Conclusion
There were some challenges with implementing the research project as intended, resulting in smaller sample sizes. The one parent that participated stated that the communications with the educator was appreciated, built trust and created support for the student while on a family trip. The parent reported that the student liked that the educator and parent communicated with each other.
Educators who participated in the professional development reported that there were positive impacts of their PD on students. Positive impacts on students included increased attendance for some students, calming down after a rough morning, and students feeling the benefits of coming to school consistently. Educators also reported that the professional development resulted in increased reflection on their teaching practice, reduced judgement of parents and students, more compassion, and focused relationship-building with their students.
There was no statistically significant impact of the intervention on student attendance, with one exception. In April 2024, in Grades 1 and 2, there was a significantly higher attendance rate for students whose educator did the PD, than students whose educator did not do the PD. The April attendance difference may be due to the intervention reaching a tipping point or special school events. We noted that there was no significant difference in student attendance rate in May 2024.
Our conclusions are mitigated by the small sample sizes in the project. Overall, however, it appears that the professional development had positive impacts on educators, their relationships, compassion for parents/students, and communication practices but little impact on student attendance.