. “The app is my first line of communication now. Because I have it as an option, and because it’s user friendly, I use it more often. I’m addressing the

issues sooner than I was before, which is good for the students,” explained a high school teacher in Brooklyn.

The simplicity of Kinvo’s design has also made it easier for teachers to get in touch with parents. “To be able to send a [text] message from a computer– to me, that’s priceless,” exclaimed an elementary school teacher in the Bronx.

Users found value in using KiNVO in a traditional classroom, and also in the midst of a basketball game or track meet. “As a Physical Education teacher, I constantly need access to parent contact info to address the wellness of the entire school. Your app made this extremely easy.”

“When asked about Kinvolved, I use the word ‘access.’ It is a tool that increases accessibility between teachers and families. Kinvolved is giving me access to families, but it’s also giving them access to me.”

Elementary teacher, Harlem

“With KiNVO, I can communicate dailywith parents who are working overnight as taxi drivers or nurses or who may find it difficult or uncomfortable to come into school...this simple form of communication is a way for us to stay connected.” - High school teacher, Bronx

“I have instant access to parents and they have instant access to me.”– Elementary teacher, Harlem

“As a Physical Education teacher, I constantly need access to parent contact info to address the wellness of the entire school. Your app made this extremely easy.”- High school teacher, Bronx

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OPPORTUNITYResearch proves that when families are informed of absence challenges, and invited into conversations at the school, attendance improves. KiNVO has enabled schools to include families in conversations about attendance, grades, school events, and more.

{ Giving parents voice and a seat at the table

With KiNVO, families obtained the opportunities to connect with teachers, and teachers gained opportunities to develop deep relationships with families. When students attend school, they have the opportunity to achieve academically.

“Due to work hours, parents are not always able to hold a [verbal or in person] conversation, but they had the opportunity to send text messages, which they did quite often,” explained a middle school teacher in the South Bronx. “I have a much better relationship with some parents due to the

ease of access KiNVO has given me. The parents are receptive to my outreach with KiNVO. This is new to me. I think that’s why I see attendance rates improving in our classroom,” a co-teacher added.

Not only have attendance rates improved, but teachers also discussed how students’ behavior has improved. Teachers at a middle school in the Bronx explained that in their classrooms, students grew to like seeing Kinvo’s attendance recorder projected in classrooms throughout the building at the start of class. “Because of KiNVO, I noticed that three of my more

challenging students became more open and behaved better, because they know that I’m in touch with their parents!” exclaimed a middle school teacher in Brooklyn.

“KiNVO emphasizes the idea that students and parents are ‘one.’ We should always think about what we can do to inform the parents of what is going on with the child. This is so important, since this is a community effort. This is an agenda, which an education technology company is pushing forward, which I think is really amazing,” concluded a School Director in the Bronx.

“I had a student who would get so mad at me for texting her mom with KiNVO when she was absent or late. However, her mom cared and wanted her to be in class on time, to be present, and set a good example for her younger sister. The student started coming on time and doing better in class. She ended up doing really well and getting A’s and B’s in my class. This student’s mom thanked me for keeping her on track at her daughter’s graduation."

High School teacher, Bronx

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ACCOUNTABILITYTeachers and administrators alike used KiNVO to ensure that both school staff members and parents were accountable for student success. KiNVO is providing the infrastructure for schools so that they now have the system in place to communicate important information about attendance to parents and students.

{ Sharing responsibility to ensure students show up all day, every day

KiNVO has highlighted the responsibility that all stakeholders equally share in ensuring students are present all day, everyday. The first step is to ensure that schools have open and accurate avenues to communicate with parents. Schools that Kinvolved served have historically reported that families are “unreachable,” due to inaccurate phone numbers. They now say that Kinvolved is helping them solve this problem.

A Community School Director in Harlem saw a spike in parental involvement in her school. “Parents will bring me their new numbers.

And they’ll say, ‘Bring this to the front office, put me on the list, add my new number so I can get messages,’ and we weren’t getting that [proactive outreach] before. We have never had this level of parental involvement,” she proudly said.

Teachers used KiNVO’s messaging capabilities and data analytics to communicate the importance of their students’ attendance. Teachers offered specific examples in which they knew KiNVO was making an impact on their students’ and families’ behaviors, as well as their own patterns.

A high school teacher in Brooklyn shared, “One student comes most to mind. For the first month of the school year he fell behind almost immediately. He was absent from his first period class because he was taking his time, grabbing breakfast before he was getting here. Literally within a week of

getting KiNVO, this kid is on time every single day, and has been right up to this point. Literally 95% of the time, he’s one of the first students in the building, in my class.”

