The Link Between Student Success and Parent Involvement

Why Parent Involvement in Education Matters

Do you remember the very first day you dropped your child off at school? I remember dropping my oldest off at his first day of preschool. He was so excited, I was excited for him. We explored his classroom together and talked about all the things he was going to play with and learn. And when I got back into my car with his two brothers, it felt like something was missing. But 10 years later, dropping him off at his second year of middle school, I didn't walk him in (he would have hated that) and it felt very routine.

Taking our kids to school is a daily routine that should become familiar and natural to both child and parent. Too often as our kids grow we begin to disassociate ourselves from the learning that goes on while our kids are away from us. Research shows there is a significant impact in the lives of kids whose parents stay informed and involved in their academic success (Positive Action).

There are many areas our kids need our involvement in, but as a school administrator there are four areas I have found to be most important to academic success at our school: parental involvement, attendance, and homework.

Parental Involvement

In a 2009 study published by the Developmental Psychology journal it was noted that middle school students who had parents who were involved in continued conversations with their students on the importance of academic performance, communicated expectations regarding academics, and/or helped their student with strategies for success found greater academic success than those who did not (Developmental Psychology). Parent involvement is not just for parents who can attend the field trips or volunteer on campus. The success of parental involvement is more about the conversations we have regarding academics in the home.

Although the research above was done for middle school students, this habit needs to begin much earlier than that. As parents we need to remind our children that their work in school is important and why it is important. One of the most damaging things we can say to our kids when they are doing school work is that what they're doing doesn't matter. It usually does not come out with those specific words but more with comments of, "You'll never use algebra" or "That assignment is not important". Our voice needs to encourage hard work and effort in the lives of our kids. If we don't agree with the teacher we need to privately speak with the teacher and not involve our students in the disagreement in any form. When we do this it tears down the teacher's authority in the eyes of our children and discourages their academic involvement.

Our words are extremely important for the academic success of our children.

Attendance

Every year I am shocked by the one or two students who receive a "Perfect Attendance Award" because it is nearly impossible. But I am equally shocked by the one or two students who have double-digit absences and are tardy nearly every day. Both of these extremes are usually the result of parent decisions. Until our children can drive, it is our responsibility as parents to make sure they are on time and at school each day. Their attendance is really our attendance.

What we don't always realize is the result of chronic attendance issues. Whether it is a full day absence or only 30 minutes of a lesson our children are missing instruction that is critical to their academic success. Several studies show a strong correlation between regular attendance and academic achievement, and less occurrences of dropping out (National Center for Education Statistics).

As parents we need to prioritize our children being present at school.

Homework

A Penn State study showed that there was no correlation between parent help with homework and academic achievement (Penn State). The study shows that student who receive help versus those that do not receive help show no statistical significance. But if that's the case, why do I still list this as one of the most important ways to be involved? Because it's not about the help with the work, and it's more about the help with the way our children think.

Parents need to emphasize the importance of practice through homework (Developmental Psychology). They need to help reinforce good habits and routines regarding academics (Positive Action). Completing homework, keeping track of homework, and turning it in, teaches our children how to schedule and manage their responsibilities. Following through with the practice of homework is a skill that will benefit our children not only in school but in their future workplace.

Homework should be simply the practicing and reinforcing of skills learned in class, but the management skills our children learn from homework is instrumental to preparing them for their future.

The Partnership

To help our students find academic success we need to stay engaged and supportive of the school. Our job is to continue to have conversations about the importance of school, keep our kids in the classroom as much as possible, and support their growth through learning to manage their responsibilities. Partnering between parenting and education is essential for academic success.