When schools plan big changes, having support from families can make the process much easier. A good way to gain this support can be to ask families for their opinions and truly listen to them before making any school decisions that impact them. Isamar Lopez, Director of Family Engagement at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, Texas, explains ways YES Prep follows this approach.
Caroline Carrello, a Possip intern majoring in Human and Organization Development at Vanderbilt University, explains how YES Prep uses parent input through Possip data in decision-making.
Isamar recently spoke on our Foundations of a Strong School Climate: Operational Excellence panel. She discussed how to meet parents’ concerns about their children’s basic needs and safety at school. You can read a recap of the event here!
How Possip Helps Inform School Decisions
Isamar shared that YES Prep uses feedback gathered by Possip to guide big decisions. Possip does more than just collect information; it starts important conversations and leads to real changes based on what they learn. Possip helps schools develop a true family-school partnership. YES Prep’s experience with Possip shows that using feedback can lead to tangible improvements in school operations and community satisfaction.
By looking at Pulse Check data and the trends spotted by our reporters, YES Prep makes sure they listen to every worry, compliment, and tip from families. This welcoming method not only lets families speak up but also treats them as important allies in education.
To Uniform or Not?
YES Prep’s choice about school uniforms shows how much the school leaders value using feedback to make changes. When the leadership team was considering bringing back uniforms because of worries about student safety, Isamar and her team used Possip to see what parents thought. With Possip’s help in analyzing the data, they found an important pattern: opinions on uniforms were divided. Many families mentioned that the cost was a major problem.
Rather than dismiss these concerns, Yes Prep took proactive steps to address them. In a remarkable move, the network decided to cover the cost of uniforms for all 18,000 students—an initiative driven by a deep understanding of the community’s needs. This school decision alleviated financial burdens for families while also reinforcing YES Prep’s commitment to creating a safe and equitable learning environment.
Keep the Data Alive to Make School Decisions
YES Prep’s experience with their uniform policy highlights the need to look deeper than just collecting feedback. As Isamar explains, simply gathering survey data without planning to use it is pointless. She suggests actively using the data, regularly checking survey findings, and looking for ways to get better.
Possip supports school leaders by giving them the tools to listen, learn, and respond. In doing so, Possip helps make positive changes and build better relationships between schools and families. We are grateful to partner with school communities like YES Prep to help elevate voices. We’re thrilled to hear stories of how school leaders put what they hear to use!
