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| References to "parent" involvement may be interpreted broadly to include parents/guardians/legal custodians, the adults who play a primary role in the responsibility for a child’s education and well-being. |
The Parent Committee of the Norman Public Schools’ Citizen Advisory Committee noted the following as important to student achievement:
- Communicating the importance of education to students
- Stressing regular attendance in school.
- The role of the parents, their actions, and lifestyles on developing a child’s school attendance habits and attitude toward education.
- The legal requirements for school attendance and the consequences for the student and the parent for violating the law.
- Making resources available to help parents.
| Source: | Norman Public Schools, Citizen Advisory Council, 1997-98, Final Report on Student Attendance, Presented to the Norman Public Schools Board of Education, March 2, 1998. p.3 of the Parent Committee Report. |
- Read together
- Use TV wisely
- Establish a daily family routine
- Schedule daily family routine
- Schedule daily homework times
- Monitor out-of-school activities
- Talk with children and teenagers
- Communicate positive values and character traits, such as respect, hard work and responsibility
- Express high expectations and offer praise and encouragement for achievement
| Citation: | U. S. Department of Education. Strong Families, Strong Schools: Building Community Partnerships for Learning. U. S. Department of Education, Washington, D. C. 20202, September 1994. p. v. For copies of this publication, call 1-800-USA-LEARN Available for checkout at the Norman Professional Development Center. |
Three factors over which parents exercise authority:
Controllable home factors account for almost all the differences in average student
achievement across states. (Barton & Coley 1992).
Citation:
U. S. Department of Education. Strong Families, Strong Schools: Building Community Partnerships for Learning. U.S.D.E., Washington, D. C. 20202, September 1994. p. iii
For copies of this publication, call 1-800-USA-LEARN
Available for checkout at the Norman Professional Development Center
Researchers noted three primary factors over which parents can exercise authority:
- Close monitoring to assure low rates of student absenteeism
- Providing a variety of reading materials in the home
- Prohibiting excessive television viewing
| Citation: | U. S. Department of Education. Strong Families, Strong Schools: Building Community Partnerships for Learning. U.S.D.E., Washington, D. C. 20202, September 1994.
For copies of this publication, call 1-800-USA-LEARN. Available for checkout at the Norman Professional Development Center. |
The author of this research presents Joyce Epstein’s six aspects of the home environment that contribute to academic achievement, noting that a high degree of overlap of home and school structures and environments may influence children’s motivation and learning. The six elements include:
- Home activities, especially those with education and intellectual applications
- Style of parenting (authoritative, rather than permissive or authoritarian, appears to be more effective)
- How parents reward students for intellectual progress
- Interactions with family members and peers
- Clear and realistic standards to judge performance
- Effective management of children’s time
This article supports and confirms the findings of other researchers -- that parent involvement at home and in school can result in higher student achievement. Not only did participating parents learn to help their children with schoolwork and take part in more school activities, but they also became role models for their children by continuing their own education and learning new job skills.
| Source: | Bempechat, Janine. "The Role of Parent Involvement in Children’s Academic Achievement." The School Community Journal. Vol. 2, No. 2, Fall/Winter 1992, pp. 31-41. |
"Children and adults can learn a great deal about each other just by talking about their daily lives, current events, family history, and other common interests. Studies show that frequent, open family discussions are associated with higher student achievement (Barton & Coley 1992, Epstein 1991a; Leler 1983, Singer et al. 1988). Parents can get to know the friends of their teenagers, discuss school and outside activities with them, keep teenagers involved in family activities, and stress the importance of the teenagers as role models to younger siblings. An important part of discussion is listening; parents need to listen to and acknowledge their children’s concerns and worries in order to help their children resolve them more effectively."
Citation:
U.S. Department of Education. Strong Families, Strong Schools: Building Community Partnerships for Learning. U.S.D.E. Washington, D. C. 20202, September 1994. p. 10
For copies of this publication, call 1-800-USA-LEARN.
Available for checkout at the Norman Professional Development Center.
According to Huston-Stein (1979), television is a socializing influence on a par with family, school, and peer groups and merits thoughtful attention when used in the home.
| Source: | Williams, Doris K.. Handbook for Involving Parents in Education. Humanics Limited, P. O. Box 7447, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. 1985. Available for checkout at the Norman Professional Development Center. |
Web site developed by Rexel Suba and Elaine Fulton Hale, maintained
by Angela Startz, Norman Public Schools;
"Better Education is Everybody’s Business." |