"In this complex world, it takes more than a good school to educate children. And it takes more than a good home. It takes these two major educational institutions working together." --Dorthy Richy, author of MegaSkills
"The
only real measure of a teacher's competence, over time, is whether parents want
the services of that teacher."
-- unknown
| My Family Involvement Statement | Suggestions for Involvement | Helpful website links |
I feel that getting parents involved in their child’s education is crucial; therefore, in my classroom, I will work very hard to build strong relationships with my students’ parents. Studies show that when parents are actively involved in their children's education, the students have a better attitude towards school, better behavior, higher grades and test scores, and long term academic achievement. Student’s achievement level depends on the parent’s involvement; therefore, when parents are constantly asking their children about school, reading with their child, making time for them to do their homework, and rewarding them for doing good in school; children learn to take school more seriously. Teachers and parents need to work very closely because students’ success depends on this. Teachers need to know what is going on at home just as much as parents need to know what is going on in school in order for students to get the best education. To know that parents care how their child is doing in school is very comforting to a teacher and makes it easier for teachers to open the lines of communication. In the same way, I feel that building bonds with the parents of my students and keeping them informed to the best of my ability will comfort parents as well to know that their child’s education is in good hands.
Read to your child
Check homework every night
Discuss your child's progress with teachers
Vote in school board elections
Use T.V. wisely
Ask your child about school every day
Keep in touch with the school
Give your child praise & encouragement
Parent Involvement in Education: http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/3/cu6.html
This website has a review of literature on parent involvement that examines these issues, focusing, in particular on the following five areas:
- Does parent involvement have positive effects on student achievement? If so, what type of involvement works best?
- What are the effects of parent involvement on other student outcomes, such as attitude, self-concept, classroom behavior, and attendance?
- Is parent involvement useful beyond the preschool and early elementary grades--in middle school and high school? If so, what form should it take?
- What is known about the uses of parent involvement in predominantly minority and/or lower income communities?
- What, if any, effects on children's schooling can be attributed to parent involvement in the governance of schools?
Parent Involvement Report Card: http://www.projectappleseed.org/reportcard.html
How well do you support your child's learning? This site gives you questions to rate your contributions to your child's success at school. This will give you an idea of what you could be doing better and what you are doing well in your involvement in your child's education.
A Checklist For An Effective Parent-School Partnership: http://www.projectappleseed.org/chklst.html
This website will help can help you evaluate how well your school is reaching out to parents. You can see what your school should be doing to have the best parent-school partnership possible.
Parent Involvement in Schools!: http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/parent_involvement
This website allows you to
read about many parent involvement strategies that are working for others.
Helping Children Succeed in School: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/succeed/01-parental.html
This website gives you many ideas to help your child in school. It gives you information on parental involvement in school, instilling a love for learning in your child, dealing with school stress, different learning styles, study habits and homework, test taking, grades, getting extra help, parent-teacher communication, and additional resources.
Parent/Family Involvement: http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/lret/family/welcome.asp
The site has a Parent Involvement Unit that works in collaboration with school districts, schools, parents, teachers, students, administrators and community to enhance parent participation in a child's life.
National Education Association: http://www.nea.org/parents/index.html
This site describes what it parental involvement means and why it is important. There are also guides and ideas to help you get involved in your child's education.
Supporting Ways Parents and Families Can Become Involved in Schools:
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/famncomm/pa100.htm
This site has many links to articles about parental involvement and how important it is.
Connecting Families and Schools to Help our Children Succeed: http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/02-1994/parent.html
Find ideas on how to be connected to your child's school and educational experience at this site.
