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This is my big question about parental involvement and my thoughts!

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This is something that I feel like is talked about a lot in the school systems, but how much is it really addressed? I want to know how much of a difference parent involvement makes for a student's education. The reason this question sticks out to me is from my recent appearance in a 1st grade classroom this past month. There was a child that would put his head down and sleep because his father would let him stay up all night playing video games. There was another student that was shockingly far behind from the others. This got me to thinking about each of their home lives and what is or is not going on to cause such drastic differences in the student's learning. I believe that parent involvement can highly benefit a child's performance in the classroom. There was a child that wasn't a very good reader, but her relatives asked her to read books to them everyday and she significantly improved in her reading.

I have found plenty of evidence that proves that parental involvement can really help a student do well in school. There were several questions that came to mind when I researched the topic. How to talk to parents? How can parents get involved? All of these are answered in this Paddlet.

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How does Parent Involvement affect a student's learning?

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This is something that I feel like is talked about a lot in the school systems, but how much is it really addressed? I want to know how much of a difference parent involvement makes for a student's education. The reason this question sticks out to me is from my recent appearance in a 1st grade classroom this past month.

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Sometimes it is uncomfortable to talk to parents.

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Sometimes it is uncomfortable to talk to parents.

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This is a good read on how it can be hard to talk to parents, but it is necessary for our students to have success.

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Education Week - Teaching Ahead: A Roundtable

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We have all experienced, at some point in our careers, "that parent." They take many forms: the helicopter, the over-reactor, the under-reactor, the mama bear, the "my child is perfect, it must be you" parent. As a special educator and advisor, I have had numerous interactions with parents, some bad, some good, but what they share in common is that all are parents advocating for their learner.

As I reflect on these interactions, it occurs to me that I have learned something from each interaction. It is these interactions that have helped me to build learning partnerships with many parents.
Relationships
As in life, in education relationships provide the basis for what we can accomplish. When I think back on my own learning, it was the teachers who built relationships with me, and included my parents, who had the biggest impact on my education. As a parent, it is the teachers who take an interest in my child outside of school, as well as in school, who have influenced her and consequently me the most. We know the importance of building these relationships with our students, but building similar relationships with parents is just as important.

In preparing to become an educator, I took classes in methods, curriculum, assessment, psychology, special education, and literacy, to name a few. Although these courses prepared me to teach content to students, they did not teach me how to build relationships with students, colleagues or parents, which I consider the most important part of our job as educators. It wasn't until I had been teaching for several years, and had several awkward interactions with parents, that the importance of establishing relationships with parents became clear to me.

How do you prepare someone to build relationships? Teacher preparation programs in my region are beginning to see that a one semester student teaching opportunity is not sufficient in preparing someone to become an educator. Student interns are now required to spend a full school year in a school with a mentor. They are required to participate in all professional development and activities that their mentor teacher attends. These requirements still do not require the level of interaction with parents needed to build the relationships necessary for creating that learning partnership.

Developing positive relationships with parents requires honesty and transparency. The honesty and transparency begin with students and carry over to interactions with parents. When parents see that you care about their child, and want the same outcome, they are more willing to partner with you and work as a team when events may not be positive for their child. I find keeping communication open allows parents, especially high school parents, to feel a part of their child's education.

Email has facilitated the building of relationships with parents in a way that previously available communication tools have not allowed. At the beginning of the school year, I often send emails to all parents, introducing myself, if needed, and describing my role with their child, and how I can help their child be a successful student during the school year. It opens up communication in a positive way, and helps parents see me as an additional advocate for their child.

Many teachers find communicating with parents one of the most uncomfortable requirements of the profession. Positive and constructive communicating with parents allows more flexibility if an issue were to arise. Parents who trust their child's teacher are much more supportive of schools and education, than those who are suspicious of the system. By building relationships and keeping the communication lines open and honest, parents feel included and involved in their child's education.
Beth is a special educator and teacher leader at Vergennes Union High School, in Vergennes, Vt. Beth also works with the district leadership team to develop professional development opportunities for teachers. Beth's new favorite personal professional development tool is Twitter. You can follow her @AdreonBeth.

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Talking With Students' Parents Can Be Uncomfortable. Do It Anyway.

