Students with parents who are involved in their school tend to have fewer behavioral problems and better academic performance, and are more likely to complete high school than students whose parents are not involved in their school. Positive effects of parental involvement have been demonstrated at both the elementary and secondary levels across several studies, with the largest effects often occurring at the elementary level. A recent meta-analysis showed that parental involvement in school life was more strongly associated with high academic performance for middle schoolers than helping with homework.
Involvement allows parents to monitor school and classroom activities, and to coordinate their efforts with teachers to encourage acceptable classroom behavior and ensure that the child completes schoolwork. Teachers of students with highly involved parents tend to give greater attention to those students, and they are more likely to identify at earlier stages problems that might inhibit student learning. Parental involvement in school, and positive parent-teacher interactions, has also been found to positively affect teachers’ self-perception and job satisfaction.
The No Child Left Behind legislation, signed into law January 2002, aims for all children to achieve academic proficiency and gain the educational skills necessary to succeed later in life. The law mandates that parents be informed on how they can be involved in school improvement efforts, and be provided with report cards on schools in their district, to help guide their involvement. Schools are required to disseminate literature on effective parent involvement, and schools receiving Title I funding must have written policies, annual meetings, and training on parental involvement, and re-evaluate and revise their strategies when needed.
Garden County Schools recently hosted parent conferences and had good attendance. 85% of the elementary parents came to visit with their child’s teachers and 62% of jr/sr high parents attended conferences. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO BE INVOLVED IN YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION! Your involvement has a positive influence on their lives.
-Dr. Paula Sissel
[email protected]
Garden County Schools
Superintendent/Elementary Principal