Education Program

Parental Involvement

Overview

As policymakers continue to debate public education reform, one component is repeatedly added to the equation -- parental involvement. Numerous studies have shown that parent participation in education is positively and significantly related to student achievement. According to Family Involvement in Children's Education: Successful Local Approaches Idea Book, a publication sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, students whose parents are actively involved in their education have better grades, test scores and long-term academic achievement. Students also attend school more regularly, complete more homework and demonstrate more positive attitudes and behaviors than those with less involved parents.

Parents and teachers typically agree that increased parental involvement can make a significant difference in student performance. A 1999 study by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research group, reports that 69 percent of teachers surveyed believe that most parents need to get more involved in their children's education, and 71 percent of parents wish they could be doing more.

While a majority of teachers and parents believe that increased parental involvement is needed, the degree and the method of parental involvement can be a point of contention. Some parents, teachers and parental involvement organizations advocate that parents should be involved in major education decisions, such as hiring, curriculum and budget decisions. However, the Public Agenda study shows that a majority of parents are not comfortable making management, academic and hiring decisions about their child's school and few teachers approve of parents taking these roles.

Most experts do agree that successful parental involvement programs should, at a minimum, include the following:

Significant parent contributions at home and school toward student achievement throughout a student's education;
Open communication and creation of a partnership between parents, teachers and school administration;
Welcoming atmosphere at school toward parent visits and participation;
Community involvement in education; and
Establishment of community partnerships that respond to the varying needs of families.

Although they agree that participation is necessary, many parents experience difficulty in finding the necessary time to be involved in their children's education. In today's society, families are more fragmented, and parents are having to work outside the home to meet family economic burdens. Thus, parents have less quality time to spend with their children or participate in school activities. A January 1998 National Center for Education Statistics Statistical Analysis Report entitled Parent Involvement In Children's Education: Efforts by Public Elementary Schools reports that when given a list of concerns that might impede parent involvement in schools, 87 percent of schools perceived parents' lack of time as a barrier to a great or moderate extent. As a result, teachers, parents and parental involvement organizations are partnering to find creative ways for busy parents to contribute to school activities and participate in home activities with their children. The following ideas have been suggested:

Hold meetings and parent-teacher conferences off campus and closer to family homes;
Offer transportation to and onsite childcare for meetings;
Establish communication through newsletters, daily or weekly notes, voice mail or e-mail;
Provide translation services;
Establish homework hotlines;
Provide information and training on parental involvement to parents and school staff;
Free teachers from routine duties to meet with students' family members; and
Communicate with other schools and parents to discover successful strategies.

Activities

The federal government has encouraged parental involvement in education. In 1994, Congress passed the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Title I of the ESEA includes an emphasis on parental involvement. That same year, Congress also passed the Goals 2000: Education America Act, establishing parental participation as the eighth goal of the national education goals. The Department of Education also established in 1994 the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education to encourage businesses, community and religious organizations, families, and schools to support parent and employee involvement in education.

Parental involvement has been emphasized at the state and local levels as well. For example, North Dakota launched a three-year program monitoring Title I, including parent involvement provisions, provided schools with technical assistance, and launched a Middle School Program Standards initiative that includes a parent involvement component. The Wyoming State Board of Education has also encouraged parental involvement by adopting regulations requiring community involvement in setting and implementing district performance outcomes and requiring staff conducting on-site accreditation visits to use a "Parent and Community Involvement" checklist to help assess the school's level of parent involvement.

In 1984, Missouri implemented a program called Parents as Teachers, which involves intensive contact with parents in the home and school. The successful Parents as Teachers program has now grown into a national program, with community programs in 49 states. Furthermore, California has enacted the Family-School Partnership Act that allows parents, grandparents, and guardians to take time off from work to participate in their children's school or child care activities.

Many more examples of successful parental involvement programs can be found at the state and local level. Family Involvement in Children's Education: Successful Local Approaches Idea Book provides additional profiles of ten successful parental involvement programs.

Other information on the web:

News and Publications

Teachers Involving Parents in School (TIPS)
"Educators are increasingly aware of the importance of involving parents in
the education of their children. Research shows that parent involvement
improves student achievement. When parents are involved, children do better
in school. Parental encouragement and assistance contribute to students'
higher achievement, report card grades, better attitudes, and higher
aspirations."
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/tips/OVERVIEW.htm

Michigan
Holland Sentinel (May, 2003)
Committee Making Some Progress on Action Plan for Restructuring
"Tuesday's Neighborhood Impact Committee meeting was filled with questions
as members continued to discuss the ramifications of the Holland Public
Schools restructuring plan, with parental involvement and neighborhood
ownership topping the list."
http://www.thehollandsentinel.net/stories/052803/loc_052803015.shtml

Ohio
Cantonrep.com (May, 2003)
School officials: Education begins at home "Ask Dianne Talarico what the most important issue is in a student's
education, and her answer is instantaneous. Family involvement 'is No. 1 in terms of students' achievement and their success in life after school,' said the superintendent of Canton City Schools."

Education World: Resources on Parental Involvement in Schools

Education Week: Parental Involvement Page (Registration required)

Students Do Better When Their Fathers Are Involved at School (National Center for Education Statistics Issue Brief)

New Skills for New Schools: Preparing Teachers in Family Involvement (U.S. Department of Education Publication)

Family Involvement in Children's Education (U.S. Department of Education Publication)

Organizations and Resources

Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University

National Education Goals Panel

National PTA National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs

North Central Regional Education Laboratory Parent and Family Involvement Page

National Partnership for Work and Family

National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education