“With KiNVO I can plan ahead of time for kids that are frequently absent. I can plan time in my day to work in small groups to catch up the child that is absent. Also, I can use the [attendance data] charts [within the app] as talking points with parents during parent-teacher conferences,” an elementary teacher discussed with regard to using KiNVO’s data effectively.

This teacher also went on toshare, “I can show kids what their attendance looks like and they say, ‘Oh, that’s really bad, I didn’t realize that.’ And then they conclude, ‘I have to get to school on time.’ This year I’ve seen a bigger shift in everyone being excited about attendance.”

“Kinvolved builds a voice and accountability for educational leaders as well. All it takes is one message. That’s one that we don’t have right now. We have a parent coordinator, but nothing is like KiNVO.”

“I can show kids what their attendance looks like... and then they conclude, ‘I have to get to school on time.’”

Principal, Harlem

- High school teacher, Bronx

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Our mission, to build a movement that elevates student attendance by supporting communities that are inclusive of students and families of varied backgrounds, is critical to our nation’s success. According to one of the most prominent researchers on this topic, Dr. Robert Balfanz, “increasing attendance alone, even without improvements in the American education system, will drive up achievement, high school graduation, and college attainment rates.” 7

Education can only close the opportunity gap when students are consistently present and ready to learn. With one in seven students experiencing challenges leading to chronic absenteeism, Kinvolved is proud to do our part to help these students and their families to overcome adversity. 7

To achieve our mission will be no easy feat, but it is a challenge that Kinvolved is equipped to address. By offering schools easier and more efficient ways to elevate attendance and build inclusive communities, we have seen that more students are attending school.

Furthermore, the collective efforts of thousands of teachers and administrators who use KiNVO across the country make our mission attainable.

We have learned a tremendous amount from our partners, and we continue to shape our technology to solve pain points we are hearing in our community. Based on feedback, we have made modifications to the KiNVO app, which launched in the 2016-2017 school year. These include building two-way

language translation in 55 languages to close the communication gap across schools and families of diverse backgrounds. We have also provided administrators with the ability to send pictures so that they can communicate with families, regardless of literacy level. In addition, our technology makes it easier to identify at-risk students, based on their attendance, with the ability to sort attendance by course.

As we strengthen KiNVO’s technical features, we are improving the implementation of the product. We have launched a new training program, grounded in messaging around collective impact, and in using the KiNVO product to solve real-life problems. We are also better developing our user community, enabling them to share their own best practices and resources, and engaging them in virtual and in-person events focused on the problems we are working together to solve.

We are also speaking up more publicly about the necessity of our movement, mission, and impact. This is such a poignant point in history, in which our communities are becoming increasingly diverse.

With better attendance data, stronger communication systems, and unified communities with shared goals for students, we know that our schools and families will be better advocates. Together, we will ensure that all students, regardless of zipcode or socioeconomic background, have equal opportunity to thrive in schooland beyond.

CONCLUSION{ 2015-2016 Impact Report

Kinvolved’s work has only just begun. We are proud of our start in our hometown of New York City. In the years to come, we look forward to deepening our local impact, and also to reaching other diverse, urban communities across the country, and eventually, internationally.

Learn more about

at www.kinvolved.com

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX A

I grew up on Long Island. I went to school in Boston, was in Providence for a couple years, and then got my Masters in Western Massachusetts. I moved back here two years ago. My background is in counseling, and I’ve always worked in outreach programs.

{ Teacher Spotlight Story

My family is first-generation from the Caribbean. I was also the first person in my family to go to college. A lot of people I work with were first-generation students like me, too.

I always joke that I’ve been at Harriet Tubman for a year, and there hasn’t been a day when I’ve woken up and said, “I don’t want to go to work.” I love it here. I love the kids. I love being in Harlem, the families, the teachers. Ms. Jarrett, our Principal is amazing. Coming out of Teacher’s College, and working with everyone at Teachers College REACH (Raising Educational Achievement Coalition of Harlem) — I’m the happiest I could be. Before our school’s partnership with Kinvolved, when I first came to Harriet Tubman, I used to stand at

the front of the building and greet parents as they first came in. I’d say, “Hi, I’m Ms. Alexander, and I am the Community School Director.