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We have all experienced, at some point in our careers, "that parent." They take many forms: the helicopter, the over-reactor, the under-reactor, the mama bear, the "my child is perfect, it must be you" parent.

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There are 20 things on this list that parents can do to be involved. I would give this out at the beginning of the year so parents will have an idea of what they could be doing especially if their student is struggling in school.

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As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. When parents and families are involved in their children's schools, the children do better and have better feelings about going to school. In fact, many studies show that what the family does is more important to a child's school success than how much money the family makes or how much education the parents have. There are many ways that parents can support their children's learning at home and throughout the school year. Here are some ideas to get you started!

Develop a partnership with your child's teachers and school staff

1. Meet your child's teacher. As soon as the school year starts, try to find a way to meet your child's teacher. Let the teacher know you want to help your child learn. Make it clear that you want the teacher to contact you if any problems develop with your child. Talk with your child's teacher offers some great tips for developing a partnership with your child's teacher.

If you feel uncomfortable speaking English, don't let a language barrier stop you. What you have to say is more important than the language you say it in! Ask the school to find someone who can interpret for you. There may be a teacher or parent liaison who can help. Or you can bring a bilingual friend or relative with you.

2. Get to know who's who at your child's school. There are many people at your child's school who are there to help your child learn, grow socially and emotionally, and navigate the school environment. Who's Who at Your Child's School describes the responsibilities of teachers, administrators, and district staff. Each school is different but this article will offer a general introduction to personnel of your child's school.

3. Attend parent-teacher conferences and keep in touch with your child's teacher. Schools usually have one or two parent-teacher conferences each year. You can bring a friend to interpret for you or ask the school to provide an interpreter. You can also ask to meet with your child's teacher any time during the year. If you have a concern and can't meet face-to-face, send the teacher a short note or set up a time to talk on the phone. For more ideas about how to prepare for parent-teacher conferences, see Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences at Your Child's School.

Support your child academically

4. Find out how your child is doing. Ask the teacher how well your child is doing in class compared to other students. If your child is not keeping up, especially when it comes to reading, ask what you or the school can do to help. It's important to act early before your child gets too far behind. Also be sure to review your child's report card each time it comes out. For more information, see How To Know When Your Child Needs Extra Help.

5. Apply for special services if you think your child may need it. If your child is having problems with learning, ask the school to evaluate your child in his or her strongest language. The teacher might be able to provide accommodations for your child in class. If the school finds out your child has a learning disability, he can receive extra help at no cost. For more information, see Where To Go For Help.

6. Make sure that your child gets homework done. Let your child know that you think education is important and that homework needs to be done each day. You can help your child with homework by setting aside a special place to study, establishing a regular time for homework, and removing distractions such as the television and social phone calls during homework time. Helping Your Child With Homework offers some great ideas for ensuring that your child gets homework done.

If you are reluctant to help your child with homework because you feel that you don't know the subject well enough or because you don't speak or read English, you can help by showing that you are interested, helping your child get organized, providing the necessary materials, asking your child about daily assignments, monitoring work to make sure that it is completed, and praising all of your child's efforts. Remember that doing your child's homework for him won't help him in the long run.

7. Find homework help for your child if needed. If it is difficult for you to help your child with homework or school projects, see if you can find someone else who can help. Contact the school, tutoring groups, after school programs, churches, and libraries. Or see if an older student, neighbor, or friend can help.

8. Help your child prepare for tests. Tests play an important role in determining a students grade. Your child may also take one or more standardized tests during the school year, and your child's teacher may spend class time on test preparation throughout the year. As a parent, there are a number of ways that you can support your child before and after taking a standardized test, as well as a number of ways you can support your child's learning habits on a daily basis that will help her be more prepared when it's time to be tested. Learn more standardized tests and general test-taking in How to Help Your Child Prepare for Standardized Tests.

Get involved with your child's school

9. Learn what the school offers. Read the information the school sends home, and ask to receive information in your native language if necessary. Talk to other parents to find out what programs the school offers. Maybe there's a music program, after-school activity, sports team, or tutoring program your child would enjoy. Remember to keep track of events throughout the school year.

