Parental Involvement in Education

In a time of increasing scrutiny of the American education system, policy makers and administrators are not the only ones inspecting the quality and effectiveness of instruction. Even students, community members, and parents have become a voice calling for change. The standardization era has invited reckless implementation of new regulations and unreasonable expectations of higher academic performance standards. All the while, local governments are plagued with the task of continue to offer high-quality instruction despite the consistent decline of resources. Parents are then left to worry about if their children will receive the necessary preparation to lead rewarding adult lives. With all the variables surrounding education in the public sector, parents must become a more prominent factor in their studies if they want assurance that their child will have the proper development. School reforms have focused on the accountability of schools and teachers, but a relationship between the teacher and parent can merit an accountability from both sides for the success of the student. Parent involvement provides schools that are struggling financially an avenue to offer that state-of-the-art instruction. Also, parent involvement is also a way to instill pride and interest in schooling, increase student achievement and commitment to their education. Though a child’s education is not solely the responsibility of his/her parents, parents need to be creative and active stakeholders in their child’s education both in and out of school hours to promote greater academic and social success.

While most typically agree that parental involvement is a good thing, one of the main obstacles is that there are many conflicting views about what parental involvement truly is. A study published in 2013 showed 100 responses to the question “How do you define parental involvement?” Most of the responses came from school administrators, but there was also a representation of parents, parent liaisons, parents as teachers, teachers and parents as administrators. Despite the different roles, all the responses fell into one or more of the following categories: parents actively engaged (attending conferences, in-school activities, volunteering in the school, etc.); parents supporting (helping the child with homework, making sure students complete homework, creating an environment at home to complete homework, promoting the importance of an education); parents as advocates (for their child's social, emotional, spiritual and psychological development); parents being knowledgeable (not only about the curriculum, but also about the school their child attends); and parent communication (Young, Austin, & Growe, 2013).

Agreeing on a definition of parental involvement is not enough to magically get parents involved because there are challenges in involving parents. National standards and policies have been met with resistance, understandably, because they do not allow for the flexibility that is needed to serve the unique individuals and communities for which different schools are responsible. At the same time, national leaders would be foolish to expect the change they desire without implementing these mandatory policies. Similarly, if there is to be an increase parental involvement, some plan needs to be drafted. For the reasons stated above, a national policy on parental involvement would not merit the substantial impact that the research associated with it. Therefore, policymakers should formulate policies at the lowest level possible. In this way, proper attention can be given to parents’ input on the expectations of their involvement because they can include what motivates them to be more involved.

One of the first obstacles that prohibits a greater level of parental involvement is its inefficiency. The standardization of schools also brought business practices concerned with saving costs and time, plaguing teachers with inadequate resources and large class sizes. Young et al. found that parental involvement seems to be implemented by teachers primarily, but teachers have enough on their plate without having to involve two more individuals for every student they have (2013). In addition to great communication and engagement of the parents, the model that outlines parent involvement as a necessity also implies the re-education of the parents as a precondition for the education of children (De Carvalho, 2001, p. 19). These arguments suggest the debate of whether it is better for the school system to be more efficient or effective. Effectiveness is about achieving the right goals (i.e., student learning and understanding) and efficiency is about doing something optimally (i.e., standardized tests). Overlooking the benefits of parental involvement is terribly ignorant. It may require more effort, but taking the alternative is unfair to the parents and students of the community. If one does something wrong, but one does it optimally, you still are efficient—just efficiently wrong.

It may sound inconsiderate to expect all families to participate relatively equally in their student’s education for several reasons. For example, one set of parents may only have one child in school, while the another has three. The stereotypical family of the last generation seems more likely to have involved parents since they mostly have a mother that stays at home. Today, however, 70% of mothers with children under 18 are in the workforce ("Women in the Labor Force," 2016), rendering the previous picture of the average family outdated and obsolete. Also, a 2012 survey showed that over 10 million students nationwide were living in households categorized as “poor” (McPhee et al., 2012, p. 5). Pressures on teachers and students have been rising in the wake of educational reform, but just because parents have graduated does not make them immune to the growing pressures from the society. The responsibility to properly educate one’s child(ren) is an absolute non-negotiable requirement of parenting. If every parent neglected to take the initiative and ownership of their child’s growth, then societal development would be severely limited and eventually cease altogether. Parents need to be involved to benefit all parties and stakeholders in education.

The research that shows a positive correlation between parent involvement student achievement is abundant and consistent. Regardless of the actual educational value, a parent can have a positive impact on their student’s educational experience by being invested in the endeavors of their school and child. “Parental involvement boosts a child's perceived level of competence and autonomy, offers a sense of security and connectedness, and helps to internalize the value of an education and performance” (Young et al., 2013). In a study published in 1988, students in San Francisco Bay Area high schools whose parents attended events showed higher grades than students with minimally involved or not involved parents (Dornbusch, Sanford, & Ritter, 1988, p.19). Even attendance at events with have less of an educational nature, such as theater performances and athletic events, had a similar impact as more directly related to students’ development, such as Open School or College Night. These are examples of the “parents actively engaged” definition found in the defining study.

