Program Description
TalkingPoints is an education technology nonprofit that drives student outcomes by facilitating effective family-school partnerships. The TalkingPoints Universal Family Engagement platform removes barriers to engaging with all families, such as technology, language, capacity, mindsets, and time. It provides educators with embedded, research-based guidance, actionable data-informed insights, and universally designed auto-translated two-way communication in families’ preferred languages.
Program Outcomes
The impact of TalkingPoints was evaluated using a difference-in-differences study design in a large urban school district. We report on the findings from the Smarter Balanced Assessment System. Results for students in grades 3-8 showed significant improvements in math scores, with an 8.7-point increase (effect size = +0.08). Gains in English language arts (ELA) scores were positive but not statistically significant (effect size = +0.04). This retrospective quasi-experiment qualifies TalkingPoints for the ESSA Tier 3 (Promising Evidence) rating.
Staffing Requirements
No additional staffing required.
Professional Development/Training
There are no PD or training requirements for use. Individual teacher accounts are provided with in-app coaching and guidance, while school and district accounts have in-app coaching with the opportunity for additional guided implementation and PD available.
Technology
Teachers, administrators, and school and district staff can sign in online or use a mobile app. Families need only a simple cellular phone with basic text messaging to get started and can also sign in online or use the free mobile app.