Parent involvement can happen many different ways. Parent involvement in education can mean:
Reading a bedtime story to your preschool child,
checking homework every night,
discussing your children's progress with teachers,
assisting your child's learning,
voting in school board elections,
helping your school set challenging academic standards,
limiting TV viewing on school nights,
becoming an advocate for better education in your community and state,
or insisting on high standards of behavior for children.
Some parents may have time to participate in all of these activities, while others may only have time for one or two. Whatever your level of involvement, remember: if you get involved and stay involved, you can make a world of difference.
What does the research say about Parent Involvement?
Research on the effects of parental involvement has shown a consistent, positive relationship between parents' engagement in their children's education and student outcomes. Studies have also shown that parental involvement is associated with lower dropout and truancy rates. Whether or not parental involvement can improve student outcomes is no longer in question.
All parents and family members should try to find time and make the effort because research shows that when families get involved, their children:
get better grades and test scores,
graduate from high school at higher rates,
are more likely to go on to higher education,
and are better behaved and have more positive attitudes.
What are the obstacles that prevent parents from being involved?
Financial/Employment
A lot of parents work during the school day which prevents them from participating during school hours. Others work in the evening which makes it hard to help with homework and other learning tasks. Working parents, especially those with multiple jobs often find it difficult to participate as much as they would like.
Transportation
Access to public transportation can be very difficult especially for those who live in rural areas. For parents who do not have access to a car or other form of transportation, it is often difficult to participate during the school day, make it to back to school night, or even to parent-teacher conferences. It can be difficult for parents without transportation who are not within walking distance to participate actively in the school.
Language Barriers
New Jersey is one of the most culturally diverse states in the United States. Parents who don’t speak the same language as the teacher or principle, or who do not receive written communication in their native language can often feel cut off from the school. Others may be intimidated or nervous to participate because of language differences.
Time
Between work, kids, dance class, meetings, grocery shopping and all of the other things parents do every day it can be hard to be involved both at home and at the school. Parents often want to be more involved but simply feel they do not have the time.
Is there a solution for parents who face one or more of these obstacles?
It is both the parent's and the school’s responsibility to find a solution for the barriers parents face — the key is recognizing that the barrier exists and implementing a plan to address the barrier. For example, if a parent cannot come to a school activity because they do not have childcare, the school could provide childcare during the activity. If transportation is the problem, the school could bus parents in or provide home-visits. Parents also have a responsibility to help overcome the barriers. Have you exhausted all of your childcare options or have you asked if you can bring your children with you? If you are lacking transportation, you could call the school to see if they could provide transportation for you or you could carpool with another parent who will be driving to the school.
How can I become involved in my child's education?
Join the PTA or PTO.
Support school extra-curricular activities.
Volunteer at the school.
Attend parent-teacher conferences.
Communicate with your student's teacher regularly by writing notes, telephoning the school, etc.
Keep your student's teacher informed about events in his life which may affect his performance at school.
Discuss with your student's teacher and parent organizations other ideas for parent involvement.
