Freedom School Family Resources
Helpful information for New Jersey Freedom School familiesLearn more about the New Jersey Freedom School Evaluation, what participation involves, how information is protected, and how families can provide consent.
Watch this short video to learn more about the New Jersey Freedom School Evaluation and what participation may involve for families.
About the New Jersey Freedom School Evaluation
What is the New Jersey Freedom School Evaluation?
We are researchers from Rutgers University-Newark. We are teaming up with the New Jersey Faith Action Center (formerly the New Jersey Office of Faith-Based Initiatives) to study how Freedom Schools work in our state. Specifically, we want to learn how this program helps your child grow. To do that, we are looking at how Freedom Schools help children with three things: their reading skills, their social development, and their ideas about making a difference in their community.
Who is our research team?
We are led by:
- Dr. Diane Hill
- Dr. Vandeen Campbell
Our Rutgers-based research team includes:
- Donita Devance
- Epiphany Munz
- Dr. Joanna Kenty
- Dr. Margaret Goldman
- Amanda Jaeger
- Toomi Al-Dhahi
We are assisted by our community scientists, who work in Freedom Schools across the state:
- Laura Aguirre
- Michelle Clanton-Langston
- Sandra Cook McKnight
- Shawn Wallace
- Willie Worley
- Yolan Hunter
How long will the study take?
Our study runs from January 2025 to August 2026.
- Children and families will be asked to participate during July and August 2026.
- Site administrators and staff will be asked to participate throughout the entire project.
We expect to share what we learned with the public in a report in early 2027.
Why is my child being asked to participate?
We are asking your child to participate because they are part of a New Jersey Freedom School summer program this year.
Your Child’s Participation
Does my child have to participate to stay enrolled in their Freedom School?
No, not at all. Your decision will not impact your child’s enrollment or participation in their Freedom School program. Even if you say yes now, your child doesn’t have to join in any study activities if they don’t want to. Also, if you change your mind later, you can withdraw your child from our study at any time.
What type of activities do you want my child to participate in?
If you give permission, your child might be asked to take two surveys, join a focus group, or both. The survey is the same one taken at two different times (near the start and near the end of the summer).
We are not asking every child to join every activity, and we will always let you know before we ask your child to participate in anything.
What is the survey about?
What is the survey about?
Our survey will ask your child about their experiences in their Freedom School and how they feel about making positive changes in their community. You can view a copy of the scholar survey here.
Your child will be asked to take this survey twice: once near the start of their summer program, and once near the end. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes, and will be taken during regular Freedom School hours.
Surveys do not ask for personal information like a name, grade, or date of birth. If a child writes down personal information by accident, we will make sure that information is removed from their survey.
Your child can choose which questions they want to answer, or stop taking our survey at any time.
What are the focus groups?
Our focus groups will be small group discussions. If your child is chosen, they will join a small group of children (fewer than 10) to talk with a Rutgers-Newark researcher about their Freedom School experiences. You can view the planned scholar focus-group questions here.
These discussions will take place in person at your child’s Freedom School during regular program hours. We expect they will last about an hour, depending on how much the children in the group want to share.
We would like your permission to audio-record our conversation, so we don’t miss anything. However, your child can still participate if you say no to recording.
- If you say yes: We will delete the audio recording as soon as we type up the notes.
- If you say no: Our team will take written notes instead.
We will never ask your child to give their name during our discussion, and our notes will never include any personal details that could identify them. If a child shares personal information by accident, we will completely delete it from our records. Your child can also leave the focus group or ask us to turn off the recorder at any time for any reason.
What else will you do at my child’s Freedom School?
Classroom Observations
Our team may sit in on lessons and activities your child is taking part in. We will not interrupt the class, talk to the teacher, or disturb your child. We will only take notes by hand. Because we are studying the program as a whole, not individual scholars, we will never write down personal details about your child.
If our presence makes you or your child uncomfortable, you can choose to opt your child out of classroom observations. If you opt out, we will visit other classrooms instead.
Review of Existing School Records
We want to see how well the program is serving different groups of scholars. To do that, we will look at reading scores, grades, and enrollment information that your Freedom School already collects. Though we will need to use personal information to link scholar records, your child’s personal information will never be used in our reports or shared with anyone outside our research team. Instead, we will combine everyone’s information and only report on the group as a whole.
As with classroom observations, you can opt out of us using these records at any time.
Information for Parents and Families
I am the parent of a child enrolled in a Freedom School this summer. Are you asking me to participate as well?