10. Volunteer at your child's school and/or join your school's parent-teacher group. Teachers appreciate it when parents help out at the school! There are many ways you can contribute. You can volunteer in your child's class or in the school library. You can make food for a school event. If you work during the day, you can attend "parents' night" activities or your child's performances. At most schools, a group of parents meets regularly to talk about the school. This group is usually called the PTA or PTO. The meetings give you a good chance to talk with other parents and to work together to improve the school. How to Get Involved in Your Child's School Activities offers some more ideas that you can get involved, especially for busy parents.

Get informed and be an advocate for your child

11. Ask questions. If something concerns you about your child's learning or behavior, ask the teacher or principal about it and seek their advice. Your questions may be like these - What specific problem is my child having with reading? What can I do to help my child with this problem? How can I stop that bully from picking on my son? How can I get my child to do homework? Which reading group is my child in?

12. Learn about your rights. It's important to know what your rights are as the parent regarding special services, English instruction, immigration status, and more. Learn more in Your Rights as the Parent of a Public School Student.

13. Let the school know your concerns. Is your child doing well in school? Is he or she having trouble learning, behaving, or studying? Is there a problem with another student, teacher, or administrator? If you have a concern, How to Let the School Know About Your Concerns describes some steps to take.

Support your child's learning at home

14. Demonstrate a positive attitude about education to your children. What we say and do in our daily lives can help them to develop positive attitudes toward school and learning and to build confidence in themselves as learners. Showing our children that we both value education and use it in our daily lives provides them with powerful models and contributes greatly to their success in school.

In addition, by showing interest in their children's education, parents and families can spark enthusiasm in them and lead them to a very important understanding-that learning can be enjoyable as well as rewarding and is well worth the effort required.

15. Monitor your child's television, video game, and Internet use. American children on average spend far more time watching TV, playing video games and using the Internet than they do completing homework or other school-related activities. How to Monitor TV Viewing and Video Game Playing and Help Your Child Learn to Use the Internet Properly and Effectively offer some ideas for helping your child use the media effectively.

16. Encourage your child to read. Helping your child become a reader is the single most important thing that you can do to help the child to succeed in school-and in life. The importance of reading simply can't be overstated. Reading helps children in all school subjects. More important, it is the key to lifelong learning. Learn more in Fun Reading Tips and Activities and Fun and Effective Ways to Read with Children.

17. Talk with your child. Talking and listening play major roles in children's school success. It's through hearing parents and family members talk and through responding to that talk that young children begin to pick up the language skills they will need if they are to do well. For example, children who don't hear a lot of talk and who aren't encouraged to talk themselves often have problems learning to read, which can lead to other school problems. In addition, children who haven't learned to listen carefully often have trouble following directions and paying attention in class. It's also important for you to show your child that you're interested in what he has to say. Talking With Your Child offers some great ideas for using conversation to stimulate language development.

18. Encourage your child to use the library. Libraries are places of learning and discovery for everyone. Helping your child find out about libraries will set him on the road to being an independent learner. Remember that libraries also offer a quiet place for students to complete homework, and are often open in the evening. Learn more about resources for students in Library Services for School-Aged Children.

19. Encourage your child to be responsible and work independently. Taking responsibility and working independently are important qualities for school success. You can help your child to develop these qualities by establish reasonable rules that you enforce consistently, making it clear to your child that he has to take responsibility for what he does, both at home and at school, showing your child how to break a job down into small steps, and monitor what your child does after school, in the evenings and on weekends. If you can't be there when your child gets home, give her the responsibility of checking in with you by phone to discuss her plans. Learn more in Encourage Responsibility, Independence, and Active Learning.

20. Encourage active learning. Children need active learning as well as quiet learning such as reading and doing homework. Active learning involves asking and answering questions, solving problems and exploring interests. Active learning also can take place when your child plays sports, spends time with friends, acts in a school play, plays a musical instrument or visits museums and bookstores. To promote active learning, listen to your child's ideas and respond to them. Let him jump in with questions and opinions when you read books together. When you encourage this type of give-and-take at home, your child's participation and interest in school is likely to increase.

Recommended Resource from Understood.org

For more great ideas, take a look at the bilingual resources on Partnering with Your Child's School from Understood.org, a free website focused on learning and attention issues.

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Twenty Ways You Can Help Your Children Succeed At School

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As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. When parents and families are involved in their children's schools, the children do better and have better feelings about going to school. In fact, many studies show that what the family does is more important to a child's school success than how much money the family makes or how much education the parents have.

