Parental Involvement in Education

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 67 percent of the nation’s 73.7 million children younger than 18 lived with two parents in 2006. Perhaps the more revealing statistic is that there were about 12.9 million one-parent families in 2006. This is an alarming figure when you consider its impact on education. Not to get off track with an extended preamble about tangential issues, but it is fitting to point out that Barrack Obama raised this issue of single parents, particularly on the topic of black fathers, in a recent Father’s Day speech in front of the NAACP. In weighing in on this issue, to the chagrin of several African Americans, Obama stated that “more than half of all black children live in single-parent households,” calling for more responsibility from black fathers. Certainly this topic is not exclusive to African Americans, but this population takes up a large part of the dialogue. While I will not offer any scathing remarks on the absence of a father figure in the lives of many children, it is evident that the family structure has changed substantially over the past 50 years, when it was customary to have two parents (Johnson et al., 2008, p. 77). To say that the lack of parental involvement in school is entirely responsible for the decline in educated children is unwarranted and inadequate. There are a variety of factors ranging from funding to class size to curriculum planning that complicate the matter. Parental involvement is only one such contributing factor, but a very important one nevertheless. As we look towards raising the level of education in this country, the overriding concern is whether parental involvement will improve in order to ensure the well being of our children and this country.

I can say, almost unreservedly, from my experience in this profession as a first-year teacher that the vast majority of educators are committed to helping students achieve success on a variety of levels, whether it involves academics, athletics, arts, among others. The pervasive and highly disparaging belief that teachers are putting in sub par effort in the classroom is somewhat unfounded. The incessant finger pointing in playing the blame game to isolate who is responsible for poor student achievement must stop. It is not only unavailing, but it fails to solve pressing matters that demand our attention. At any rate, most people can agree that communication is the best means to affecting change. Through a synergistic effort of combining educators and parents, I believe that we can redirect struggling students.

Having grown up with two supportive parents who always attended my concerts and sporting events and did not miss a beat when it came to asking about the school day to check up on me, I am inclined to believe that parental involvement is integral to the academic, personal, and emotional growth of a child. Some might misconstrue my parents’ nurturing as sheltering me from the many dangers of the outside world, but they kept me in line and helped me sharpen my reading and writing skills. The myriad issues that confront teens only seem to be growing, but the major problems linked to drugs and unsafe sex persist. I do not wish to suggest that there have not been nor will there be naturally self-sufficient children, but we desperately need to make sure that education takes place both inside and outside the classroom. Educators only see teens for a limited amount of time, which means that they need reinforcement from parents or guardians so that they do not give into peer pressure and resort to such things as violence or skipping school. Positive roles models can help students stay disciplined. Parents can help in reinforcing essential strategies acquired in school by having their children apply what they have learned in completing homework assignments or studying for tests (Lenz et al., 2004, p. 272-273).

Without the help of the family, getting students to genuinely buy into their education is an ongoing struggle and one that continues to become progressively difficult over time. Students need the solid support structure of the family to make intelligent decisions about their futures. Some might argue that many parents of students in high-need schools are uneducated and thus will be ineffectual when it comes to taking part in school-related work. While those in favor of this argument would not be entirely wrong, it is essential to note that parents can provide moral support and help with the ever-important personal growth of adolescents. If parents are left out of the equation, teachers along with guidance counselors end up being overburdened by taking on the role of therapists in addressing student needs that require parental support. Much more of the onus has been placed on teachers in delving into personal issues for students. Dealing with the sheer number of student concerns takes a toll on educators mentally. I cannot tell you how many times I have called the home of a student only to get the wrong number or to leave messages that never get through to parents. It is quite frustrating and students who are struggling or have missed several school days often do not receive the help that they need to get back on track. Parent-teacher conferences do not constitute a great deal of parental involvement. Aside from the meager amount of parents that show up, the brief five-minute conversations are ostensibly helpful in reversing poor student performance, but in fact they do little to ensure student success for the long run.

I am not convinced that teens fare better without parental support and neither is the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, an organization that spearheads a national initiative to foster strong relationships between families and schools. The NCPIE insists that by building the relationship between families and schools, the quality of student life improves on an academic and personal level, teachers develop more confidence, parents become empowered, schools ultimately improve, and communities become stronger. Project Appleseed is one other organization that is currently at the forefront of strengthening the relationship between families and schools. Project Appleseed strives for the similar goals in revitalizing schools and communities by “mobilizing parent, family, and community volunteers inside and outside schools” to increase student achievement. One additional organization that works toward enhancing the relationship between families and schools is the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University, which has implemented a process called Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) to get families more involved in their children’s education. The very fact that these taskforces exist solely for this cause is not only impressive, but it indeed speaks to the significance of this issue right now.

There are innumerable advantages of cultivating meaningful relationships amongst educators and families. The National Conference of State Legislators contends that “parent participation in education is positively and significantly related to student achievement.” A publication sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education entitled Family Involvement in Children’s Education: Successful Local Approaches Idea Book concurs that active parental involvement leads to long-term academic achievement, better attendance, more completed homework assignments, and more positive behavior for students as compared with students that have less invested parents. Most of my students do not maintain consistency when it comes to completing homework assignments. By simply having an adult keep their child disciplined with school tasks, more work can be accomplished during the school day rather than squandering precious time trying to bring these students up to speed with the work. Perhaps even more valuable, if parents and educators work collaboratively, parents will be able to improve their own knowledge. Given the number of immigrant families that struggle with the English language, it would be beneficial to get parents invested in their child’s learning so that they can learn the language. The educational process could conceivably act as a kind of trickledown system in teaching parents the idiosyncrasies of the English language as well as the basics regarding emergent technology.

The imminent future of public education, and more importantly the vitality and moral fabric of this nation, hinges on our capacity to establish outreach programs that bring parents and educators together. I firmly believe that such an enterprise is pivotal in the ongoing effort to reform public education. This begs the question as to how such a tremendous undertaking will be successfully implemented across the country. With a society that consists of 12.9 million one-parent families with single parents who are taking care of multiple kids and working numerous jobs to make ends meet, it is easier said than done in trying to help these individuals find the time to take an active role in the educational process.

References
Johnson, J.A., Musial, D., Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D.M., & Dupuis, V.L. (2008). Foundations of
American education: Perspectives on education in a changing world. 14th ed. Boston:
Pearson Education.

Lenz, B.K., Deshler, D.D. (2004). Teaching content to all: Evidence-based inclusive practices in middle and secondary schools. Boston: Pearson Education.

National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (2008). Retrieved July 27, 2008, from
http://www.ncpie.org/

National Conference of State Legislators: The Forum for America’s Ideas (2008). Retrieved July 27, 2008, from
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/educ/PInvolve.htm

National Network of Partnership Schools (2006). Retrieved July 27, 2008, from Johns Hopkins University
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/tips/index.htm

Project Appleseed (2008). Retrieved July 27, 2008, from
http://www.projectappleseed.org/index.html

Single-Parent Households Showed Little Variation (2007). Retrieved July 27, 2008, from U.S. Census Bureau News http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html