BOCA RATON, Fla., 2016-Aug-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions, through its Office Depot and OfficeMax brands, today announced the results of an early education preparation survey whose findings uncovered that while almost all educators feel support of parents with children younger than school age is important, only 23 percent of educators have sufficient tools to do so.
The non-profit Center for College & Career Readiness and Office Depot, Inc.’s “Committed to Learning” initiative recently surveyed more than 3,000 educators regarding their perceptions of family readiness to prepare children for kindergarten, and the tools available to educators to support them in communicating and working with families.
A few key findings from the survey:
- 97 percent of educators felt that communication between districts and parents before students were school aged was important or very important as part of school readiness preparation.
- 77 percent of educators felt that parents had some of the tools they needed to prepare their children for school yet needed help from educators in those critical years before kindergarten, while 23 percent of educators felt that parents did not know how to prepare their children for kindergarten.
- 23 percent of educators reported having sufficient tools to effectively reach out to parents, while nine percent of educators reported having nearly no tools to support their work in parent communication.
- For those educators who have some support in communicating with parents, 69 percent indicated the need for help in using those tools to be effective in their work.
“The survey findings show the increased demand for learning initiatives that equip educators with tools to more effectively work with families,” said Becki Schwietz, senior director of K-12 initiatives for Office Depot, Inc. “We are proud to partner with school districts around the country to address the critical unmet needs of students and affect positive change at home and in the classroom.”
As part of its “Committed to Learning” initiative, Office Depot, Inc. works with school districts to solve the challenge of reaching parents of children who aren’t yet registered for school. The company conducts research and provides targeted mailing lists, and facilitates the creation and mailing of educational information, including tips, encouragement and other materials, to help education begin at home.
“Committed to Learning” has led the company to convene a national team of education experts and partners across disciplines. Having worked with thousands of school districts for more than two decades, Office Depot, Inc. has solidified a belief in the principles of equity, mastery and collaboration for successful student outcomes, and adopted a student-centric approach that maximizes district budgets while delivering solutions and expertise to meet the changing needs of students today.
Find out about Office Depot, Inc.’s education solutions at business.officedepot.com/education.
Survey Methodology/Sample Qualifications
In April 2016 the Center for College & Career Readiness conducted a survey of educators on behalf of Office Depot Inc.’s “Committed to Learning” initiative. A total of 5,208 educators (including Principals, Assistant Principals, Department Chairs, Teachers and more) participated in the survey.
About Office Depot, Inc.
Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office, home, school or car.
Office Depot, Inc. is a resource and a catalyst to help customers work better. We are a single source for everything customers need to be more productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, print and document services, business services, facilities products, furniture, and school essentials.
The company has annual sales of approximately $14 billion, employs approximately 49,000 associates, and serves consumers and businesses in 59 countries with approximately 1,800 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization – all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax, Grand & Toy, and Viking. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include TUL, Foray, Brenton Studio, Ativa, WorkPro, Realspace and HighMark.
Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://news.officedepot.com.
Contact:
Julianne Embry
561-438-1451
julianne.embry@officedepot.com
Edelman
Abby Van Uum
512-200-5341
abigail.vanuum@edelman.com
Source: Office Depot, Inc.