August 1999 Parent Volunteers: Good for Students and Schools
"It is important for educators to note that parents have different skills and differing levels of comfort when it comes to school involvement." The latest booklet in the Laboratory's By Request series explores how schools and families can work together to maximize every child's chance for success.
In Parent Partners: Using Parents to Enhance Education, authors Jennifer Fager and Cori Brewster make a strong case for involving parents at school, citing benefits for students, parents, and teachers. More than 30 years of research on parent involvement has consistently found it to produce positive results for children, from decreased dropout rates to improved behavior, motivation, and academic performance.
Despite the clear evidence of the importance of parent involvement, schools often struggle to engage a significant number of parents. The authors point to many complex issues that contribute to the success or failure of parent-involvement efforts, such as teacher and parent willingness, school climate, administrative support, and teacher training.
"It is important for educators to note that parents have different skills and differing levels of comfort when it comes to school involvement," stress Fager and Brewster. "Schools must recognize personal preferences, value the different roles volunteers can play, and provide a variety of ways for parents to get involved."
The booklet identifies six basic ways schools can engage parents in their child's education:
By strengthening parenting skills and providing information on child and adolescent development, schools can assist families in creating home conditions that support learning at each age and grade level
- Parenting—
Communicating— Schools can encourage school-to-home and home-to-school communication to keep both sides informed about student progress and school programsVolunteering— Schools can involve parents as volunteers by actively recruiting parents, supporting them with training, providing plenty of opportunities for involvement, and accommodating different schedulesLearning at home— Through homework and other at-home learning activities, schools can help parents get involved in their children's education outside school hoursDecisionmaking— By including parents as participants in advisory committees, site councils, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and other organizations, schools can include families in decisionmaking processesCollaborating with community— Schools can host parenting, adult literacy, and English-as-a-second-language classes—as well as coordinate the resources of local businesses, community organizations, colleges, and other groups—to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and developmentFager and Brewster then describe key steps in implementing a parent-involvement program, including ideas for planning and preparation, engaging parents, training teachers, and providing ongoing program management and support. The authors also discuss potential barriers to successful partnerships and provide strategies for dealing with difficult parents. Profiles of eight Northwest schools illustrate just a few of the ways schools and families can build strong partnerships.
For a free copy of Parent Partners: Using Parents to Enhance Education, please turn to the Document Order Form in this newsletter.
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