Stakeholder Engagement in Early Learning Programs

Why stakeholder involvement is vital to the success of early learning programs

Stakeholder involvement in preschool programs is vital for multiple reasons. The first reason is that stakeholders who are engaged in supporting a school feel a sense of ownership and a desire to ensure the success of the early learning program. When stakeholders are invested in a program’s success, they are more likely to advocate on its behalf in their community and are more likely to support the program both fiscally and with their time and expertise.

Families may demonstrate interest in their children’s learning and begin participating in classroom activities and school events, and share their positive experiences within their peer groups, community organizations, and social media groups, as well as with local schools that are attended by their older children. Likewise, staff that feel a sense of ownership in the program are more likely to offer productive suggestions that support continuous improvement, remain employed with the school, and take more initiative to engage in personal and professional development to help support the success of the school. The messages shared by involved stakeholders in the community often create opportunities for additional community support by gaining the attention of local businesses, cultural organizations, nearby school districts, faith-based organizations, and healthcare professionals that have the ability to contribute valuable resources and expertise in support of the early learning school (Epstein, 2018).

By including a diverse group of stakeholders such as parents, staff, community members, elementary school staff, and even university researchers in an early learning program’s improvement planning process, school leaders get access to valuable outside insights into the challenges and opportunities that families with young children within the local community face.

The second reason why stakeholder involvement is so valuable is that varied groups of stakeholders bring diverse perspectives to the school improvement process. This rich diversity can enhance both the quality and relevance of the school’s curriculum and programming to the local community. This allows the school to better meet the unique needs of the children, families, and staff associated with the school. By including a diverse group of stakeholders such as parents, staff, community members, elementary school staff, and even university researchers in an early learning program’s improvement planning process, school leaders get access to valuable outside insights into the challenges and opportunities that families with young children within the local community face.  By involving stakeholders in the review of current practices and the improvement planning process, school leaders can ensure that the curriculum, instructional activities, materials, and support services provided by the school are tailored to meet the needs of the children and families they serve (Barnett, 2011).

Finally, stakeholder involvement increases accountability and transparency in early learning programs. When stakeholders have a sense of ownership and view themselves as partially responsible for a school’s success, they are more willing to provide honest feedback on the effectiveness of the school’s policies, procedures, curriculum, and instruction and to help identify viable suggestions for improvement (Urban et al., 2011). Genuine stakeholder engagement ensures that early learning programs are continuously evolving to meet the needs of children and families served by the school and that resources are used efficiently.  Early learning programs are most effective when they incorporate the needs and values of the communities they serve (Morrison, 2020).

Stakeholder engagement is more than participation; it should result in positive contributions to the early learning program’s outcomes. 

Reflecting on the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement efforts in early learning programs is crucial for ensuring that the time and effort put into stakeholder collaborations is producing the desired outcomes. Monitoring and reflecting on stakeholder engagement strategies allows school leaders to gauge how well the selected strategies meet the school’s needs, identify areas for improvement, and adjust their prioritization and implementation of specific engagement activities and collaborations. Ultimately, evaluating and reflecting on the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement efforts provides school leaders with valuable insight into the impact of stakeholder contributions—whether it has improved child outcomes, increased teacher engagement, or strengthened community partnerships (Epstein, 2018). This insight allows school leaders to adjust their efforts if needed and communicate their initiatives’ concrete outcomes with stakeholders. Even well-designed stakeholder engagement initiatives can fail to realize their full potential without regular reflection and evaluation.

Methods of Evaluation

Evaluating the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement requires collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative feedback, such as suggestion boxes, surveys, interviews, or group discussions with parents, teachers, and community partners, provides detailed insights into stakeholders’ experiences, perceptions, and satisfaction with the early learning school.  Understanding the perceptions and experiences of stakeholders is critical for identifying whether they believe their involvement is meaningful and valuable to the school. It can also identify any challenges they have experienced related to their support of the school, which might impact their future engagement. (Morrison, 2020).

Comparing what is learned from reviewing quantitative data with child outcomes and qualitative stakeholder feedback can provide direct evidence of the effectiveness of stakeholder contributions (Sheridan et al., 2012).

Quantitative measures such as attendance at stakeholder meetings, contributions of fiscal resources, time, and materials, or the number of community partnerships the school has, offer objective data on stakeholder engagement. By reflecting on these metrics over time, early learning leaders can identify stakeholder engagement trends and opportunities to refine stakeholder engagement strategies. Comparing what is learned from reviewing quantitative data with child outcomes and qualitative stakeholder feedback can provide direct evidence of the effectiveness of stakeholder contributions (Sheridan et al., 2012).

Indicators of Success

Measuring the ways in which stakeholder engagement benefits a school may look different in each school as it will be dependent on the identified goals of the stakeholder engagement initiatives. Early learning program leaders should identify clear and measurable goals focused on the intended outcomes of their stakeholder engagement strategies related to the desired impact and outcomes from the onset. Without having clear indicators of success, there is no way to know if stakeholder engagement initiatives are paying off. Some potential indicators that school leaders may want to track include:

1. Increased Stakeholder Participation: Increased participation from families, staff, elementary schools, community members, and other stakeholders is a clear indicator that stakeholder engagement efforts are effective. This can be measured by tracking attendance at school events, participation in advisory committee meetings, or involvement in school improvement processes (Epstein, 2018).
2. Positive Feedback from Stakeholders: Stakeholder satisfaction is a key indicator of the success of engagement strategies. Qualitative data obtained through surveys, interviews, and other sources of feedback can provide important insight into the efficacy of stakeholder engagement strategies (Urban et al., 2011) (Sheridan et al., 2012).
3. Strength and Number of Collaborative Partnerships: Strong partnerships with outside health professionals, community organizations, elementary schools, local businesses, and parent organizations are strong indicators of effective stakeholder engagement practices (Morrison, 2020).
4. Improved Outcomes for Children: The effectiveness of stakeholder engagement initiatives should ultimately result in improved outcomes for children. School leaders can use data on the efficacy of instruction, student engagement in classroom activities, materials and resources provided by stakeholders, and progress monitoring to determine the impact stakeholder engagement activities have had on the learning environment and children’s outcomes (Heckman, 2013).

In conclusion, stakeholder engagement can be a strong contributor to the quality and success of early learning programs. By engaging families, staff, community organizations, and neighboring elementary schools in meaningful ways, early learning programs become more responsive to the needs of the children, can increase their reputation in the community, and gain valuable support. Strong stakeholder engagement directly impacts not only the success and quality of the school but also the future success of its children.

Lisa Sutherland is the Vice President of Early Learning at Cognia and works with early learning institutions, early childhood education organizations, and state Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) supporting site-level and system-level continuous improvement and accreditation. Lisa is a seasoned early learning leader with experience supporting continuous improvement at all levels including individual classrooms, early learning schools, early learning systems, and state systems at the QRIS level. She began her career as an early childhood cross-categorical public-school educator, then moved into university early childhood education educator curriculum development. Lisa holds a Master’s Degree from Arizona State University and is passionate about supporting early learning programs and leaders in their improvement initiatives.