Location
West High School
1700 Hillcrest Drive
Anchorage, AK 99517-1399

Contact
Lance Bowie, Principal
Phone: 907/274-2502
Fax: 907/272-6176

Description
It is not uncommon for parents of high school students to feel out of the loop when it comes to school involvement. Most of them aren't sure where or how to begin, or if they are even welcome. Recognizing this ambiguity, West High School initiated a parent-involvement program by first establishing an open-door policy for parents and hiring a parent-involvement coordinator.

It is the school's goal to make sure parents know they are welcome members of the school community, but they realize that sometimes parents need an "excuse" to get involved. As a result, the school provides parents with several opportunities for participation. They can take part in one of many organized activities for parents, such as working in the parent-run school store (school sweatshirts and T-shirts are available at the store, as well as snacks and beverages), participating in school booster clubs, or volunteering as classroom aides. Most parent-involvement activities are sponsored by the school's Parent-Teacher-Student Association.

Lance Bowie, the principal at West High, is open to any idea a par-ent may have for other types of involvement. When a parent comes to him with a complaint about the school and suggests what he should do to fix it, he never tells them, "No, that can't be done." He instead says, "Show me how we can do it." He finds that if he can get parents to become hands-on, active members of the school com-munity, they get a much clearer picture of what actually happens in the school and thus are less likely to criticize or complain. They become advocates instead of critical observers.

The schools' open-door policy, coupled with Bowie's encouragement and support of parents, has resulted in a high school with a very high rate of parent involvement. Fifty to 100 volunteers work in the school each week. They can choose to be behind the scenes (e.g., making costumes for school performances); they can be involved in the nuts and bolts of school operations (e.g., raising money for various activities, working in the school store, or participating in a booster club); or they can be on the front lines, actively assisting teachers in the classroom or working with students as tutors. Regardless of the type of involvement, all parent volun-teers are valued at West High. Teachers are more comfortable with parents and no longer feel that parents are in school to spy on them. Parents are happy to be a part of their children's education and to support the school. Kids benefit from the extra adult attention and from knowing that their parents care deeply about their education.

Observed Outcomes

• Teachers feel at ease with parents being present in the building, and parents have a new respect for what teachers do
• Parents feel good about being part of the school and knowing that they are making a valuable contribution to their child's education
• Students realize how much their parents value them and their education

Keys to Success

• Never say "no" to a parent's idea. There is some good in every idea, so be open to new opportunities for partnership
• Accentuate the positive in all situations, and don't get caught up in battling over small details
• Give parents an excuse to get involved-sometimes they need a little coaxing

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This document's URL is: © 2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Date of Last Update: 09/19/2001 Email Webmaster Tel. 503.275.9500