Family Involvement

From WikEd

1 Family Involvement

[edit] Family Involvement

[edit] Introduction

Of all the relationships in a student’s life, the relationship between a student and his or her parents may be the most influential. From the standpoint of a student’s performance at school, this relationship has been shown to be very important. Numerous studies have shown that parents can have a dramatic impact on their children’s grades, often resulting in a vast improvement. Though not as prevalent, it is also known that parents can have a powerful impact on their children’s behavior in the classroom and at other school-based activities. The purpose of this Wikipedia page is to describe how some parental styles can lead to student misbehavior at school and also how parents and family can become more involved at the school to help prevent these problems.

[edit] Parenting Styles and Student Behavior

There have been many studies on parenting styles and how they affect children’s behavior. Many of these parenting styles have been summarized by Snyder and Patterson (1987) and placed into five general themes:

[edit] Five Parenting Themes

====Discipline==== Discouragement of behavioral excess or antisocial behavior

3 General components to good disciplinary practices.

Accurate definition of and labeling of certain behaviors as excessive or antisocial
Consistent tracking of those behaviors over time and across settings
The consistent and contingent use of effective but not harsh methods to inhibit those behaviors

====Positive Parenting==== Interactions between the parent and the child which foster interpersonal, academic, and work skills, and which encourage the development of normative values and standards of behavior

Students of parents with who use positive parenting skills are generally less likely to have behavioral problems in school or otherwise
Students of parents who are less supportive and affectionate, or are rejecting and generally negative in their attitude are more likely to have behavioral problems

====Monitoring==== Parental awareness of child’s peer associates, free time activities, physical whereabouts, school awareness and performance, media access

Good parental monitoring is generally associated with good recognition of inappropriate behavior and a response

Also indirectly guides child toward positive peer groups and behaviors

Ineffective monitoring has been associated with in-home and more public acts of inappropriate behavior

====Problem Solving==== Failure to acquire and use problem solving strategies may facilitate the development of inappropriate behavior

Difficulties with problem solving may be caused by:

Ineffective parenting caused by stress associated with conflict
Inappropriate models of problem solving passed on from parents
Stress and problems at home carried over to the school environment

Problem solving in homes that is characterized by conflict, blaming, and inacceptance of responsibility is associated with behavioral problems

[edit] Family Sociodemographic Characteristics

Some studies have found that students coming from families of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have behavioral problems

Beyond this, these problems are generally caused by factors like poor monitoring caused by parental need to be at work more often

All of the above information is summarized from Snyder and Patterson, 1987. Please see the works cited section for a full reference.

[edit] Summary of Parenting Styles

The above information can be loosely tied to the dimensions of parenting styles described by Arnette (2002).

====Demandingness==== The degree with which parents set down rules and expectations for behavior and require their children to comply with them. ====Responsiveness==== The degree with which parents are sensitive to their children’s needs and the extent to which they express warmth, love, and concern for their children.

The interaction of these two dimensions is represented diagrammatically in table 1.

http://students.ed.uiuc.edu/zorn/eportfolio/Table%201.JPG

Table 1. Interaction of Dimensions of Parenting Style. Recreated from Arnette, 2002.

These interactions generally Correspond with general trends described by Snyder and Patterson (1987) where overly harsh, punitive punishments (i.e. authoritarian parenting style or lax, indifferent treatment (i.e. indifferent or indulgent parenting styles) can lead to misbehaviors that can range from overt disruptive behaviors to more subtle, harder to detect mischief.

[edit] Increasing Family Involvement at School

According to Sheldon and Epstein (2002), most students want their parents to be more involved at their schools and parents definitely want to have a greater feeling of connection with their children’s education. Thus far, many of the studies and theories addressing this issue of increased parental participation in the school have been done by Joyce L. Epstein. She has developed a model wherein student environments are ideally shaped by three spheres of influence; school, family, and the community (Epstein, 1987; 1995).

