Family Needs Assessments
PIQE conducts annual and periodic surveys to document the evolving needs of parents and caregivers across California. These surveys capture detailed perspectives on school safety, access to educational and community resources, economic stability, communication with educators, and culturally responsive instruction. Findings from the 2025 Family Needs Assessment indicate that parents are most concerned about on-campus drug use, housing instability, economic pressures, and limited culturally responsive practices in schools. This data informs program design, resource allocation, and policy recommendations, ensuring that our interventions respond to documented needs rather than assumptions.
Together, we are stronger.
Spring 2025
Spring 2025, PIQE’s Family Needs Assessment (FNA) gathered input from 57 parents and caregivers on school safety, culturally responsive teaching, access to resources, economic challenges, and stronger family–educator connections.
Fall 2024
In October 2024, PIQE conducted the Family Needs Assessment (FNA) survey with 1,104 families from the Signature Family Engagement Workshop to understand current needs. Topics included school safety, bullying, communication in preferred languages, and access to mental health and social services.
Spring 2024
In May 2024, PIQE conducted the Family Needs Assessment (FNA) survey with 1,224 families from the Signature Family Engagement Workshop to understand evolving needs. Topics included access to resources, absenteeism, school communication, and dual language learning.
Fall 2023
Keep Learning California, a collaborative initiative developed by the non-profits Attendance Works, Families in Schools and Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), conducted a survey and focus groups to understand the evolving needs and concerns of families across California.
Spring 2022
Keep Learning California partners conducted a survey to identify the evolving needs and concerns of families across California in order to better understand what can be done to support the academic and overall success of our communities.
Summer 2021
Survey results from 904 PIQE California families who responded to 10 questions focused on understanding family priorities around school opening and student and student vaccinations for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Fall 2020
A phone survey in Spanish of 1,323 PIQE California families highlights continued disparities and equitable access to educational instruction time and marked increases in stress.
Spring 2020
A phone survey of 1,400 PIQE California families highlights parent fears, lack of connectivity and skills to navigate the new norm.
Longitudinal Academic Impact Report
These multi-year studies measure the lasting effects of PIQE’s family engagement programs on student success. Research conducted by independent institutions such as San Diego State University’s Center for Equity and Biliteracy Education Research (CEBER) shows that students whose caregivers completed PIQE’s programs graduate at higher rates and are more likely to pursue higher education than state and national averages.
A 2024 study by The Center for Equity and Biliteracy Education Research (CEBER) at San Diego State University found that 91% of students whose caregivers completed PIQE’s eight-week Signature Family Engagement Program graduated high school, and 56.6% pursued higher education. Among English learners, 92% graduated and 57% enrolled in college, outcomes that far exceed state and national averages, highlighting the program’s lasting impact on educational equity.
The PIQE Longitudinal Study was conducted in the fall and winter of 2017-18 to assess how the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) has impacted students whose parents participated in PIQE’s Parent Engagement in Education Program. The PIQE website describes the Parent Engagement in Education Program as a nine-week workshop that educates and empowers parents to take an active role in their students’ education (piqe.org). The workshops are interactive, collaborative and based on problem posing education and are led by community facilitators trained by PIQE.
San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University Longitudinal Study on PIQE (2013)
Ms. Chia Her, doctoral candidate from San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University, released in December 2013. Ms. Her’s review of the data based on parent interviews suggests that PIQE was successful in increasing high school graduation rates and establishing a college going culture among parents from Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, and Riverside/San Bernardino regions who graduated from the signature nine-week program between the years 2005-2007.
Read full Report here…
Research Efforts
PIQE collaborates with universities, nonprofits, and policy organizations to investigate emerging issues in education and family engagement. These partnerships expand the scope of research beyond internal studies, incorporating innovative projects such as bilingual polling and community dialogue platforms. Findings from these collaborations strengthen advocacy efforts and contribute to a broader understanding of the systemic changes needed to support students and families.
California Partnership for Achieving Student Success Cal-PASS (2011)
Student Success: This study shows that students of parents served by PIQE are performing better than similar students in high school. Significantly more PIQE students are achieving a higher GPA in high school English and math courses.
Read full Report here…
University of California, San Diego and Sanger High School (2008)
Student Success: Data show that students from Sanger High School whose parents graduated from PIQE had considerably higher rates of completion of certain courses required for university admission.
Read full Report here…
San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University Longitudinal Study on PIQE (2008)
Student Success: This study shows that students of PIQE parent graduates perform at a higher level across all indicators of success as compared to students of non-PIQE parent graduates.
Read full Report here…
San Diego State University (2004)
Student Success: This study shows that PIQE programs are making a difference in school persistence, reducing the dropout rate, and increasing college participation. From the study sample, 93% of children of PIQE parents graduated high school and nearly 80% went to college.
Read full Report here…
Project STEPS (2002)
Student Success: Parents of students from Walter Reed Middle School in Los Angeles attended PIQE’s College Making It Happen program. After completion of the program, students’ Stanford 9 Test scores improved an average of 13 to 14 points. A five point increase is significant, while a 13 point increase is outstanding.
Read full Report here…