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SEPTEMBER 2004

Increasing Student and School
Achievment through Parent Involvement

by Linda Hodges

When it comes to parent involvement and its powerful influence, the research is broad and clear-over 30 years of research has proven beyond dispute the positive connection between parent involvement and student success. When parents are involved, children have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, increased motivation, better self-esteem, higher graduation rates, and a greater likelihood of pursuing a postsecondary education.

The challenge comes in transforming that knowledge into action, as many parents simply aren't sure how to play a more active role in their child's education. According to National PTA figures, while many parents support learning at home, only one in four parents are actively involved in their children's schools. That number shrinks to one in nine among working parents whose schedules often present additional challenges.

But it is not only students that reap the benefits when parents are actively involved-schools and communities also show great improvements. Schools that work well with families have improved teacher morale and higher ratings of teachers by parents. Additionally, schools where parents are involved have more support from and better reputations in their community.

Effectively engaging parents and families in the education of their children has the potential to be far more transformational than any other type of education reform. In fact, a school's practices to inform and involve parents are stronger determinants of whether inner-city parents will be involved with their children's education than are parent education, family size, marital status, and even student grade level. Since teachers are the crucial link in the partnership between school and parents, National PTA invited teachers across the country to submit their "best ideas" for involving parents and families. Here are a few of the ideas teachers gave for getting and keeping parents involved:

When a class or unit concentrates on a specific theme, parents can be asked to come to class and share personal stories or items from home that support the theme or assist with class projects on the units.

Hold an activity night where parents and students sign up to participate different math and reading activity workshops sponsored on an evening in the school gym.

Offer workshops that address parenting topics, such as effective parent-teacher conferences; motivating your child to learn; helping your child with homework.

Request that parents come to school to work with small groups of students to talk about stories and events in their lives to help make a connection between academic activities and life experiences.

For more information and tips on how to use parent involvement to boost student and school performance, visit National PTA's web site at www.pta.org.#

Linda Hodges is president of National PTA, the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the United States.

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