Looking at the relationship between schools and families, Epstein believes that the schools should foster a family-like school environment where students are recognized as unique individuals who are made to feel special and like they belong at the school. Conversely, students should also have a school-like home environment where children are recognized as students who need support for their school work and where the importance of education is reinforced (Epstein, 1987; 1995).

[edit] Epstein's Theory on Integrating Family and School

Epstein’s main theory for integrating her three spheres of influence involves the implementation of six practices, four of which directly pertain to helping parents and schools work together.

[edit] Parenting

Suggestions for home conditions that support learning at each grade level
Workshops, video-tapes, computerized phone messages on parenting and child rearing at each age and grade level
Home visits at transition points to preschool, elementary, middle, and high school.

According to Epstein these practices can result in:

Positive personal qualities, habits, beliefs, and values for the student
Understanding and confidence about parenting, child and adolescent development and changes in home conditions for learning as children proceed through school

[edit] Communicating

Conferences with every parent at least once a year, with follow-ups as needed.
Weekly or monthly folders of student work sent home for review and comments

According to Epstein these practices can result in:

An awareness of self progress and of actions needed to do well in school both academically and behaviorally for students
Understanding of school programs and policies for parents and more comfortable level of communication between school officials.

[edit] Volunteering

Parent room or family center for volunteer work, meetings, resources for families.
Parent patrols or other activities to aid safety and operation of school programs.

According to Epstein these practices can result in:

Increased student skills for communicating with adults
An increased understanding of the teacher’s job, increased comfort in the school, and carry-over of school activities in the home for parents

[edit] Home Learning

Information for families on skills required for students in all subjects at each grade
Regular schedule of homework that requires students to discuss and interact with families on what they are learning in class.

According to Epstein these practices can result in:

Gains in skills, abilities, and test scores linked to homework and classwork for students
Knowledge of how to support, encourage, and help students at home during the course of the school year for parents.

All of the above information is summarized from Epstein, 1987; 1995

[edit] Related Articles

I found this article regarding Parental influence on their child's educational success. It was quite surprising! Who You Are, Not What You Do New data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study reveals an uncomfortable fact about parents' influence on their children's development: parental education and affluence had more impact of young children's achievement than conscious efforts made by parents to enrich their children's lives (by reading to them, taking them on cultural outings, etc.). Some other findings include the importance of parental involvement in PTAs, maternal age (older mothers had higher-performing children) and (so much for Alice Miller!) no effect from spanking: [www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050504/oplede04.art.html Who You Are, Not What You Do]

[edit] Implementation of Epstein’s Theories

Epstein’s theories have been put into practice very effectively in some cases. In one study from Baltimore, Grandparents were employed during the after school hours as town watchers, which effectively lowered the amount of student on student bullying on the main routes from school to home. This was a volunteer program designed for just such a purpose (Sanders, 1996).

Another example of the program’s effectiveness was the development of a communication system between parents in the school set up through school social workers. The social workers acted as special liaisons between the families and school officials to help parents better know about student academic and behavioral issues at school. The implementation of this program resulted in an improvement of academic issues in all trials and an improvement of behavior in 2/3rds of the students in the study (Bowen, 1999).

Based on surveys given to several schools, Epstein’s theories generally lead to behavioral improvements including lowered numbers of students sent to the principle’s office, lower numbers of in-school suspensions, and fewer detentions (Sheldon and Epstein, 2002).

[edit] Personal Experiences

I am an over-involved parent. My daughter started playing Violin when she was three. She practiced ten minutes every day, seven minutes remembering how to hold the Violin, note names, and three minutes on new material for her next lesson. I played the music along with her everyday and I still do. She is ten years old and now plays Piano in the community jazz band. I also volunteer to help out in her classroom at school, and so does her mother. Not only does she do well in what she learns, she enjoys learning. We are thrilled with her success as a student. Kent Randall

In our district, we have made a concerted efort for the past two years to really get families/parents involved with their student's learning experience. We have had parent workshops, family/faculty cookouts, open houses and fun nights. It seems like only a few respond during each event. We have many parents who did not have a great school life themselves as children and who really don't like to come into the school. Some parents are very quiet and won't speak up, others seem to always be on the defensive that their child does no wrong. What we have found is that the parents who come to the workshops, who engage their child's teacher in conversation in a more social spot such as a cook out are more likely to call, come in, ask questions, and volunteer. Hopefully we can keep getting a few more involved each and every time. - V.C.

