What Families Really Want to Know

When families come to your website, what are they really looking for? Here is a short list of the most common things parents and students are looking for when they come to your school website or LMS:

• The district calendar: Parents should be able to quickly find calendar information such as school closing days, early release days, and grading period dates so they can plan their family’s schedules.
• Grades: The number one question parents have (after “is school closed today?”) is “how is my child doing in school?” The final report card should never come as a shock to students or their parents. Students and families need easy access to grades throughout the grading period so they can identify problem areas, see where work needs to be made up, and take action if needed.
• Upcoming tests and assignments: When is the science project due? How soon is the math test coming up? What homework do I have tonight? Students and parents want the school LMS to help them stay organized and plan their study schedules. 
• School events:  School plays, fundraisers, PTA meetings, sports… extracurricular activities are an important part of your school. Your community should be able to quickly see important dates for the special events they are interested in.
• Team and club information: Dates for games, plays and other activities are probably on the school calendar—but what about members-only information for sports teams and student clubs? Parents and students need information about practice schedules, permission forms, fundraiser due dates, and other team and club activities. They also want to see photos, videos, and write-ups of their children’s activities.

Some of the information in the above list lives on the school website. Some may live on the LMS. Other information—like extracurricular information—may not have a logical place in either area.

Ideally, schools will bring all of this information together in one safe, organized space for students and families. This helps busy families stay on top of all of the parts of their school lives and builds better home-school connections.