K–12 education is entering one of the most transformative moments in its history. Artificial
intelligence is reshaping what—and how—children learn. Personalized tools can now analyze
student progress, simulate human tutors, and generate content faster than ever imagined. Yet
even in this era of extraordinary innovation, human connection remains at the heart of learning, with families as the anchor.
For ten years, Learning Heroes has listened deeply and been responsive to families and educators—through national surveys, focus groups, ethnographies, and community partnerships—revealing their hopes, aspirations, and challenges. Learning Heroes’ new report, Centering Families in the Future of Education: Insights & Perspectives from 10 Years of Research, distills a decade of insights into one powerful conclusion: when families are engaged as true partners, stronger, more learner centered systems emerge where trust is a catalyst for lasting change.
Listening to Families in an Era of Reinvention
Parents and teachers want the same thing: for students to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. But, too often, families lack timely, clear, and actionable information about their child’s academic progress. In our Gallup–Learning Heroes 2023 study, nearly nine in ten parents (88%) believed
their child was at or above grade level in reading and math. National data tell a different story:
only about one in three eighth graders reach the “proficiency” level on NAEP/The Nation’s
Report Card (given that grade-level standards are inconsistent across states, NAEP “proficient
or above” offers a national standard representing solid academic performance for the given
grade level). This “perception gap” stems in part from report cards that often send false signals to parents, reflecting attendance, effort and behavior in addition to mastery of content.
Yet, when parents see multiple, clear data points—classroom assessments, state test results, teacher feedback and more—their understanding shifts, and so does their engagement. In our Parents 2022 study, when parents were shown multiple data points with conflicting data about their performance, their confidence that their child was at grade level dropped by more than half. Awareness sparks action. Families ask more questions, seek out interventions and supports, and partner more actively with teachers.
Evidence for Partnership
The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Impact Study, conducted in partnership with TNTP and Dr. Karen Mapp of Harvard, provides further evidence that strong family-school partnerships drive results. Schools with robust family engagement practices saw significantly smaller increases in chronic absenteeism and smaller declines in reading and math proficiency during the pandemic. In fact, schools in the top 10 percent for family engagement experienced a 39 percent smaller rise in absenteeism than
those in the bottom 10 percent—amounting to more students in class each day and hundreds
of additional instructional hours each year. The lesson is clear: family engagement isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a core driver of student and school success.
Partnership Rooted in Trust
Families remain the one constant amidst the evolving learning ecosystem, yet too often their role is overlooked. This is a unique moment to ensure families are centered in the changes shaping the next horizon of learning and human flourishing in the age of AI. Technology, teachers, out-of-school time providers offer extraordinary tools—but it is the relational triangle of family, educator, and learner that gives those tools meaning.
During the 2023-24 school year, Prodeo Academy in Minneapolis, MN conducted a pilot to boost student achievement through family engagement. They centered their approach on building trust and helping teachers shift mindsets to view families as true partners. After the pilot, a principal reported that while he previously felt teachers “had to hold all of the learning” and not burden families, he challenged that mindset and saw families step forward as academic partners – co-creating learning plans, asking rich questions, and supporting learning at home. “We exceeded several strategic goals this year,” he said, attributing it in part to deeper family partnership grounded in trust.
As AI takes on more cognitive tasks, the qualities that define human flourishing—empathy,
creativity, critical thinking and connection—will only become more vital. Family partnerships cultivate these traits. When children see adults—at home and at school—working together with respect and
shared purpose, they learn what it means to belong and to contribute.
Language as Connection
Even our words can either bridge or widen the gap between home and school. In our focus
groups, parents have told us that terms like “school culture” can feel exclusionary, or that
“proficient” sounds like “barely getting by.” By translating professional jargon into accessible,
affirming language—“meeting expectations,” “academic progress,” “helping children overcome
challenges”—educators open the door to genuine dialogue. Human flourishing in the age of AI begins with communication that honors the people at its center.
From Insight to Action
To build a learning system worthy of this moment, we must treat family engagement as a core
instructional strategy for school and student success. Learning Heroes’ report, Unlocking the ‘How’: Designing Family Engagement Strategies That Lead to School Success suggests three pillars for effective family engagement:
-Placing trust at the center of the home-school relationship
-Anchoring family engagement strategies in student learning and well-being
-Investing in building the infrastructure to enable this work.
This moment of rapid innovation only elevates the importance of the work families and educators do together. AI may change the tools available in classrooms, but it cannot replace the relationships that help children make sense of those tools and use them well for learning.
By ensuring families are meaningfully engaged in the shifts ahead in education, we create a future of learning where technology supports human connection rather than weakens it. The systems that will thrive are the ones grounded in partnership, trust, and shared purpose. That is the opportunity in front of us.