#GoBeyondGrades Campaign in St. Louis Underscores the Urgency for Parents to Team Up With Their Child's Teacher

New research shows more than 9 in 10 St. Louis K-12 parents believe their children are on grade level – state assessment scores show that most children are not 

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For parents, student report cards have been the primary way to know how their child is doing in school, but many don't go beyond the report cards to understand how their child is learning overall. There is an urgent need for students to receive academic recovery support this school year, but many parents aren't aware their children are behind and need it. 

While the Missouri Assessment Program shows that just 23% of K-12 students in St. Louis City are on grade level in reading and 17% in math, Learning Heroes research released earlier this month finds that:

• 96% of St. Louis K-12 parents believe their child is reading at or above grade level.
• 94% of St. Louis K-12 parents believe their child is doing math at or above grade level.

Understandably, parent perceptions are largely driven by report cards, but grades alone do not tell the whole story. The new Learning Heroes research finds that 88% of St. Louis parents report their child receives mostly B's or better on their report cards. At a time when studies such as the Education Recovery Scorecard show a significant increase in learning gaps, with St. Louis sustaining some of the greatest reversals in academic performance in the country, it is urgent that parents develop a clearer understanding of their student's progress. 

To help close the parent perception gap and support partnerships between families and schools, The Opportunity Trust and Learning Heroes launched #GoBeyondGrades St. Louis, a parent awareness campaign in English and Spanish. Digital ads featuring stories from St. Louis parents and educators emphasize the importance of parent-teacher partnerships, and three billboards in St. Louis highlight the parent perception gap. The ads encourage parents to visit GoBeyondGrades.org/STL, an online resource in English and Spanish that parents and educators can visit to find tips, resources, and more.

"Parents in St. Louis are their child's biggest champions, especially when it comes to their education. We want to ensure parents know how they can team up with their child's teacher to support learning and the rights they have through policies like the Missouri literacy law and Read, Lead, Exceed initiative," said Eric Scroggins, CEO of The Opportunity Trust. "This campaign provides crucial information for parents to team up with their teacher and access valuable resources for success."

"By being more involved as a parent, I think my child will be more engaged. It will make her more excited about learning," said Fitima Ricks, a St. Louis mother of two. "I want my child's teacher to know that I do like to be involved. I want to know what my child is learning, how she's progressing, and what I can do to assist her when she comes home."

"When families and schools are connected, students thrive. That's why it's so important for families and schools to partner up in support of a child's learning and well-being. When parents share their observations at home and ask the teacher about grade level progress, they can help accelerate learning so the child is prepared for high school and beyond," said David Park, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Communications at Learning Heroes.

"We know that assessments do not provide the full picture of how kids learn or what they know, but they are important indicators of whether our children are receiving the education they deserve. As a community, we must ensure that our children are learning skills in school to be prepared for opportunities like college, careers, jobs, training, and more," said Tiara Jordan, Executive Director at ActivateSTL, a parent and student advocacy organization. 

The online survey was conducted among parents of public school students in St. Louis City and St. Louis County from August 17 to September 1, 2023 by Edge Research.

SOURCE Learning Heroes