More than 30 public schools in the state of Missouri area are participating in a new program that sends teachers on home visits several times a year, with very promising results.

…The nonprofit HOME WORKS! program is modeled after one in Sacramento, Calif. that over the past decade has since spread to more than 300 schools in 13 states, with active programs in Washington, Denver, Seattle and St. Paul, Minn. Program leaders say participation leads to better attendance, higher test scores, greater parental involvement and fewer suspensions and expulsions, citing preliminary research of the newer program by the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a series of external reviews in Sacramento over the past decade. Participation is voluntary, and teachers are paid for their extra time.

“We’ve figured out a way for people to sit down outside the regular school and have the most important conversation that needs to happen,” said Carrie Rose, executive director of the Parent Teacher Home Visit Project in the California capital.

…The Missouri program, which began in St. Louis but now includes several schools 120 miles away in the college town of Columbia, follows a template common to the other efforts. Participating schools must agree to involve at least half of their teachers, and the educators work in pairs to ensure safety.

Program costs are often covered by foundation grants or borne by nonprofit supporters such as the Flamboyan Foundation, which paid for the program in the District of Columbia. Rose estimated the program cost at $10,000 annually for elementary schools, and $15,000 to $20,000 for high schools.

In Missouri, the first teacher visit comes in late summer, with the second session in the fall. While the follow-up session focuses on academics, the initial meeting is all about building a rapport, said Karen Kalish, a St. Louis philanthropist who founded HOME WORKS! in 2006.

“They go in as listeners and learners the first time,” she said. “Just to get (parents) to start talking, to build their relationship.”

Each session is followed by an invitation to continue the conversation at school over a communal meal. Busy parents who can’t find the time or energy for such visits are told the school will also provide childcare and transportation, if needed. Teachers must spend at least 30 minutes on the first visit and 45 minutes the second time, though often those minimums are exceeded.

“We want to do whatever we can to get them to come to school,” Kalish said. “Something happens when parents see their kids’ school for the first time.”