Regarding parents being supportive outside of the school environment, there is much for students to gain. De Carvalho found that parents who participate (with time and effort) in their children's formal education have done it “primarily at home through the institution of homework.” Though she labels this an “obscure partnership,” it is important for children to know that parents are supportive of education (2001, p.33). In this way, they are more likely to take responsibilities more seriously. A study by Fehrmann, Keith, and Reiners looked at both direct and indirect effects of parental involvement on student achievement, mostly concluding that increased parental involvement contributes to higher grades (1987). Parents were vital in teaching children proper homework habits and ensuring they were in school. The study showed that students with parents who designated a particular place in the home to complete homework and were encouraged to work on assignments at a regular time each day showed that students spent more time on homework - especially on the weekend – than students with less structure and support from parents.

The benefits of student involvement do not stop with student achievement, though. Parents, teachers, and administrators have potential gains for getting involved or encourage other parents to do so. Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University developed a framework for defining six different types of parent involvement, and how each can affect those involved in education. This framework seeks to assist creating partnership programs between schools and families. "There are many reasons for developing school, family, and community partnerships," she writes (2004, p.12). Conveniently, her six types of involvement line up quite nicely with the five previous definitions given. Through regular and active communication between school and home, the parents can learn to respond to their children’s problems more effectively both in and out of the classroom. It is important for parents to be aware of the struggles that their child is going through in the seven or eight hours a day that the parent might not be around. Besides, the parents will
become more familiar with the school’s programs and policies and will have a better understanding of the decision-making process used by administrators and teachers. By getting into the classroom, parents can experience first-hand the education process for younger students, which may very well be the first time they have witnessed a teacher’s true job since they were in public school. They will also gain specific experience in volunteering and insight in how to continue their child’s education at home through support and encouragement. Through proper participation, a parent can begin to truly feel the support from administrators, teachers, and other parents from the community, which will only further benefit the child’s learning. In the midst of all the potential gains, Epstein reminds the reader that "[t]he main reason to create such partnerships is to help all youngsters succeed in school and in later life" (2004, p.18).

Teachers also benefit both directly and indirectly from parental involvement; having parent volunteers in the classroom and on trips allows for the teacher to keep larger and long-term goals in mind, as well as gives flexibility so the teacher can provide more individual attention if necessary. Even if the teacher does not experience the benefits of parental involvement first-hand, the increased student achievement can positively affect his or her rapport and reputation in the school and community. Because of this, 85% of teachers preferred to work in a school with better parental support than a school that paid more (Coggshall et al., 2010). Despite the term “parental involvement,” the teacher has a significant influence on the participation levels of parents. For a school administrator, one can do very little to mandate parent involvement, especially with those from less-fortunate circumstances who seem disinterested. The administrators do, however, have control over the portrayal of the school environment and professional development of the staff and faculty.

More than half of educators have no previous training relevant to school–family relations or training on effective communication (Symeou, Roussounidou, & Michaelides, 2012, p. 74). A school system in Cyprus (where teacher training is mainly informal and voluntary) had large success in enhancing teachers’ effectiveness in communicating with pupils’ parent through professional development and in-service training. The training course consisted of five three-hour training sessions (once a week for four weeks, then a final session a month later). The sessions focused on theoretical aspects of communication using interactive teaching methodologies such as role-play, discussion, and feedback. This model was useful because the trainers covered effective tactics of listening, questioning, nonverbal communication, paraphrasing, and reflection. The purpose of the month break before the final session was to let trainees conduct two separate meeting sessions with their parents to implement the skills and concepts learned throughout the course.

Despite the diverse group of teachers from all instruction levels, education backgrounds, and experience, teachers found the skills more useful and employed them more often after proper training. “Counseling and teaching present similar characteristics associated with becoming an effective partner in the school setting,” so it is important for teachers to have training in this area of their career (Symeou, et al., 2012, p. 69). A similar action plan or program is necessary on a wider scale for improvement in parental involvement to occur. By following this example, teachers can formulate practical and admirable goals and broaden their spheres of influence beyond the four walls of the classroom.

