Taking a Closer Look: My Child's Academic Success

The U.S. Education Department provides these tips for parents about how to be involved in your child's school, and what to do if problems arise.

Work with your child's teacher and school to keep the lines of communication open.

Partner with the teacher to enhance the academic success and social well being of your child. Attend parent-teacher meetings and stay informed about your child's academic progress. Discuss with your child's teacher what you can do at home to help your child. Go on field trips with your child's class and volunteer to help the teacher in the classroom, on the playground or at special events.

Talk with your child daily about school. Ask your child what he or she learned that day. Ask how the day went, and ask about your child's friends. Review your child's homework each evening, and consult homework Web sites if available. Be sure that your child completes all of his or her assignments.

Be a positive voice for your child

Remember, teachers, principals and others who work for the school are there to help you. Be a voice for your child. That is your right. Also, work with the school to make sure your child's needs are being met. Becoming a voice for your child makes you an advocate.

As a parent, you are the advocate who speaks out for your child and the one who supports your child, not just financially but also emotionally, socially and academically.

Who knows your child better than you do? The teacher may know many things about your son or daughter, but the things that happen at home or have happened in your child's life, only you know. You can voice your concerns and your dreams for your child. You are the adult best able to help your child succeed. By so doing, you become your child's strongest supporter.

Under federal law, you have certain rights related to information that the school has about your child. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the school must notify parents each year that they are allowed to see their children's education records; they can seek to change inaccurate information in the records; and they must provide consent for the school to disclose personally identifiable information from their children's education records, except under certain circumstances. For more information about FERPA, see "Examples of Resources."

If a problem comes up

If your child is having some problems with schoolwork, talk to him or her about the problem. Talk to the teacher, too. Meet with the teacher at a time that is convenient for you, the teacher and the school principal or vice principal. You may want to write a note, send an e-mail, telephone or visit the school in person to make an appointment. When you contact the school, explain to the staff person that you want to make an appointment to see the teacher, and thank the person for his or her help.

Be prepared for the meeting. Write down your notes and questions ahead of time. Discuss with the teacher what he or she can do to help. Ask how you may assist in helping your child. Remember to ask the teacher where you might get additional resources. Take careful notes. After the meeting, be sure to explain to your child what he or she may need to do to improve the situation or take advantage of help that is available. Check with the teacher in a few days to see if the situation has changed.

Here are some questions to consider when trying to solve a problem with your child.

Help for you

Have you attended parent-teacher conferences at school?
What is the best time to go to the school?
What is the best way to approach a particular teacher or principal?

Help for a social problem

What seems to be wrong with your child?
Is your child disruptive in class?
Has a situation come up at home or at school that is a problem for your child?
Is the teacher aware of the problem or situation?
Is the teacher aware of the needs of your child?
Is your child afraid to go to school?
Is your child being treated fairly?
Does your child need to change his or her seat?

Help for an academic problem

Is your child doing his or her homework?
If your child needs additional help, what do you want the teacher to do?
Does the school have a tutoring program?
Do you suspect that your child may have a disability?
If so, have you requested that your child be evaluated?

Parental involvement and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (formerly No Child Left Behind) requires Title I schools to extend a hand to parents to become involved by encouraging:

Parental involvement in Title I schools;
Parent participation in school planning; Parent contribution to policy development;
Building parents' skills and parenting training;
Parent feedback on the quality of the school; and
Meetings with parents on a regular basis.
Research has shown that higher student achievement can result when:
Parents and families support their children's learning at home and in school.
Parents and families stay involved throughout their children's education.
Schools create programs that support families in guiding their children's education.

Case studies

Here are some schools where parental involvement made a difference.

Roxbury Preparatory Charter School

Roxbury Preparatory Charter School is a predominantly African-American school in a section of Boston, Mass., where 66 percent of the children who enter are reading one or more grade levels below the norm. In 1999, a team of educators proposed a charter college preparatory program for a middle school in the poverty-ridden Roxbury neighborhood. The coeducational school emphasizes a rigorous curriculum, character development and family involvement. Roxbury Prep invites family involvement by requiring parents to sign a "Family and School Contract" at the beginning of each school year. By signing this document, parents agree to communicate with their children's teachers every two weeks. In 2003, Roxbury Prep's Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores were the highest of any predominantly African-American school in Massachusetts on sixth- and eighth-grade math and eighth-grade science exams, and second best on sixth-through-eighth-grade English exams. An impressive 82 percent of seventh-grade students scored "advanced" or "proficient" on the English exam. On the 2006 eighth-grade math test, Roxbury Prep outperformed every school district in the entire state of Massachusetts. While test scores have risen, so have graduation rates.