Yes! We want to know your thoughts on the Freedom School program, too. For example, we want to learn how the program is helping your family grow.
You may be asked to join a parent focus group. If chosen, you will join a small group of other parents to talk with a Rutgers-Newark researcher about your family’s experiences. You can view the planned parent focus-group questions here.
These discussions will take place in person at your child’s Freedom School. We will schedule them for a time that works best for you and program staff. We expect they will last about an hour, depending on how much the group wants to share.
We would like your permission to audio-record our conversation, so we don’t miss anything. However, you can still participate if you say no to recording.
- If you say yes: We will delete the audio recording as soon as we type up the notes.
- If you say no: Our team will take written notes instead.
We will never ask you to give your name during our discussion, and our notes will never include any personal details that could identify you. If someone shares personal information by accident, we will completely delete it from our records. You can also leave the focus group or ask us to turn off the recorder at any time for any reason.
Are there any costs, risks, or benefits for my child or me if we participate?
- Costs: There are no costs to participate, and no one will be paid for their time.
- Risks: There are no major risks. The risks are the same as what you or your child experience in daily life. If either of you ever feels uncomfortable, you can skip any question or stop participating immediately.
- Benefits: We cannot promise any direct benefits to you or your child. However, joining the study is a great opportunity to look back on your experiences. Your feedback will also help us learn how to make the Freedom School program even better for families in the future.
What will you do with the information we collect?
We will use the information we collect to write a public report on New Jersey Freedom Schools. Programs and state leaders will use this report to help support the amazing work Freedom Schools do across the state. Our reports will combine everyone’s information together, and no names or personal details will be shared.
Providing Consent
Once you decide whether you would like your child to participate, you can submit your decision using an online consent form or a downloadable PDF form.
I have decided whether to let my child join the study. What do I do next?
Once you know whether you want your child to participate in our study, you can let us know your decision by filling out our consent form.
We have two options:
How do I fill out the consent form?
Please read our consent form carefully. If you have any questions, email us at nj.freedomschoolstudy@newark.rutgers.edu.
How do I fill out the consent form?
Please read our consent form carefully. If you have any questions, email us at nj.freedomschoolstudy@newark.rutgers.edu.
If you are using our online form
Our online form will guide you through your choices page by page.
Page 1: Focus Groups & Surveys. For each activity, select “I agree” or “I do not agree.” If you agree, a box will pop up asking for your digital signature. If you do not agree, you do not need to sign.
Page 2: Observations & School Records. If you are okay with us observing your child’s classroom and looking at their school records, leave this page blank and click next. You can opt out of an activity by checking the box.
Page 3: Review and Submit. Check your answers, click submit, and save or print a copy for your records.
If you are using our PDF form
Our PDF form will also guide you through your choices page by page. Look at the page numbers carefully and only sign the pages that match your choices:
- Sign Page 6: If you agree to both surveys and focus groups.
- Sign Page 7: If you only agree to focus groups.
- Sign Page 8: If you only agree to surveys.
- Sign Page 9: If you do not want us to look at your child’s records.
- Sign Page 10: If you do not want us to observe your child’s classroom.
Once you are done, email your signed form to nj.freedomschoolstudy@newark.rutgers.edu.
Note: If you ever change your mind about these choices, just email us or submit a new form.
Information for Freedom School staff
The following information is intended for site administrators, Servant Leader Interns, and other Freedom School staff.
I work at a Freedom School site. Why am I being asked to participate?
We want to learn how New Jersey Freedom Schools work from the inside out. For example, we want to see what parts of the program help scholars the most, and what it takes to start a successful new site.
We are inviting Freedom School staff, including site administrators and SLIs, to talk with us about their experiences in interviews and focus groups. We can do these in person or over Zoom, whichever is easiest.
Site administrators: You can view the planned site administrator interview questions.
SLIs: You can view the planned SLI focus group questions.
We will connect with administrators and SLIs directly to obtain consent.
Am I required to participate in your study if I work at a Freedom School site?
No, not at all. Your participation is completely optional. Even if you say yes now, you don’t have to join in any activities you don’t want to. If you change your mind later, you can withdraw your consent and be removed from our study at any time.
Questions or concerns?
You can reach our research team for any questions, comments, or concerns at:
nj.freedomschoolstudy@newark.rutgers.edu
We are happy to talk over email, schedule a phone call, or set up a video call whenever works best for you.