Parent involvement is critical to students' academic success, states Project Appleseed, a grass-roots organization focused on improving public schools. Parent involvement leads to higher attendance and graduation rates, improved test scores and more graduates attending institutes of higher learning. Effectively involving parents with students in schools also enables parents to understand more clearly the curriculum so that they can support their children at home.
Types
Parent involvement with students in schools isn't simply asking parents to volunteer in the classroom. Although this method is popular, it's not possible for all parents and may not be effective, depending on your volunteers. To be effective, schools need to welcome parents with a variety of methods. Project planning nights help parents better understand the materials required, project potential and curriculum covered, for example. Tutoring programs that train parents in the curriculum and current educational methods ensures that parents are able to help out not only in the classroom, but also at home.
Function
Project Appleseed recommends that schools interested in reforming their approach to parental involvement inventory their current parent involvement to identify areas of improvement. They then recommend using a pledge or contract with student's families to further outline the goals and roles of the parent in the child's schooling.
Effects
Involving parents with students in schools helps the school become more effective at teaching. The result, as found in a study conducted by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University in March 2008, is stronger school-community relationships, trust and support for teachers, and higher morale in the teachers and staff. This helps create a strong, creative learning environment for children.
Time Frame
Effective parent involvement cannot be limited solely to the school day. For schools to effectively involve parents with students, school administrators and teachers need to provide avenues for involvement during the school day and outside of school. Brown bag lunches enable parents to ask questions and clarify policies. Evening training sessions or meetings meet the needs of families with working parents.
Identification
The No Child Left Behind Act requires any school that receives Title I funding to have formal parent involvement policies that are written with and approved by parents. In addition, the Act requires that schools define, on an individual basis, the school's and parents' role in improving a child's performance. The goal is to codify parental involvement, which has long been found to be a critical component of student and school success.