How was this accomplished?

Parents were expected to be involved and committed.
Parent-teacher communication was strong and frequent.
The curriculum was rigorous.
Teachers had the approach that all students could succeed.

Viers Mill Elementary School

Each day, Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md., welcomes students from 44 countries who speak 32 languages. Of the 658 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, 54 percent are Hispanic, 22 percent African-American, 14 percent white, 9 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native. Even with the challenges of diversity and language, an achievement gap hardly exists, and the school has achieved Adequate Yearly Progress. Scores on standardized tests have gone up: in one year, the percentage of students scoring proficient/advanced on the Maryland School Assessment increased from 60.2 to 76.7 percent in reading and 79 to 85.3 percent in mathematics.

Once a month, the school holds a "Family Learning Night." Students who attend with their parents are escorted to classrooms for reading activities with teachers. Their parents remain for a parent-teacher association meeting and a training session on techniques to use when reading with their children. Then, the students, bringing books with them, join their parents and read together. The books, which students may keep and take home, come from the school's Title I Family Involvement Fund.

What else has the school done to involve parents?

Translators were provided at meetings for parents who do not speak English;
The computer laboratory and media center, where families worked together on language arts activities, homework and accessing information on the Internet, were kept open after school;
Once a week, students were given a parent bulletin to take home;
Individual Student Progress Reports were sent to parents at the midpoint of each marking period; and
A frequently updated Web site provided families with announcements about upcoming events, school projects and activities.

U.S. Department of Education (2008)

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Comments

Discovering that your child is struggling in schoolwork can be distressing and overwhelming. I thought this article was very empowering in advising parents to become a positive voice and advocate for their child in all areas of their life. Communicating with your child, teacher and staff members is a key factor in identifying and addressing potential issues. I thought the steps and questions to consider were very useful in guiding parents to a resolution should a problem arise.

Vernon (2009) notes that many families may not understand the importance of being involved in their child’s education or may have conflicting schedules which may be challenging for to participate in their child's education experience. The interventions used in the school cases studies such as the "Family and School Contract" help to illustrate the idea of family involvement and the impact it can have on a whole school. By requiring parents to sign and agree to communicate with their child’s teacher every two weeks. Parents and teachers were in frequent communication which allowed them to be committed and involved and increase the school’s academic achievement. Given the benefits and outcomes this may provide I’m interested in learning if more schools have adopted similar procedures and or other possible alternatives if scheduling conflicts occurred.

I really appreciate this section both as a parent of a three year old who will be going to school soon and as a counselor-in-training. In a time when more and more parents are struggling with helping their children with learning and behavior difficulties and the fact that older approaches to parenting are becoming less and less effective, resources like these are helpful (Vernon, 2004, p. 426). It is comforting to read the section "Be the voice for your child" and know that we can and should advocate for our children in schools and that we can figure out our problems. It is very reassuring to know that it is my right to collaborate with school teachers and administration to ensure my child's success in academically, socially and otherwise during her time at school.

School Counselors have a uniquely important role in these situations. Not only can we help children and teachers navigate any difficulties that come up but also work collaboratively with parents as well. Knowing that a child's best shot at success is when every one involved in working towards the same goal and is on the same page and counselors can help do that. It is helpful for parents to see that parent involvement and initiative is not only necessary, but also welcomed. In many cases, parents may assume that it is the role of the school or teachers to handle their child's academic needs, so it is really great to the case studies that show us the reality. The same is true for schools in Chicago as well. The schools that currently thriving and have turned around poor reputations are ones in which parent involvement is high. Nettlehorst Elementary in Lakeview is one such school.

Vernon (2009) says that Counselors can help parents in different ways, one is a preventative, psychoeducational nature and in the consultation nature, where they are requested for specific problems. It is important for parents to know that this is an additional resource that they have.