I believe family involvement in a child's education is extremely important. However, as a teacher, I must be realistic and accept the fact that not all families view the education system in the same light; therefore, not all families will be involved in a child's education to the same degree. I teach in a building where parental involvement is valued, but not often seen. What I have noticed then, in terms of how involved their families are/become in our school and classroom environment, depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: work schedules, availability of transportation, relationship with the teacher/school administrators, as well as their own past experiences with the school system. I try to promote as much involvement as possible, through the use of classroom newsletters and surveys, invitations, and establishing relationships with families early in the year; however, it seems that there are still only one or two families each year who consistently get involved, whether it be through volunteering in the classroom to bringing snack for the children, to donating materials and supplies. I am constantly on a quest for better ways to engage my students' families in their education. It would be interesting to send home a survey at the beginning of the year that would ask parents/guardians/family members how they would like to get involved, as well as what factors may deter this involvement. I wonder if my principal would allow this and if this type of information would be beneficial... -D. Jacob (June 2006)

I think family involvement definitely helps a child or adolescent succeed in school. When I interned at an alternative high school many of the students' parent or parents were completely indifferent. They were not responsive nor were they demanding. For a lot of these students, they did not do well in school and they were getting into trouble outside of school. However, there were some students that were able to succeed despite their indifferent parents. For some it was their inner drive or intrinsic motivation and for others it was the fact that they had at least one adult in their life who believed in them. From working with these students, I realized how difficult it is to succeed in school when you have parents who do not care, but for the students who were able to overcome their life situation, I know they will go on to do great things. B. Harnden

I would like to address this issue from both sides of the coin. I have been teaching high school and middle school math for 18 years, and I currently have 4 teenage children, 1 in middle school and 3 in high school. As a teacher, I have noticed that the students who are most ready to take on the challenges of the classroom are the students who have parents which are involved with their children at home. I have had the opportunity to meet many parents who have monitored their child's progress in school, attended all of the parent-teacher conferences, attended PTO meetings, and attended class scheduling workshops for their chldren, but in the place where the child needs them the most, supporting, monitoring, and spending time with the child at home, the parent is absent or watching TV or on the computer or too permissive. Many of those children have been consistent behavior problems and effort seems to be lacking.

As a parent of 4 teenagers, I feel that my time is spread thin. We attend their sporting events when possible, we go to parent-teacher conferences when possible, etc. But, it is not frequently possible. We do make sure that we spend time playing basketball in the driveway in the evenings, we go fishing on the weekends, and we all eat dinner together every night and on the weekends. That's when we talk as a family. Not all of my children are perfectly behaved or on honor roll all of the time, but they all try hard, and we're proud of that. (Lee Wilkinson)

As a teacher for 16 years I have learned that there are all different levels of family involvement. Traditionally the more involved a family is the better their children do at school. Unfortunately with more single families and strange job situations it is becoming harder for family members or to get family members involved. I think schools have to be creative in getting parents involved elemantary schools are usually pretty good at this but high schools traditionally are not and family involvement decreases. We see this with parent teacher conferences where almost every parent attends at the elementary level almost none do by the time they get to high school. I think schools need to be aware that many parents are intimidated by the school setting and we need to find ways to relax them and have them involved in the school in a positive manner. One of the areas where I have seen improvement is in contact with parents. Email and programs like edline, which posts students grades, that we use has made it much easier to communicate with parents on a regular basis. It is amazing how much easier some potential problems are dealt with if the lines of communication are left open. Simple things like a short parent meeting before a sports season can also prevent a lot of potential problems from happening. Craig Johnson

