Using a Factorial Design to Maximize the Effectiveness of a Parental Text Messaging Intervention

Abstract

Evidence has shown that parental engagement over the summer can be critical for helping students. Recent interventions have found that text messaging to parents over the summer can lead to better reading scores for students (Kim, Armstrong, Burkhauser, Mesite, & Levya, under review; Kraft & Monti-Nussbaum, 2018). This study tests how to maximize the effectiveness of a text messaging campaign designed to support reading and use of an instructional app over the summer. We investigate three potential levers to correct informational gaps and misbeliefs among parents: goal setting at the beginning of the summer; provision of differentiated and personalized information about student progress; and reinforcing either the instrumental or entertainment values of reading or a combination of the two. Using a sample of approximately 5000 rising second-and third-grade students from thirty elementary schools, this study will systematically vary the types of messages that parents receive using a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial design. We assess outcomes in three primary domains: student engagement, parental engagement, and student reading comprehension.