• Over 30% of parents said their child[ren]’s teachers provided not very much or no access at all, while only 8% of teachers said they make their materials not very or not at all accessible.
• A whopping 62% of parents responded that they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with Canvas for accessing classroom instruction, which means we have to consider how aware parents are of Canvas in the first place.
• If Utah leaders and parents can improve their collaboration even in simple ways, students will reap the benefits.

​A new Utah Foundation report on K-12 education priorities reveals a significant percentage of respondents are concerned about what’s being taught in schools – with a majority feeling that the way schools are teaching the nation’s “complicated racial history” is causing more division than understanding. Slightly more respondents said concern over what’s being taught was their top concern than teacher pay.

Rather than letting this concern fester into suspicion or contempt, Utah education leaders should do more to build trust between classroom teachers and parents by offering parents greater access to information about curriculum and making clear to them what opportunities already exist.

It is worth considering this current concern about what’s being taught alongside Sutherland Institute’s new polling conducted by Y2 Analytics, which shows the perception of curriculum accessibility differs significantly between parents and teachers.

How parents versus teachers see accessibility of curriculum

The good news is a majority of parents (78%) and teachers (87%) agree that there is some level of accessibility to information about instructional materials and curriculum in schools, which seems to be a solid foundation for common ground and reform.

However, when each group was asked about their personal experience, the disparity gets bigger. According to data, 69% of parents feel teachers provide some or a great deal of access to the curriculum and instructional materials that they use inside the classroom. At the same time 92% of teachers feel they are making materials somewhat or very accessible.

In fact, over 30% of parents said their child[ren]’s teachers provided not very much or no access at all, while only 8% of teachers said they make their materials not very or not at all accessible.

In recent years Utah has created policies to increase parents’ access to curriculum.

So, where’s the disconnect? It seems clear that at least one part of the problem is that there is an information lag between what opportunities exist for access and what parents understand is available to them.

Canvas is a parent access tool with yet untapped potential

Such an information gap is made clearer in what the polling data shows about experience with Canvas, a learning management system that allows classroom content and assignments to be listed online for student and parents. In fact, Utah has a statewide agreement that allows Canvas to be available in every classroom in the state, which creates the opportunity for better collaboration between parents and teachers. Its full potential remains untapped.

When parents and teachers were asked how satisfied they were with Canvas as a tool for accessing classroom instruction, only 26% of parents said they were somewhat or very satisfied, while 68% of teachers felt this way.

Furthermore, a whopping 62% of parents responded that they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with Canvas for accessing classroom instruction. With a large majority not having any opinion on the matter, we have to consider how aware parents are of Canvas in the first place. Perhaps the disparity stems from the fact that many teachers are nearly forced to get acquainted with the learning management system as part of their professional lives, whereas parents may not have the same external pressure.

Teachers, schools and districts ought to consider how they can communicate information about Canvas to parents in their spheres and how they can build parent capacity to use it. While it takes work, developing parent capacity may be worth the effort because it amplifies the teachers’ efforts to place information on the platform upfront.

Recommendations

Knowing parents and teachers have different perspectives on the level of accessibility of classroom curriculum and diverging experiences with Canvas is helpful for policymakers and leaders. It suggests that while the state has created good policy, implementation matters.

District leaders could update and improve their websites so they are as user-friendly as possible for parents. Lawmakers should consider creating a grant program that rewards individual teachers when they proactively make their classroom curriculum accessible to parents. Rewards can act as incentives and help teachers prioritize something that is clearly top of mind for voters in the state. If Utah leaders and parents can improve their collaboration even in simple ways, students will reap the benefits.