Projects and Grants

Family Support Program Evaluation

Funder: City of Seattle's Office for Education
Principal Investigators: Bruns, Eric and Pullman, Michael
Research Coordinator: Ericka Wiggins
Research Assistant: Spencer Hensley

The Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy (PBHJP), is conducting an external evaluation of the Seattle Public Schools Family Support Worker Program (FSP). Led by Eric J. Bruns and Michael Pullmann, this evaluation was requested by the Office of Education at the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. The purpose of this evaluation is to better understand the Seattle Public Schools Family Support Program, the activities and the services the program provides, and the outcomes experienced by students and families. This program evaluation will also be used to provide the Family Support Program with information about national best practices in school-based student and family support.

FSP is a school-based family support program financed by the City of Seattle’s Families & Education Levy. FSP works to inspire and motivate Seattle Public School children to succeed academically by advocating increased family involvement in education, facilitating family access to supplementary academic resources and providing support to help families overcome social, emotional, and physical barriers that may hinder student academic progress.

Family Support Workers are located in every public elementary school in Seattle, as well as one middle school and the SPS Bilingual Orientation Center. Workers are also available for purchase by middle schools and high schools. The degree of services provided to schools is tiered based on the school’s level of need

There are four primary evaluation questions:

1. Is there a shared vision among stakeholders (administrators, program staff, others) for the rationale, activities, and measurable goals of the FSP? If so, what is it? Where are there differences in opinion, and why?
2. Are there national models or best practices for providing support in school settings? How is the FSP similar to or different from these practices? Which practices might be beneficial to add?
3. Do students served by the FSP show more improvements in the following outcomes than statistically matched comparison students who did not receive FSP services:
   • Increased attendance
   • Decreased disciplinary actions
   • Increased grades
   • Improved standardized test scores
   • Health care utilization (referrals and consultations)
   • Reduced mobility
4. What are the mechanisms and moderators of change, i.e.:
   • What particular types of FSP services are related to improvements in the outcomes described above?
   • Are there “dosage” effects, such that increased support is related to sharper improvements?
   • Are there particular subgroups of students (gender, race/ethnicity, academic profiles) that seem to benefit more than other subgroups?
   • Are there particular school contexts or environments that seem to be conducive to more effective FSP delivery?

This evaluation is guided by a logic model that was developed in conjunction with FSP staff.

FSP Evaluation Reports and Documents:

Logic Model
Literature Review
Final Report: Evaluation of the Seattle Public Schools Family Support Program

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