http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues020.shtml I have taught now for Eleven years and still find family or parent involvement one of the most difficult areas to accomplish. Many schools are experiencing issues with family involvement. I have taught Junior high for the eleven years and have always seen parents back away from involvement in their child's education the older that the student gets until eventually in high school they seem on their own to navigate the waters of education. To some degree this is expected because the older the child gets the less they want their parents to help with issues socially or even educationally. However, my most successful students are students of parents who have found a balance between the students striving for independence and the students need to still have guidance in their schooling. These parents realize that communication is two ways or three and do not often wait for me to contact them. They check on their child periodically with me and constantly with their child. Still I struggle with the majority of my students getting the communication lines to run more than one way. I have found no answers but the above web site sure does offer some interesting suggestions and I think the training would be valuable, where I still to this day have received no training on parent involvement.

I have also been disappointed with the level of family participation in my classroom and in the schools where I have taught. It seems that families are either too busy or don't care what happens to their children in school. Unfortunately, I am not sure it is the teachers responsibility to fix this problem. I think we are only forced to deal with the consequences.

I think that as teachers we need to realize that there are different levels of family involvement. Not all parents are able to have the freedom to volunteer in their child's classroom. Todays parents may be working to 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. There may also be a gap in communication if a teacher does not speak the native language of the parents. How parents perceive their role in the school is also a factor. In some cultures it may not be common practice for parents to visit their child's school unless there is a problem. Before a teacher states that parents don't care they need to find out why parents are not involved in "traditional" family involvement activities. Lily Jimenez

I am a second year teacher. I decided this year to invite parents to volunteer in my room during writing workshop time. I have three parents that each come in once a week to help my students edit their writing. It is amazing to me the difference that these three parents make. Students are getting extra attention, the parents feel comfortable in the classroom, a bond is formed between the parents and I, and everyone is benefiting. I have really enjoyed the experience, and plan to continue to involve parents as much as possible! -NMF

It seems that all too often the burdun of raising a child falls on his or her teachers instead of the parents. Having a child is easy: raising a child is hard. Trying to get the parents involved in a child's education can be difficult, but is often rewarding. I have found that sometimes parents just don't know how to get involved; by offering them lots of information and opportunities that they can participate in this problem can be allieviated. If the parents simply work too much, or are genuinely not interested, perhaps other relatives such as grandparents, siblings, or other close family members can get involved. Also, the importance of additional supportive adults such as godparents, neighbors, family friends, etc., should not be forgotten, and these people should also be included in a child's education experience.

I have found a correlation between family involvement and the academic/social success of the child. Family involvement, to me, means being very supportive. This can be as simple as asking what happen in school today (and then actively listening and responding to the child) to attending all events that the child is involved in. If a child is having academic problems and/or behavioral problems, he (she) has a better chance of remediation if he (she) has the full support of his parents/guardians and the teacher has their full support. I am thankful that there are grandparents, etc. that are willing to step in to this role when the child’s parents are neglectful. Connie Early

It is the attitude that schools are raising children that is part of the problem. I am very involved with my children and their education but I can't count how many times a teacher assumes she knows more about my child than me. I hear the same things every year (not bad my children arewell behaved) and every teacherfeels like they are the only ones to notice or discover an essential part of my child. I usually get along with teachers especially once they really get to know my child betteer and myself better. Occasionally, I run into a teacher with a condescending attitude and who feels I have to listen to him/her and I am only a parent. Chicago has been working on improving parental-school relationships and through their research one of the points they make is that children spend about 1/16 (including k-12 and 4 years of college) in school. They acknowlege that parents know and understand their children better than someone who at most will spend nine months and at first meeting usually three months.Sometimes the blame gets put on the parent and the school acts like they are educating children in a vacuum (they have an effect and therefore a responsibility). I realize some parents do not care but the majority do and how they are treated will afeect that outcome. Teresa Hibler