How can I help you?” I still go out on some days in the morning and greet everybody. I think it’s a good way to see the kids and parents and see what’s going on. Every day I’m out talking to people, asking what they want—because coming from Long Island, I have a different view of what things look like versus what people see here. I

didn’t want to come in and make the impression that I already knew what the community needed. Even now, having been here for a year, I’ll ask staff and families for their perspective on problems and on the solutions that I propose. Before KiNVO was introduced last year, we used to make a lot of phone calls. I don’t make nearly as many as I used to. When the parents come in, they fill out a blue notecard with all their updated information. But, nine times out of ten, we have the wrong contact information in historical records. There were times last year when I would call parents, and I would reach someone else by mistake. Parents would change their numbers, and I wouldn’t be able to reach them. This can be stressful.

Ms. Karoline AlexanderCS/PS 154 Harriet Tubman Learning CenterCommunity School Director, Teachers College REACHMarch 30, 2016

“Before KiNVO was introduced last year, we used to make a lot of phone calls. I don’t make nearly as many as I used to.”

APPENDIX A II

With KiNVO, I can identify numbers that are no longer in service, and strategize ways to get the new contact information. What’s better is that now parents have become reliant on my KiNVO text messages. When they change phone numbers, parents will bring me their new numbers. They’ll say, “Bring this to the front [office] and add my new number to the [KiNVO] app so I can get messages.” Parents were never as proactive before.

Let’s say the child’s sick, and I’m trying to get in touch with the parent. My favorite part of KiNVO is when I text a parent saying, “Your kid is out,” they write back right

away saying, “He’s sick today.” That never happened last year. It used to be like a guessing game to identify reasons kids were absent. Now parents will text me in the morning, and say, “Just before you write me, my child’s out today. He’ll be in tomorrow.”

Over the summer, we did a backpack giveaway, and we messaged a bunch of families. Parents would come in and say, “How come you didn’t tell me? I want a backpack for my child, too. I want to know what’s going on. I want to be in the loop.” Outside of the normal school use of

the app, our PTA this year is much more active than in the past, and they love KiNVO, too. They’ll say, “Can you [use KiNVO to] send a text out about this or that?” Attendance has definitely improved. We set a yearly goal. Last year, we were at 92.1% attendance. Our goal this year is 95.1%. Currently, we are at 94%. We have a yearlong attendance initiative. In addition to using KiNVO, and our consulting and training with the Kinvolved team, we throw parties for classrooms with the best attendance every month. We have a big board in front that shows all of the kids who have perfect attendance. Using KiNVO, I can show kids what their attendance looks like, and they’ll be like, “Oh, that’s really bad, I didn’t realize that.” And then they’re like, “I’ve gotta get to school on time.” I feel like this year I’ve seen a bigger shift in people being excited about attendance. In the classes, the kids, all that good stuff. We are still working on lateness, but everything else is improving.

“Parents will bring me their new numbers. They’ll say, ‘Bring this to the front [office], put me on the list, add my new number so I can get messages [via KiNVO].’ Parents were never as proactive before.”

“I can show kids what their attendance looks like and they say, ‘Oh, that’s really bad, I didn’t realize that.’ And then they conclude, ‘I have to get to school on time.’ This year I’ve seen a bigger shift in everyone being excited about attendance.”

CITATIONS

U.S Department of Education. (2016, June 7). Persistent Disparities Found Through Comprehensive 1 Civil Rights Survey Underscore Need for Continued Focus on Equity, King Says [Press release].

Preventing missed opportunity: Taking Collective Action to Confront Chronic Absence [Editorial]. (2016, September). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://http://www.attendanceworks.org/research/preventing-missed-opportunity/

This data is based on statistical analysis of average daily attendance rates of all New York City Department of Education schools. Data was obtained from http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/schools/data/Attendance.htm.

Fayron, J. (2011, June 27). Chronically Absent Students Cost County Schools Millions. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/jun/27/chronically-absent-students-cost-county-schools-mi/

Rogers, T., & Feller, A. (2016). Reducing Student Absences at Scale [Working Paper Draft]. In Reducing Student Absences at Scale. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/todd_rogers/files/reducing.pdf?m=1456421204

Henderson, A., & Mapp, K. (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement (Rep.). Retrieved November 15, 2016, from Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education website: http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/face/img/face-workshop/A_New_Wave_of_Evidence.pdf

Balfanz, R., & Vaughn, B. (2012, May). The Importance of Being in School: A Report on Absenteeism in the Nation’s Public Schools (Rep.). Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://new.every1graduates.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FINALChronicAbsenteeismReport_May16.pdf

CITATIONS{ 2015-2016 Impact Report

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Learn more about Kinvolved at www.kinvolved.com

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