{"id":8301,"date":"2024-07-15T17:37:03","date_gmt":"2024-07-15T17:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnercentered.org\/?p=7654"},"modified":"2024-09-19T19:02:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T19:02:44","slug":"listen-learn-lead-start-with-community-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learnercentered.org\/blog\/listen-learn-lead-start-with-community-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen, Learn, Lead: Start with Community Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"

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You\u2019re a leader ready to embark on a change initiative in your district. What\u2019s your first step? A common first instinct is to create a plan and put it into practice. But before you do, we recommend you start by engaging with learners, educators, and the community to gather insights about their current experience, identify strengths, and better understand areas of strength to build upon before supporting your collective goals. This crucial step allows you to elevate and engage the diverse voices of your community, rooting your change initiative in inclusivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rooted in the <\/span>empathy phase in Design Thinking<\/span><\/a>, listening supports school and district leaders in building a nuanced understanding of their educational context. At Learner-Centered Collaborative, we have seen the power of meaningful change and what is possible when you deeply understand your context and intentionally include a wide range of voices from your community to inform the work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Who to Engage<\/h2>\n

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We recommend casting a wide net in terms of who you engage; consider including current students, alumni, teachers, school & district leaders, board members, and community representatives such as families, business leaders, faith leaders, hiring managers, and\/or higher ed admission officers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think deeply about the voices you often hear, <\/span>and those you don\u2019t<\/b>. Ask what has prevented those voices from previously being included. <\/span>Strategize<\/span><\/a> to create an inclusive opportunity, whether through virtual sessions, language translation, or scheduling around normal business hours. The goal is to hear from as many people as possible to shape the work ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Listen<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Next, consider the formats that are feasible in your context. We recommend leveraging a variety of engagement formats to ensure you can triangulate data to identify themes. This approach also ensures you have the opportunity for both breadth (lots of input from lots of voices) and depth (deep, nuanced conversation).<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Surveys<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Surveys are not new in the K-12 landscape, but their value in an initial phase of any change initiative should not be underestimated. They offer the opportunity for both quantitative and qualitative feedback, helping you quickly establish a landscape scan in your school or district.<\/span><\/p>\n

Surveys efficiently gather broad data from large audiences, providing important insights. However, they shouldn’t be used alone to truly understand the experiences and opportunities across diverse communities. With written surveys, it is often difficult to capture deep, nuanced feedback. For a balanced approach, pair surveys with focus groups, forums, or one-on-one interviews. This combination ensures both breadth and depth in your data collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

At LCC, we have established normed surveys for students, teachers, leaders, and community members to help leaders understand both the strengths and opportunities in their schools and districts.\u00a0 To learn more about Learner-Centered Collaborative\u2019s surveys, read <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Focus Groups, Forums, & 1-1 Interviews<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Having deep conversations with your community is at the heart of any empathy work. These deep conversations can take various forms:<\/span><\/p>\n