As a teacher and a mother, I feel that involvement in your student's education is extremely important in the early years. As the student matures, the parents have to allow that student to have some of the responsibility for their learning and try to avoid making assumptions when deficits occur. I have encountered parents that have a difficult time letting their child bear the responsibility for lack of homework completion, poor test scores or classroon behavior, wanting to place the blame on the school, teacher or other students. When my own young children have had issues at school, I ask them what they may have done to cause the unwanted experience before assuming my child is innocent. Parents know their children better, but in a different way than teachers do. Of course a parent wants their child to behave properly, but needs to be aware that children act different in an environment with peers than they act with their family. How a parent handles a discipline problem sets a tone for the way the child will act in the future. I have had students tell me that their parent thinks it is funny when they get in trouble at school, so that student continues to misbehave and the school is limited in the consequences they can administer. I have told my own children that it would be great if their teachers remember them as good students, but even better if they are remembered as good kids. Chris Snodgrass

As a teacher, most of my students' parents are very active in their education. I was looking at my class of 28 students, and I only have two students that have parents that are not truly active in their education. These two students are at this time failing my class. I am saddened by this thought. I have asked for these parents to come in for a conference and I did not get a reply. As a parent, I truly try to be an active parent. Since I do work, I can not be a classroom parent. Sometimes other parents frown upon the fact that I do work. I try to be active in different ways. I have volunteered to be the cookie mom for my daughter's Brownie troop. (Ask me in February if this was a good idea.) I always try to encourage my daughter to do well and always enjoy school. Once the enjoyment is gone, it is hard to bring back into a student's life. Nichole Jessup

This is my 5th year of teaching elementary school. There's something about my class this year that just brings a smile to my face. My students come from homes where family involvement is clearly in practice and I am reaping the benefits of it. I have the lowest amount of missing (typically less than 5/72!) homework and projects are handed in on time. Parents encourage their children to read and practice math facts with them. I recently overheard a girl say that her dad taught her how to do division, something we haven't even reacher yet in our curriculum. Aside from helping with academic tasks, the family involvement I have seen demonstrate includes being aware of what is going on in school and supporting learning. It makes all of the difference in the world. -Heidi M. Savoca

There are many ways to achieve family involvement. For children with special needs, family involvement in the service provision process is even more essential to a success of a program. Working in the early childhood special education field, I am required to contact with families on a regular basis in order to include family’s priorities and concerns in program design. For instance, we ask families about their expectations of their children and what they want to see in the short-run and long-run regarding their children’s improvement. Our services are family oriented. During school years, we also invite families to participate in school activities and provide resources in children’s learning at home. --Ting 17:03, 11 Dec 2004 (CST)

Personal testimony: I am concerned that teachers give up on involving families when they get disappointed about limited successes. Teachers need to accept that it is their professional responsibility to reach out to families and to not take it personally when the families do not reciprocate. Teachers expect too much from families; just because parents do not come to parent-teacher conferences, it does not mean that they do not care about their child(ren). Educators need to give families the benefit of the doubt and continue to make every effort to reach out.

(Response: As a teacher, I can tell you that very few teachers "give up" on their students and we do realize that parents care about their student. We can never expect too much from families, it is their child, their responsibility. Conference time is not the only time available to discuss the student, teachers often give up personal time to meet with parents because the scheduling doesn't work to meet during school hours. In most cases, parents (families) have a couple of students to keep tabs on, teachers have many (180 in my case). We care...sometimes too much.)

