The Impotence of Parent Involvement

The success of a child’s education starts with the involvement of the parent. Parents must understand they are the child’s first teacher and they lay the foundation for the child’s academic future success. I have experience the difference it made in children's progress and outcomes when parents were involved and of those who were not. According to research the impact is greater than some believe.

"When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more." That's the conclusion of a recent report from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. The report, a synthesis of research on parent involvement over the past decade, goes on to find that, regardless of family income or background, "students with involved parents are more likely to:

• Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs;
• Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits;
• Attend school regularly;
• Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school; and
• Graduate and go on to postsecondary education" (Henderson & Mapp, 2002).

But if parents have a central role in influencing their children's progress in school, research has shown that schools in turn have an important part to play in determining levels of parent involvement (Epstein, 2001). Working to include parents is particularly important as students grow older, and in schools with high concentrations of poor and minority students (Rutherford et al., 1997).

 

There are ways educators can help empower parents to be actively involved:

• Help families with parenting and child-rearing skills;
• Communicate with families about school programs and student progress and needs;
• Work to improve recruitment, training, and schedules to involve families as volunteers in school activities;
• Encourage families to be involved in learning activities at home and
• Coordinate with businesses and agencies to provide resources and services for families, students, and the community (Epstein, 2001).

I have seen the positive growth and development enhance greatly when parents give input and suggestions of how to help children achieve goals and objectives. Parents that feel welcomed and respected in the school environment can be depended upon to be involved the classroom.


http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/parent-involvement/