Education Law

Parent involvement: important, but not always present

Parent and family involvement in schools has been shown to make children: feel more connected to the school; have better academic performance and attendance; reduce internalizing behaviors such as depression and anxiety; reduce externalizing behaviors such as aggression or delinquent behaviors; be more aware of and avoid substance abuse and risky sexual behavior; and achieve and maintain health and fitness.  In addition, involving parent and families in schools is cost-effective ? certain studies show that schools would have to spend $1,000 more per pupil to reap the same gains in student achievement that an involved parent brings. 

If there are so many benefits to involving parents and families, why does this not happen in every single school in America?  Well, for one, there are some barriers to getting parents to attend parent involvement intervention programs (and getting them to attend regularly).   These can include: lack of child care and transportation, work schedule conflicts, stressful financial situations, residential mobility, marital or relationship conflict, and the lack of positive relationships with school teachers and administrators. 

Another factor is the lack of ?shared responsibility.?  Shared responsibility requires parents to do their part to support their children?s learning, from turning off the TV, to checking homework, to communicating with teachers about their children?s progress.  But although parents want the best for their children, many don?t receive the information and support they need to understand the importance of the parental role in children?s education and how to best fulfill that role.  Parents are more likely to be engaged when school personnel inform them of the importance of being involved as well as value, expect, and invite them to be involved.  As all you education policymakers know so well, knowledge is power.

That?s why BoardBuzz wants to share three new publications that can help school leaders relay the importance of ?shared responsibility? to parents and families, but also learn which parent and family programs work and which don?t. 

The first publication, jointly released by the PTA and Harvard Family Research Project, conveys the importance of ?shared responsibility?; lists the core district-level components necessary for systemic family engagement; highlights five promising practices that ensure that family involvement efforts are established throughout the district; and describes the successful family engagement practices of six school districts.  The two other publications, released by Child Trends, communicate what works for parent involvement programs for children and adolescents. 

To learn more about these publications, click here.

Are your schools effectively involving parents and families?  What have been the outcomes?  Leave us a comment.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on January 29, 2010 (boomark / email).