This is a great, very accessible article that goes over the importance of parent involvement in their child's academics, as well as gives simple strategies for the parents, as well as for the school to help parents become involved in the school. The case studies provide very useful examples of how some schools have applied these strategies to much success. Typically I have concerns when articles or discussion about parents needing to be more involved in their children's school neglect to account for all the parents who do not have time to go on field trips, or visit the school to talk to teachers, spend frequent nights talking on the phone to teachers, etc. Particularly since it seems the students that stand to benefit most from high parental involvement are those low-income, minority students whose parents may be working two jobs and perhaps would love to be more actively involved but simply do not have the time to do so. To that end, I appreciated the sections in this article that provided less time-consuming ways parents such as these could actively engage in their child's education and would love to see more of that.

I believe this article is a great resource and reference for parents. There are great tips for parents to get to know their children outside the home and to learn their friends and behavior styles. I also appreciate the provided questions that are supplied for parents to ask themselves and their educators. This allows the parent to think outside the box and to reduce any biases and to get the big picture of a situation. This article also had good advice that I would like to use as a counselor, not as a parent. I believe as a counselor it is good to know your students in different environments and to observe them outside of your own office or classroom. By keeping touch and open communication with parents and teachers about the student, sitting in on parent-teacher conferences and meetings, and volunteering at outside school or community events or in school activities or field trips you get to see the students interact first hand and understand them to the best of your ability which is a great thing for an educator, especially a counselor! Great advocacy article!

An excellent resource for parents and students, which was not mentioned in this article, is the school counselor. The school counselor is there to be an advocate for both students and parents. The Individuals with Disabilities Act says, “Parents are to have equal input into all educational decisions affecting their children and the right to refuse educational placements and services if desired” (Vernon, 2009, p. 205). If parents do not know the best way to voice their opinions in regards to their child’s education, the school counselor can work with them to design the best course of action. To ensure the students’ academic success, school counselors will work with teachers and specialists to identify specific academic techniques, implement classroom accommodations, and develop motivational approaches (Vernon, 2009, p. 218).

Parent involvement in schools can make a difference for their student and the school as a whole. Getting to know school staff and teachers and creating relationships can allow parents to advocate for their student and make sure they are getting the tools they need to succeed later in life. For some parents however, being at school often is not an option because of other requirements and that’s okay. Parent’s can still be an important support system for their child by encouraging them and voicing their support. Talking often with your student about school and monitoring their progress can put your child on the path to academic success. If you become concerned about your child, reaching out to a teacher or counselor and expressing your concerns via email or telephone is a way to ensure your student remains on the path of success and can get the help they need.

I think this article gives some great advice for how parents can be advocates for their children and tips for how to be actively involved in their child’s education. As Vernon (2009) discusses, family systems are "especially important when counseling children and adolescents because many of their problems are found within the context of a system." I think keeping open communication with teachers and other school personnel is key. The more communication there is between parents and teachers, the sooner a problem can be addressed if one should arise. I think being an advocate by being a voice for your child and making sure your child’s needs are met is extremely important advice, and is the duty of not only parents but school counselors as well. Being a strong supporter for your child is extremely important for social and emotional growth as well as academic success.

I think a very important point that this article made is that if a problem does arise, parents must talk to their child about it first. Giving students the chance to voice their opinion will empower them as well as involve them in solving the problem and supporting them to succeed. I really liked the case studies that this article used to address the importance of parents involvement and the immense impact it can have on students’ success. I like the ideas of both the “Family and School Contract” as well as the “Family Learning Night,” and these are interventions I will possibly use as a future school counselor. Through keeping communication open between students, parents, and school staff, students can be supported to get their needs met in order to succeed not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

Vernon, A. (2009). Counseling children & adolescents (4th ed.). Denver, CO: Love Publishing Company.

I really appreciated this article not as a parent, but as a counselor who may come into contact with parents of struggling students. I especially liked that this article encourages parents to be voices for their children. I think that we sometimes expect or assume that the schools have everything covered but that is just not always the case. Sometimes parents need to take the extra step to get their students the help they need and this has some helpful steps for parents to reference. Additionally, the case studies give some concrete examples of ways in which the school situations can be addressed and changed. I would definitely refer parents to this article.

I think this article gives some great advice for how parents can be advocates for their children and tips for how to be actively involved in their child’s education. I think keeping open communication with teachers and other school personnel is key. The more communication there is between parents and teachers, the sooner a problem can be addressed if one should arise. I think being an advocate by being a voice for your child and making sure your child’s needs are met is extremely important advice, and is the duty of not only parents but school counselors as well. Being a strong supporter for your child is extremely important for social and emotional growth as well as academic success.