Evaluation of the Families and Schools Together Program in 60 Schools in Philadelphia

The School District of Philadelphia, PA, is working to increase parent and family engagement by participating in a study of the Families and Schools Together (FAST) program. FAST brings families into schools and engages them in activities that build parent support, and positive parent-child and family-school relationships.

AIR is conducting a 60-school randomized control trial to assess the impact of FAST in Philadelphia in partnership with the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. AIR experts are assessing the degree to which offering FAST to families of incoming kindergarten students affects children’s academic success and improves schools.

The FAST Evaluation is funded from 2013 through 2017 by a U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation validation grant.