Teachers who feel unprepared or unskilled in the areas of communication or involving parents should advocate for appropriate professional development and training; however, there are other ways they can increase effectiveness on their own. The first and foremost obligation is actively communicating with parents. Only 57% of American parents reported receiving an email or note about their student in 2012 ((McPhee et al., 2012, p.4). If the responsibility of a child’s education is truly going to be a shared responsibility between schools and parents, then written communication is the bare minimum. It is important to create an atmosphere of involvement by offering opportunities to volunteer in and out of the classroom. Parent participation in the classroom is highest in the early grades (McPhee et al., 2012, p. 6), so the teacher should capitalize on the excitement and willingness to devote time and effort. Once the parents’ availability declines, or it becomes the student’s wish not to have parents around during the school day, a teacher can still encourage involvement by utilizing assignments that require family interaction, such as interviews or goal setting sessions for the student’s academic achievement. The teacher can indirectly educate both parent and student by requiring the family attendance of a cultural or educational event throughout the school year.

The most important factor that determined the level of parent involvement was the parent’s education background (McPhee et al., 2012, p. 7). The survey sorted respondents by school type and size, the locale of household, gender, race, grade level, and poverty status, but most trends found within specific variables were negligible at best. Except for the parent’s highest education level. The pattern showed that the more education a parent had the more likely there were to participate in school-related activities (i.e. attend a general school or PTO/PTA meeting, attend a parent-teacher conference, serve on a school committee, participate in fundraising, or meet with a guidance counselor); various activities (i.e. visiting a library or bookstore; attending a play, concert, or live show; visiting an art museum, gallery, historical site, zoo or aquarium; attend a religious or ethnic event; or attend an athletic event); and receive school-initiated communication (McPhee et al., 2012, p. 7).

Though the survey did not explicitly state work schedules for parents, there was no consistent trend suggesting that poor households always perform “worse” than the non-poor households. Regardless, there are further benefits of preparing all students for post-secondary education. Though there might not be much teachers and administrators can do to affect the current generation of parents’ education backgrounds, they have a direct influence on the next generation’s. Unfortunately, the NCES survey also showed that the less education a parent had, the lower expectations the parent had for his or her child to finish high school or continue their education. Only 39% of respondents with only a high school diploma (or equivalent) expected their child to earn a 4-year degree, as opposed to 91% of respondents who had a graduate or professional degree (NCES). These results serve as an encourager for teachers; they can improve education down the road by investing in the individual students now.

The research showing the benefits of parent involvement is assuring, which begs the question as to why teachers appear to get little information about school–family relations. A national policy (or even state policies) are not likely to come around soon since there has not been a system tested for large-scale reproduction. Good intentions and empathy on the part of the teachers are not enough to see a nationwide movement of increased relations. The aim should be for teachers to be able to talk with parents instead of only talking to parents to merit cooperation and dialogue. From a local school perspective, the more successful parent participation efforts came from schools which offer parents a diverse set of opportunities that are both well-organized and capable of contributing to the education system in the long term. If teachers and administrators expect parents to be involved, parents need to have options that accommodate different schedules, preferences, and capabilities.

The studies provide strong evidence that families can improve children’s academic performance in school. Additionally, parents can indirectly affect the child’s educational experience by impacting aspects such as attendance and behavior, that severely affect achievement. All children should have the support of their teachers and parents, and children at risk of failure can surely benefit from the extra support that engaged families and communities provide. When families of all backgrounds are actively involved in their children’s learning, their children tend to achieve more in school and pursue higher education.

References

Coggshall, J. G., Ott, A., Behrstock, E., & Lasagna, M. (n.d.). Retaining teacher talent: the view from generation y. Learning Point Associates.
De Carvalho, M. E. (2001). Rethinking family-school relations: a critique of parental involvement in schooling. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Dornbusch, Sanford M., and Philip L. Ritter. Parents of high school students: a neglected resource. The Education Digest 53.9 (1988): 16. ProQuest. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Epstein, J. (2004, May). Partnering with Families and Communities. Schools as Learning Communities, 61(8), 12-18.
Fehrmann, P. G.; Keith, T. Z.; and Reiners, T. M. Home influence on school learning: direct and indirect effects of parental involvement on high school grades. Journal of Educational Research, 80(1987): 330-336.
McPhee, C., Bielick, S., Masterton, M., Flores, L., Parmer, R., Masica, S., Shin, H., Stern, S., and McGowan, H. (forthcoming). National Household Education Surveys Program of 2012: Data File User’s Manual (NCES 2015-030).
Symeou, L., Roussounidou, E., & Michaelides, M. (2012). "I feel much more confident now to talk with parents": an evaluation of in-service training on teacher-parent communication. School Community Journal, 22(1), 65-88.
Walson, T.; Brown, M.; and Swick, K. J. The relationship of parents' support to children's school achievement. Child Welfare, 62(1983): 175-180.
"Women in the Labor Force." Data & Statistics. United States Department of Labor, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
Young, C. Y., Austin, S. M., & Growe, R. (2013). Defining parental involvement: perception of school administrators. Education, 133(3), 291-297.