I cannot help but believe that there is a direct correlation between family involvement and student success. For the most part, my students who are failing are the children that I wouldn't know their parents if they came to my front door. They are the students whose report cards are still in the office because they have never been picked up. They are the parents who have been invited four times (minimum) to intervention meetings, where teachers are prepared to employ any intervention stategies needed. We will stay after school and tutor children but plans must be in place to get that child home after such sessions. We cannot just have a child stay for extra help without parental permission. Telephone call are never answered- caller ID is a great tool for these parents. Teachers give up- PLEASE!! When is too much expected of a family? Isn't the welfare of the child suppose to be of utmost importance to the family? When did handling all these issues become the responsibility of teachers and administrators? Thank goodness these families are few , comparitively. When Mom or Dad come in, kids raise their own level of expectations, plain and simple. There are a few exceptions. Sometimes there is a child who succeeds depite the lack of interest by his/her parents. N. Meeker

May be preaching to the choir here, but I too believe there is a correlation between student success and parent involvement. I currently am very concerned for one of my students who is failing all his core subjects. Mother has been unavailable for conference or meeting. This student comes from a divorced family whose father sent a gift card for his November birthday but didn't bother to call at Christmas or anytime since the birthday. This elementary aged student missed school last week to stay home and 'hang out' with the older sister because mom was out of town. (She had won free nights at the casino. This is a very capable student who I feel is failing hoping for some attention. How many times have we as teachers said, "if I could take that kid home......?" R. Hall

My father worked long hours. Rarely did I see him until the weekend. My mother had suffered a massive stroke when I was just a little guy, so her disabilities made it impossible for her to be involved in my own education. My three sisters and I knew we had to do our homework, and we did it with no help from a parent. Family involvement - that happened when I did something wrong at school. I only had to make a mistake once - Dad made sure of that. Discipline affects many things - grades, behavior, success or failure. My parents were involved, but I never wanted them to be too involved, if you know what I mean. M. Uhls

My parents were not overly involved in my or my siblings education as long as we were not misbehaving. Rarely, if ever did they go to parent-teacher conferences and they did not harp on us about making sure we did our homework or studied for tests. I still did really well in school, so I am not sure how much parent involvement contributed to my success in school. My parents role was more geared towards my moral, ethical, and religous develpoment. I wonder if it is not so much a parents involvement in their child's education, so much as it is the parents involvment in the child's life, that produces positive gains. J. Fritts

My parents were very involved in my education. I had a problem with motivation when I was in fifth grade and they worked out a plan with my teacher involving weekly grade reports and a good deal of dishwashing when the results were not satisfactory. --K. Mills

As a teacher, I have found that the students that tend to do better are the ones whose parents are actively involved in their students education. Even when I have received a negative phone call about an event in class, I still can tell that the parent is truly looking out for the best interest of their child. I wish I had a greater percentage who did take an active role in their child's life. S. Luxbacher

Family involvement is something that is very important when educating children. In the beginning of the year, I make it a point to meet with my students and their parents/guardians. I ask for the parents to fill out a questionarre so that I can know them better and their strengths. Throughout the year, I call upon the parents and family members to come into the classroom and help out when needed. One mother told me she loved sewing, so during a portion of our unit, we had her come in and teach us simple things such as materials needed when sewing and how to start sewing. This gives parents a greater involvement in their child's learning and the child sees the communication and relationship between school and home. JP

I teach second grade and usually have around 24 students. I have used home visits as a way to meet with families that I haven't been able to meet with in a conferene. It takes more time but it means a lot to the parents. Often times the parent wanted to come but they did not have transportation or they had to work or they had other small kids to watch. I also ask parents to write me a letter at the beginning of the year about their child. I got this idea from Lucy Caulkins. It is a great way to start building a relationship with the parents and to get to know their child. If I don't get a letter, I usually give a quick call home and just ask about the child. E. Elrick

I teach the preschool level at a private daycare/Head Start Collaboration site and most of my students a of Mexican disent. The family involvement of all my students are great. Even the older siblings of the children at my Daycare volunteer to help out sometimes just to spend more time with there younger siblings. The parents are amazing. They are always eager to hear praises as well as constructional criticism about their children. They work with the staff to see what they can do to implement better discipline to the child at home similar to what is at school. If all parents where like this, children at school would have less problems, in my opinion. Ty Martin

I believe that it is important for teachers to include parents in any way possible, no matter what the grade level. Although it is true that older students should begin to accept responsibility, many are far from the maturity of an adult. In my experience, the more involved the parents are, the less the student gets into trouble. If a student was causing difficulties in the classroom, one phone call home to an involved parent was enough to eliminate the behavior. However, phone calls home to parents who are not involved yielded negative results. If the parent did not discipline the student, or even worse, blamed the teacher/school/peers for the student’s behavior, then it caused the situation to escalate, because the student learned that he/she can get away with it.

