Parental Involvement and Community Support
Earlier this month, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called for increased parental and community involvement in schools. This emphasis on marrying formal education with family support reinforced speculation that the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, slated for later this year, will up the pressure on schools to engage parents in meaningful ways.
One way schools have been successful at engaging parents is by forming partnerships with community organizations. These partnerships are frequently a win-win-win situation: Schools can tap into the already-created network of parents and community members for support. Parents and community members who are unsure of how best to support students gain productive and structured ways to participate at schools. Students benefit from increased communication between their school and their parents. In addition, community organizations can provide access to additional resources that students and parents need. Bringing a community health clinic into the school, for example, ensures that students have access to services without having to miss much class and promotes student achievement by keeping kids healthy. Centralizing services gives schools a reason to remain open during evenings, weekends, and summers, which can create opportunities for extended learning time and after-school programs. These programs and community centers provide a safe place for students to spend time while their parents are working and, if staffed by parents and community members, create little financial burden for the school.
School-community partnerships can help bridge cultural gaps between school and home for many students. Parents who are unfamiliar with the American school system, or who had negative experiences with school in their youth, frequently feel uncomfortable visiting their child’s school or reaching out to teachers. Schools can overcome this reluctance by providing translators and sending written notifications in multiple languages, creating a school environment that feels inviting to parents, and integrating trusted community leaders into school events.
For more findings about the importance of parental involvement and recommendations for creating meaningful parental engagement, download It Takes A Parent: Transforming Education in the Wake of the No Child Left Behind Act here.