How One Mississippi District Transformed Family Engagement (And How You Can Too)

When Dylan Jones, Director of Federal Programs and Data at Sunflower County Consolidated School District, looked at his district’s family engagement efforts, he saw a fragmented approach that wasn’t reaching all families. Fast forward to today, and Sunflower County has achieved a 5x increase in family engagement with 92% of surveyed families reporting improved school communication.

How did they do it? In a recent SchoolStatus webinar, “The New Rules of Family Engagement: Research-Backed Strategies that Actually Work,” Jones shared the district’s transformation journey and the practical strategies that made it possible.

The Challenge: Disconnected Communication in a Diverse District

Like many districts nationwide, Sunflower County faced significant communication challenges:

• Reactive communication: Reaching out primarily when problems arose rather than building ongoing relationships
• Inconsistent approaches: Each school had its own communication methods, creating confusion for families with children in multiple schools
• Language barriers: A significant multilingual population wasn’t consistently receiving accessible information
• Limited measurement: Without data on outreach effectiveness, improvement was difficult

These challenges reflected a broader trend in education. According to SchoolStatus research:

• Only 27% of families report feeling “very well informed” about their child’s academic progress
• Meanwhile, 81% of educators believe targeted engagement strategies could reduce chronic absenteeism

Watch: See the research behind the family-school communication gap:

The disconnect was clear: despite educators’ best intentions, families weren’t feeling adequately informed about their children’s education.

Why Solving This Matters: The Impact on Student Success

For Sunflower County, improving family engagement wasn’t just about better communication—it was directly tied to student outcomes:

Jones shared how his district evolved from inconsistent communication practices to a cohesive, data-driven approach. Their journey addressed several common challenges:

• Reactive rather than proactive communication
• Inconsistency across different schools
• Language barriers with multilingual families
• Limited visibility into communication effectiveness

The transformation focused on four key elements:

1. Implementing a two-way communication philosophy that treated families as partners
2. Ensuring multilingual accessibility for all communications
3. Using data to inform decision-making around engagement efforts
4. Establishing consistent standards across all schools

Sunflower County’s Transformation: A Framework for Success

Jones and his team implemented a systematic approach to family engagement that focused on four key elements:

Watch: See how a district like Sunflower County used SchoolStatus to transform their approach:

1. Shifting to Two-Way Communication

Rather than sending one-way announcements, Sunflower County embraced a philosophical shift toward treating families as partners in education: “We were reaching out when there were problems, but not consistently building relationships during positive times,” explained Jones. “We needed to change that fundamental approach.”

What they did:

• Moved from centralized communication to an empowered school-based approach
• Created opportunities for families to respond, ask questions, and share insights
• Scheduled regular touchpoints before problems arose
• Implemented a “positive first” policy where teachers initiated contact with good news

Quick win you can implement tomorrow:

Have teachers send one positive note to parents each week to build goodwill.

2. Breaking Down Communication Barriers

Recognizing their diverse community, Sunflower County prioritized accessibility in all communications.

What they did:

• Ensured all communications could be easily translated for their multilingual families
• Offered multiple communication channels based on family preferences
• Used visual, mobile-friendly formats that busy parents could easily consume
• Standardized communication approaches across schools for families with multiple children

Quick win:

Survey parents about their communication preferences and adjust accordingly. (Research shows 69% of families prefer texts, yet only 21% of educators primarily use this channel.)

3. Embracing Data-Informed Decision Making

Perhaps most importantly, Sunflower County implemented tracking systems to measure engagement effectiveness.

What they did:

• Documented who they were reaching—and who they weren’t
• Tracked engagement metrics to identify patterns and gaps
• Made regular adjustments based on what the data revealed
• Created accountability for outreach efforts

Quick win:

These challenges reflected a broader trend in education. According to SchoolStatus research:

Only 27% of families report feeling “very well informed” about their child’s academic progress Meanwhile, 81% of educators believe targeted engagement strategies could reduce chronic absenteeism

Watch: See the research behind the family-school communication gap:

Create a simple tracking system (even a spreadsheet) for weekly review of family contacts.Watch: See how a district like Sunflower County used SchoolStatus to transform their approach:

The Results: Measurable Improvement Across the Board

Sunflower County’s strategic approach yielded impressive results:

• 95% of students contacted at least once per term
• 5x increase in family engagement since initial rollout
• 92% of surveyed families reporting improved school communication
• 88% of families feeling more connected to their child’s academic progress
• 100% of principals and counselors using the system weekly
• Over 85% of teachers regularly initiating contact

Watch: How consistent implementation leads to fewer complaints and stronger engagement:

Beyond the numbers, Jones noted significant improvements in student outcomes:

How Your District Can Implement These Strategies

Effective family engagement doesn’t happen overnight, but implementing these three research-backed strategies can create meaningful change in your district:

1. Shift to two-way, proactive communication
2. Use inclusive approaches to reach all families
3. Let data guide your strategy and continuous improvement

As districts nationwide have discovered, when family engagement improves, so do student outcomes—from attendance and homework completion to academic achievement and graduation rates.

Ready to transform family engagement in your district? Check out our Guide, “5 Steps for Effective Family-School Communications.“