Unfortunately more parents are standing up for what is wrong. I had one parent attend a meeting about a violation with the athletic code and defend her daughter for smoking. She worked the system and found a loop hole so that her daughter did not have to be suspended from the activity even though there was proof (a photograph) of the student in question smoking. This can be devastating to the climate of a school. Most high school teachers have 180+ students and we need all of the parental support that we can muster. –Mindy Waters

To increase parent involvement in school, I feel communication between school and home is vital. Even before school begins, I send welcome letters home to both my students and their parents to introduce myself and remind them of the first day of school. At Parent Night, I emphasize the need to have parent volunteers to help make the year a successful and memorable experience for everyone. Some of the things I ask parents to sign up for are: weekly one-on-one reading conferences with students during reading time, field trip chaperone, monthly classroom door decorator, or secretarial work like making copies or dicuts. I also like to give volunteering opportunities to parents who cannot come into the school during the day. Therefore, I also ask parents to help out at home by planning and organizing class parties, separating and dating book orders, or reading aloud books on tape. Throughout the year, students receive weekly newsletters, midterms, report cards and home phone calls. I also make myself available three times during the school day to receive phone calls. Finally, I give out my email address to communicate to parents. I have found each of these to be very effective tools in ensuring my students' parents feel welcome, involved, and a partner in their child's education. - Tricia Pearl

One of the things that show the parent involvement in school is the parent/teacher conference. I can tell that the number of parents that show up in school for these conferences gives a very good image of how much the parents get involved. Some times I give extra credit, or wave homework just to get in touch with the parents (beside phone calls or emails).The parents who come to me are regrettably the same and generally of students who do not need such a close check from their parents. The more parents for the conference the better for students and teacher, even if one or two of them may consider that the student is right and the teacher just picks on him/her. A. Rosu

I think that parental involvement in the school is vital for smaller schools. Many times we need help setting up sporting events and other extra curricular activites. More importantly, I think it is important for parents to take an active role in their child's daily lives. Too many times, we have students that have no interaction with their parents or parents that want to have no interaction with their child. This can lead to many children not learning how to effectively communicate issues with others and it can also lead for problems that develop with the student to never get addressed. This is probably something that will continue to get worse into the future. -Nick Hartz

When parents get involved students tend to respond. Not only is parent participation part of the State Goals, but it is a necessity to get the parents involved with children. I know for me, whenever I have a problem with a student, I send an email home. The student then pipes up and the parent feels like they have been properly notified. Parents are then more likely to get in touch with me if they have questions once I have made the initial contact. Most parents like to be involved with their children. Educators and parents need to remember we are allies not enemies. – Dale Donner

My parents both had to work their jobs full and over time to support myself, my sister, and my younger brother. However, my parents made it a point to always have family dinner together unless it was completely impossible. My mom also tried to be active at my school volunteering when she could. I think that was important for me, and realized at a young age from my friends that the more involved parents were the less trouble we could get it. It's sad because I understand that some parents really can't find time because they are working so hard, and my parents weren't AS involved as they could be. I think what is important is that parents try to be as invovled as possible, because their kids will eventually realize that and hopefully appreciate it. S.Peduzzi

I have worked at both private and public schools, and in my experience parents at private school tend to be more involved in the education of their students. This is probably due to financial differences, but maybe not entirely. I also think that there is a correlation between level of parent involvement and student success- however not a direct correlation. I have seen students whose parents are uninvolved do very well. Likewise, I have seen parents that I view as too involved, and it seems that their child sometimes suffers social consequences from it. -S. Yunker

