Happy New (School) Year! Parental/Family Involvement - Part I

For me, every school year starts off more like a celebration of a new calendar year – as the number of resolutions I make in September seems to outnumber the ones I make in January.  I almost always scold myself for not starting supply shopping earlier.  I also vow that “this year” I will do better with planning and preparing (snacks, lunches, clothes, etc), staying organized (with all the papers and obligations), and being involved in my children’s education.   I admit that I struggle to manage all these things and some days my efforts are more successful than others.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the day-to-day stuff at home and work while also trying to tend to the basic needs or our children.  Being (or becoming) an involved parent* can seem impossible when time and energy is precious.  Yet, students, and schools, do better when parents are actively engaged.  Opinions on what it takes to be involved or active greatly differ.  So what does it mean to be an involved parent?  What are the benefits?  What specific things can parents and families do to be involved?

(*Please note that "parent" includes foster/adoptive parents, guardians, or other family members of a student.)

The US Department of Education (through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) has defined parental involvement as “the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

-          that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning
-          that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school
-          that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and
-          that other activities are carried out, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA¹ (Parental Involvement). [Section 9101(32), ESEA]².”

The benefits of parent involvement are numerous and significant.  Certainly, children of involved parents receive direct and immediate benefits - they “are absent less frequently, behave better, (and) do better academically from pre-school through high school.”³  Research done at the Southwest Educational Laboratory showed that, “regardless of family income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher level programs, be promoted, pass their classes, attend school regularly, show improved behavior, adapt well to school, and graduate and go on to post-secondary education.”⁴ Furthermore, parents who volunteer their time at school can directly and indirectly impact other children by serving as a role model and/or partner in the educational process.

Some parents assume that being involved requires an overwhelming level of effort, spending large amounts of time at their child’s school, or being an expert in subjects their child is taught at school.  However, there are many ways to be involved.  As parents/family members, we have the primary responsibility for our child’s education.  Most importantly, families need to support the learning process and extend what the school is doing into the home.   Things that accomplish this are very easy to incorporate into the daily routine - in fact, you might be doing some of them already.  I have compiled a list from multiple resources ^3,5  but the options are not limited to these.

-          Read to your child

-          Discuss the books and stories you read

-          Read your child’s textbooks to increase awareness about what your child is learning

-          Help your child apply what they are learning to real-life situations at home

-          Help your child organize his/her time

-          Limit screen time, especially on school nights

-          Talk to your child regularly about what is happening in school

-          Check homework nightly

-          Make sure your child has a quiet place to read and study

-          Attend parent-teacher conferences, ask questions, listen, and help set goals for your child

-          Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses at school and discuss ways to help at home with your child’s teachers

-          Show a positive attitude towards school and school personnel – children learn this by example

-          Ask specific, open-ended questions about your child’s day, what they did in a specific subject or class

-          Emphasize student learning, and what your child has learned instead of passing/failing

Opportunities to become involved outside your home and with other children include:

-          Be a classroom helper

-          Make displays for special events

-          Help prepare communications from the teacher, such as a monthly event calendar

-          Run errands to help collect supplies

-          Make copies or help prepare supplies for an activity or lesson

-          Tutor or read with individual children

-          Assist children with special needs

-          Help in special labs, such as computer or science

-          Plan and work in fundraising

-          Help coordinate classroom or field trip volunteers

-          Plan and accompany classes on field trips

-          Assist coaches at sporting events

-          Help out with arts and crafts workshops

-          Assist with a special interest club or drama group

-          Speak to classes about your career or special expertise

-          Connect with and support other parents, offer guidance with becoming involved

-          Help write press releases or local news articles

-          Work as a library assistant

-          Vote in school board elections – know what the candidates stand for

-          Participate in parent-teacher associations and school decisions

-          Help your school set challenging academic standards

-          Become an advocate for better education in your community and state

-          Ask your child’s teacher or other faculty/staff member about other ways you can help

Once students reach middle school, they are more independent, classes are structured differently and family involvement is less direct.  Typically, family involvement levels in these upper grades drop off, even though it is still important.  The National Education Association suggests that families, “participate in school events, monitor homework, provide experiences and materials that supplement school work, and help children with organizational strategies.”³

As I started working on this post weeks ago, I didn’t realize where my research would take me, but I felt that it was a relevant topic being the start of a new school year.  I discovered that this topic is huge – not only as it relates to student achievement, but in the success of our schools.  There are multiple organizations devoted to parental/family engagement and, as I started reading more, I found myself asking more questions about how this information relates specifically to our community.  As a result, I aim for this to be one of a three part series.  Other parts will touch upon the factors that encourage or prohibit family engagement and parental involvement policies currently in place.  As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback.  In the meantime, I hope that everyone had a great start to the school year!

References:

1 - If you want to read Section 1118 of the ESEA you can find it here:http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA/sec1118.html

2 - Taken from Section 9101 (32), ESEA – see here: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg107.html

3- NYU Child Study Center – (also available to read in Spanish) http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/involved_parents_hidden_resource_in_their_children039s_education

4 – Henderson, Anne T. and Karen L. Mapp, A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact on School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement (Texas: Southwest Education Development Laboratory, 2002), 14. http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/evidence.pdf

5 – Other references include: The Pennsylvania PTA ”PTA & Parent Involvement: Background Information” http://www.papta.org/domain/73, 3 September 2013; Jill Reilly – “A Mom With a Lesson Plan – 19 Ways to help teachers…when you can’t work in the classroom”, 25 August 2013;