IES Predoctoral Program Seminar: Dr. Jessica Heppen

The University of Pennsylvania Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Field-based Research in Education, sponsored by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), welcomes Dr. Jessica Heppen to our weekly seminar series.

Can Texting Parents Improve Attendance in Elementary School? A Test of an Adaptive Intervention Using a SMART Design
Presented by Dr. Jessica Heppen, Senior Vice President for Research and Evaluation, AIR

Chronic absence is a nationwide problem, even among young students. Those with poor attendance are more likely to face challenges later in school and in life. This study tested four versions of an adaptive text messaging strategy to see which, if any, would reduce chronic absence among 26,000 elementary school students. During the fall of the study year, families randomly assigned to one of the text messaging groups received “basic” messaging, which consisted of low-cost, low-burden weekly reminders about the importance of attendance and same-day notifications when their children missed school. In the spring, messages were “adapted”: parents of students with few absences continued with the basic messaging, while parents of students who were frequently absent in the fall received additional intensified messaging. The study compared two approaches to basic messaging and two approaches to intensified messaging, to learn how a texting strategy might work best. Students in the messaging groups were compared to students whose parents received no messages to rigorously assess whether the messaging improved attendance and achievement.

More information
The IES Predoctoral Program’s weekly seminar series connects program fellows and affiliates to scholars and practitioners who engage in educational research and the development of research methods.

 Seminars are likely of interest to doctoral students and faculty. If you are interested in attending, please email Melanie Bahti.