"What Every Parent Should Know About Involvement" *

Building parent involvement is the single most important thing that parent groups do. Often, its the most difficult, too. And that's too bad, because there are many compelling reasons why parents—all parents—should get involved in their children's education. If you're having trouble building involvement, the problem might be that you're not making the right argument. You simply need better ammunition.

A common way to think about getting people involved is to counter their objections. People say they don't have time, so you make it clear you only need them for an hour or two. People don't feel comfortable at school, so you work to make it more welcoming. Schedules wont allow busy people to come to the school, so you find ways they can contribute from home.

Each time you address the don't issues, you open up your group to more people: people with time and schedule issues, those who haven't felt welcome in the past, dads, grandparents, people who don't speak English well.

All of that is important. But don't assume that once you tear down the barriers, people will flock to get involved. They should, sure. But they should go to the dentist more often, too.

Its up to you to make a stronger case for parents to get involved than Its for the kids. For many people, that's simply not enough to get them energized. The good news is that there are compelling, definitive reasons to get involved, and they are backed up by volumes of research. Plus, they apply to everyone—no matter their bank balance, ethnicity, work schedule, education level, or anything else.

 

Major Benefits*

Research shows that when parents are involved in their children's education, the children are more likely to:

• Earn better grades
• Score higher on tests
• Pass their classes
• Attend school regularly
• Have better social skills
• Show improved behavior
• Be more positive in their attitude toward school
• Complete homework assignments
• Graduate and continue their education.

A Significant Difference*

One study found that students from families with above average parental involvement were 30 percent more successful in school than those with below average involvement. Success was measured by GPA; test scores in math, science, reading, and social studies; promotion and retention rates; and teacher ratings.