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There are 19 ideas on how teachers can encourage parents to get involved.  I feel like if teachers can build a strong relationship with the parents then they might be more inclined to help their children outside of school.

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Parent involvement in their children's education can be one of the biggest predictors of student success. This presentation offers 19 proven strategies for increasing family engagement and strengthening the home-to-school connection.
19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School
The recommendations were contributed by the educators and parents of the two great communities at Edutopia.org and GreatSchools.org.

Always remember to keep trying new things as you work together with families to build a culture of engagement at your school.

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19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School

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Parent involvement in their children's education can be one of the biggest predictors of student success. This presentation offers 19 proven strategies for increasing family engagement and strengthening the home-to-school connection. 19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School The recommendations were contributed by the educators and parents of the two great communities at Edutopia.org and GreatSchools.org.

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This is a list of studies that prove that Parental Involvement improves a student's grades.

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Many research studies support what teachers instinctively know: Students do better academically and socially when schools build positive relationships with their families.

Here are several studies that explore the critical school-home connection:

Parent involvement in education is crucial. No matter their income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school.
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in education. 2006. Research Review and Resources. Retrieved September 16, 2011, from www.ncpie.org/WhatsHappening/researchJanuary2006.cfm.

Regardless of family income or background, students whose parents are involved in their schooling are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school.
Henderson, A.T., and K.L. Mapp. 2002. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

The most accurate predictors of student achievement in school are not family income or social status, but the extent to which the family creates a home environment that encourages learning, communicates high yet reasonable expectations for the child's achievement, and becomes involved in the child's education at school.
National PTA. 2000. Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs. Bloomington, Indiana: National Education Service, 11-12.

When parents are involved at school, the performance of all the children at school, not just their own, tends to improve. The more comprehensive and well planned the partnership between school and home, the higher the student achievement.
Henderson, A.T., and Nancy Berla. 1995. A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Education, 14-16.

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What Research Says About Parent Involvement | Responsive Classroom

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Many research studies support what teachers instinctively know: Students do better academically and socially when schools build positive relationships with their families. Here are several studies that explore the critical school-home connection: Parent involvement in education is crucial.

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This a great list of who needs involvement, how to be involved, and things the school board can do to help.

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It may be one of the least controversial statements in American education: Parent involvement can make a difference in a child's education. The conflict can come, though, on how to define that involvement. Do all the PTA meetings, take-home flyers and Back to School nights actually generate increases in student achievement? The Center for Public Education examined the research and found that creating a partnership between parents and schools focused on academics truly does have significant impact on student achievement.

The six types of parent involvement

Joyce Epstein of the Johns Hopkins University, Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships, one of the nation's leading experts on parent involvement, divided school parent involvement programs into six broad categories:

1. Parenting, in which schools help families with their parenting skills by providing information on children's developmental stages and offering advice on learning-friendly home environments;

2. Communicating, or working to educate families about their child's progress and school services and providing opportunities for parents to communicate with the school;

3. Volunteering, which ranges from offering opportunities for parents to visit their child's school to finding ways to recruit and train them to work in the school or classroom;

4. Learning at home, in which schools and educators share ideas to promote at-home learning through high expectations and strategies so parents can monitor and help with homework.

5. Decision-making, in which schools include families as partners in school organizations, advisory panels, and similar committees.

6. Community collaboration, a two-way outreach strategy in which community or business groups are involved in education and schools encourage family participation in the community.

Who is involved?

National survey data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that attending school meetings or events is the leading form of parent participation in schools, followed by school fundraising activities.

The survey also found some distinct variations by race. K-8 parents of white students were more likely than parents of African American or Hispanic students to attend a school event, volunteer or serve on a school committee and participate in school fundraising. However, while 82 percent of parents of white students said an adult checked their child's homework, the rates were higher among parents of African American and Hispanic students, which reported rates of 94% and 91%, respectively.

Other studies have shown that lower-income and minority parents often have the same level of involvement in education as others - even though it may not necessarily be reflected at PTA meetings or school fundraisers.

What kind of involvement works best?

When determining what types of involvement work best, a major report by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) found one common factor: "Programs and interventions that engage families in supporting their children's learning at home are linked to higher student achievement." Examples abound:

A literacy program in Minnesota that included home and school activities on literacy for kindergartners and their families generated significant positive gains. In addition, children who began the program with the lowest scores recorded the greatest gains.

