Parent Involvement

Presented by:

Terri Collier, Title I Coordinator

West Virginia Department of Education

“The evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school and through life.”

A New Wave of Evidence—In Short Anne Henderson & Karen Mapp

Definition of Parent Involvement

The participation of parents in regular, two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities; including ensuring that parents:

a) play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

b) are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education;

c) are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;

d) the carrying out of other activities, such as those in Title I, Sec. 1118. Title IX General Provisions, Part A, Sec. 9101

Student

Family School

Community

“Effects of Title I Parent Involvement on Student Reading and Mathematics Achievement”

Ann Shaver and Richard Walls, 1998

Results

Normal Curve Equivalent

Gains in Skill Area

High-Parent Involvement

Children

Low-Parent Involvement

Children

Total math 18.3 10.6

Math application

12.9 9.3

Total reading 13.3 4.4

Reading comprehension

10.9 4.7

Results

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Total math

Math application

Total reading

ReadingComprehension

High Parent Involvement Low Parent Involvement

\

Parents don’t care

Parents feel intimidated

Lack of Communication

Parents are too busy

Parent Involvement & Student Success

Students achieve more, regardless of socio-economic status, ethnic/racial background, or parents educational level.

Students exhibit more positive attitudes and behavior.

Students have higher graduation rates. Children who are the farthest behind make the

greatest gains. Student behaviors, such as alcohol use, violence,

and antisocial behavior decrease.

Parent Involvement and School Quality

Schools have improved teacher morale and higher ratings of teachers by parents.

Schools have more support from families and better reputations in the community.

Schools outperform identical programs without parent and family involvement.

Schools where children are failing improve dramatically.

Schools’ practices to inform and involve parents are stronger determinants of whether parents will be involved with their children’s education.

Parent Involvement & Program Design

For low-income families, programs offering home visits are more successful in involving parents.

Frequent and effective communication from the school increases involvement.

Parents are more likely to become involved when educators assist parents in helping their children with their schoolwork.

Educators and administrators must receive professional training on working with parents.

The parent/educator relationship must be developed into a comprehensive, well-planned partnership.

Barriers to Parent Involvement Programs

Parents/teachers do not easily communicate with each other because of issues regarding race, culture, socioeconomic status, and education

There is a breakdown in communication when the educational environment is not sensitive to home- language and home culture

Parent Involvement programs are school dominated

Economic security limits the time parents devote to their child’s education

Barriers to Parent Involvement Programs

Teachers feel that parents do not have time/interest to interact

Parents do not like to get involved because of memories from childhood school days

Fear that parents do not have skills to help children learn and socialize

Parents are not taught how to be involved with school and teachers

Teachers lack training and support in working with parents

Parent Involvement Patterns

Partnerships tend to decline across the grades. Affluent communities currently have more positive

family involvement, on the average. Schools in more economically depressed

communities make more contacts with families about problems and difficulties their children are having.

Single parents, parents who are employed outside the home, parents who live far from school, and fathers are less involved, on the average, at the school building.

Joyce L. EpsteinPh.D., Sociology,Johns Hopkins University

Director - Center on School, Family, and Community PartnershipsCo-Director – School, Family, and Community Partnership Program of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR)

The Keys to Successful

Partnerships Parenting Communicating Volunteering Learning at Home Decision-Making Collaborating with the Community

Categorizing the Parent Involvement Activities

Research Conclusions

Just about all families care about their children, want them to succeed, and are eager to obtain information from schools and communities so as to remain good partners in their children’s education.

Research Conclusions

Just about all teachers and administrators would like to involve families, but many do not know how to go about building positive and productive programs and are consequently fearful about trying. This creates a “rhetoric rut,” in which educators are stuck, expressing support for partnerships without taking any action.

Research Conclusions

Just about all students at all levels want their families to be more knowledgeable partners about schooling and are willing to take active roles in assisting communications between home and school. However, students need much better information and guidance than most now receive about how their schools view partnerships and about how they can conduct important exchanges with their families about school activities, homework, and school decisions.

Working With Parents

Make parent involvement a school-wide effort Encourage involvement from the entire family Involve students in recruiting parents Create a warm, open atmosphere Schedule activities at the convenience of parents Offer special services for parents Find out why parents are distancing themselves Convey good news and information Recognize and commend involvement Involve parents in decision making

Title I Requirements

Parent Involvement Policy Compact Building Capacity for Involvement

www.kpirc.org