Having worked in several different school districts, I have found that parental involvement in the education process is essential for success. As a special education teacher, I worked in Champaign schools for about three years. During that time, I would make every effort to contact the students' parent/guardian to inform them of of the student's progress. Unfortunately, the student's parents rarely got back with me, and during parent's night very few of the parents actually bothered to show up (about 15%). The students in that class struggled, but overall there were many successes. Later, I worked in the Monticello School District, and I had 100% contact with the parents/guardians. It was amazing to me that the difference in success was so great. This has made me really understand the importance of family involvement in the education process. When the parents take an active interest in their child's education, everyone wins! When family expresses apathy toward that same endeavor, everyone loses. Patrick Johnson

I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most wonderful and caring people. I have parents volunteer so often for my band events that I usually have to turn them down or ask that they sign up for another event. I think it is absouletly fantastic to see the interaction the parents have with their children and to see that they support the music program in our district. Of course I do have parents that are not able to particpate in the extra activities but do support and encourage their child at home. I am truly grateful for the parents that make a positive impact on their students progress. M. Rice

I know that children come from a variety of backgrounds and their parents will always be involved to different degrees. I think it is the job of the teacher to be in constant contact with parents about about how their child is doing or how they can better assist their child. I wish more parents were involved, but I also know that many of them are doing the best they can and just getting by, so that is where the teacher needs to step in and support that student in their learning. E. Kilroy

The amount of family involvment varies for the students in my classes. Some parents sit down with their children and help them with their homework every single night. Other parents do not even ask their children if they have homework. I understand that in this era, many parents have to work just to support their families and they may not get to spend time with their children. But parents also need to realize that they are a very important factor in their students' education. I try to maintain good parental contact.
I have one problem with parental involvement. I have one particular parent who does her child's homework for him. She does this for all of his classes. He is an only child and she has done this for his entire life. He is now a freshman. She writes his reports, does his math, and everyother subject. She once called me and wanted me to work out every problem on a math pretest and fax it to her. I find this ridiculous. Just the other day, she wrote this on her son's test "Grade says I need more help". Her son received a "D" on his test. I was steaming, because her son NEVER asks me for help. I stay late 2 days a week to tutor after school and we also provide an tutor during school hours 2 days a week. This student has NEVER seen either of us. He never has anything to do in study hall, because he takes all of his homework home for his mother to do. I guess I would call this learned helplessness. Is this mother planning to do this for her son all the way through college? Should we be calling her in to talk to her about it? I have to be careful, because I am a non-tenured teacher in a very small community. ~ J. Herrmann

Parent involvement is one of the greatest things a teacher can work with to make their year easier. It gives the teachers and the families an opportunity to learn about each other and gain information and experience about the people most important to the students. Parent involvement is something one must work very hard at. For the most part, the families will not make the first move by coming to you. They will wait for you. It looks real good anyway if you make the first move because it shows that you care. Parents and teachers are the major people in the lives of students and it is very important that the student is able to see that both the teachers and the families care and can get along. ~ R. Hayes

[edit] Works Cited

Arnette, J. J. (2001) Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A

Cultural Approach. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ

Epstein, J. L. (1987) School – Toward a Theory of Family – School Connections: Teacher Practices and Parent Involvement. In: Social Intervention: Potential and Constraints. Hurrlemann, Kaufmann, and Losel, Eds. Walter de Gruyter, New York, NY. p. 121-136

Epstein, J. L. (1995) School – Family – Community Partnerships. Phi Delta Kappan. v. 76(9), p. 701-713.

Sheldon, S. B. and Epstein, J. L. (2002) Improving student behavior and school discipline with family and community involvement. Education and Urban Society. v. 35(1), p. 4-26.

Snyder, J. and Patterson, G. R. (1987) Family Interaction and Delinquent Behavior. In: Handbook of Juvenile Delinquency. Quay, Ed. John Wiley and Sons, NY. p. 216-243.