*Originally posted 09/15/15. Frances Nguyen, the Assistant Director for the Center for Parenting and Family Well-Being, discusses parenting and the new school year.
Most families with school-age children have just started or are about to start a new school year which is an exciting time for both children and parents. And as students are getting settled into their new classrooms and routines, it’s also a great time for parents to look into how involved they are with their children’s education. When we talk about parental involvement in education, it encompasses creating a home environment that encourages learning, expressing high and realistic expectations for their children’s achievement and future careers, and becoming involved in their children’s education at school and in the community.
Parent participation in schools has been shown to have benefits for the parents themselves, their children, and schools. Parents who are actively engaged have been shown to have higher levels of confidence in their parenting abilities, are more responsive to their children’s needs, and are more knowledgeable about what their children are learning and policies that may affect their schools. Students with families who are actively involved in their schools have been shown to earn higher grades and test scores, have higher rates of school attendance, and have higher self-esteem. Schools that actively involve parents tend to establish better reputations in the community, experience better community support, and have teachers and administrator with higher morale. So, it’s a win-win-win situation for all parties involved when parents get involved.
Schools play an important role in determining the levels of parental involvement in school, and many schools in the area do a great job of family engagement. Schools can outline their expectations of parents and regularly communicate with parents about what children are learning. Schools can also provide opportunities for parents to talk with school personnel about parents’ role in their children’s education through home visits, family nights, parent-teacher conferences, and open houses. Schools can also have parents as volunteer partners in their programming.
In fact, in the past legislative session, a bill passed that requires school districts to create parent engagement plans, so it’s clearly an issue that’s being taken seriously at the policy level as well.
Children at Risk is looking forward to helping school districts to develop those plans with best practices in mind.
It is of vital importance that schools and parents are working together to enhance their children’s educational opportunities and advancements. For more information, feel free to visit the parenting section of the Children at Risk website.