In West Virginia, nine schools sought to enhance parents' skills by offering workshops at school entrance at which the adults received learning packets in reading and math and training on how to use them. Students with more highly involved parents made stronger reading and math gains than less involved parents. The finding was apparent across all income levels. In addition, family income had no effect on involvement, as low-income families were just as likely to attend the workshops as higher-income families.

For older students, parent involvement with academics largely focused on enabling parents to convey high expectations to their children, encouraging them to take and succeed in rigorous courses with an eye toward college. For example:

When families knew about and guided high school students to classes that would lead to higher education, students were more likely to enroll in a higher-level program, earn credits, and score higher on tests. Regardless of family background, the issue of parent expectations had the strongest effect on grade 12 test scores in all subjects. (Catasambis, 1998)

But how do schools engage families in supporting learning at home? Interactive homework assignments that bring together parents and their children work well. One of the leading examples is an initiative designed by Epstein and her Johns Hopkins colleagues called TIPS.

At the elementary level, the parent describes their child's work on the activities and whether the child understands a concept or needs more assistance.

At the high school level, the activities require specific parent involvement to complete, and parents answer whether the assignment helped them learn what their child is doing in class.

What about other types of involvement?

While parent involvement with homework may be the award-winning strategy, that doesn't mean that more traditional forms of parent involvement are useless. For example, targeted communication programs have proved effective, especially with solving problems that are typically barriers to student achievement, such as attendance or school discipline.

But parent involvement strategies, while important, are not a cure-all for a struggling school. "School, family, and community partnerships can boost attendance and increase achievement slightly, but excellent classroom teaching will be needed to dramatically improve students' writing, reading, and math skills to meet the state's standards." (SEDL)

Create a partnership around student learning

Parents want to be involved in children's education. Teachers and schools believe that involved parents benefit children. But good intentions on either side only go so far. As noted by Epstein and Sanders (2000), "Teachers, parents, and students have little understanding of each other's interests in children and schools....Most teachers do not know the goals that parents have for their children, how parents help them learn, or how parents would like to be involved. Most parents do not know much about the educational programs in their children's school or what teachers require of them." Effective parent involvement comes when a true partnership exists between schools and families. Creating that partnership, especially around academics, is what works for student achievement.

Actions school boards can take:

As SEDL concluded: "Recognize that all parents, regardless of income, education or cultural background, are involved in their children's learning and want their children to do well."

Survey parents and teachers to understand their perspective on parent involvement. Investigate how parents want to be involved, and how teachers want parents to be involved.

Work to create a common understanding of how parents could best support their child's education and how teachers could communicate with parents. This might be accomplished through discussions, flyers, meetings or other strategies.

Identify barriers to achievement within schools. Can parents help address these challenges? If so, how?

Give teachers training on how to develop homework assignments that involve parents.

Regularly involve parents in their child's homework, and report on the results of doing so.

In middle school and high school, talk clearly to parents about the courses and grades their students will need to succeed.

Continue to survey or otherwise track the effects of involvement, in order to use schools' time and resources wisely. In these tight economic times, focus on putting schools' money and energy into what works best, rather than continuing ineffective programs.

Posted August 30, 2011. Copyright Center for Public Education.

This summary is based on a report written for the Center for Public Education by Chuck Dervarics and Eileen O'Brien. O'Brien is an independent education researcher and consultant in Alexandria, Virginia. Much of her work has focused on access to quality education for disadvantaged and minority populations. O'Brien has a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Loyola University, Chicago. Chuck Dervarics is an education writer and former editor of Report on Preschool Programs, a national independent newsletter on pre-k, Head Start, and child care policy. As a writer and researcher, he has contributed to case studies and research projects of the Southern Education Foundation, the American Council on Education, and the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, often focusing on issues facing disadvantaged populations. Dervarics has a Bachelors degree from George Washington University.

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Back to school: How parent involvement affects student achievement

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It may be one of the least controversial statements in American education: Parent involvement can make a difference in a child's education. The conflict can come, though, on how to define that involvement. Do all the PTA meetings, take-home flyers and Back to School nights actually generate increases in student achievement?