ED269137 86 Parents and Schools.

Author: Becher, Rhoda

ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Urbana, Ill.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

Parent involvement is critical in facilitating children's development

and achievement and in preventing and remedying educational and

developmental problems. Declining achievement scores, rising

educational costs, and distrust of bureaucratic institutions are among

the factors which have refocused attention on the rights,

responsibilities, and impact of parents.

BENEFITS TO CHILDREN

Substantial evidence exists to show that children whose parents are

involved in their schooling have significantly increased their

academic achievement and cognitive development (Andrews and others

1982; Henderson 1981; and Herman and Yeh 1980). The parent-child

relationship is improved and parents more frequently participate in

the child's activities.

Parents also increase the number of contacts made with the school and

their understanding of child development and the educational process.

Another effect of parent-school cooperation is that parents become

better teachers of their children at home and use more positive forms

of reinforcement.

EFFECTS OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Research reports indicate that parents involved in child care and

educational programs develop positive attitudes about themselves,

increase self-confidence, and often enroll in programs to enhance

their personal development. They also are more positive about school

and school personnel than uninvolved parents (Herman and Yeh 1980),

help to gather community support for educational programs, and become

more active in other community activities.

EFFECTIVE APPROACHES TO PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Parent visits to the center, school, or classroom, parent meetings and

workshops, and parent-teacher conferences are effective in encouraging

parents' participation in their children's education. Written and

verbal information from teachers on the program and the children's

progress is also helpful (Herman and Yeh 1980; Meighan 198l; Seginer

1983).

Parents most enjoy participating in classroom activities, parent

meetings, and policy planning sessions (McKinney 1980). They are most

interested in meetings dealing with educational concerns or personal

growth and development. Of less interest are meetings dealing with

careers, job training, and social services. Somewhat surprisingly,

social and fundraising activities were listed by parents as the least

popular form of parent involvement.

PROBLEMS IN INVOLVING PARENTS

Researchers found that teachers are sometimes reluctant to encourage

parent involvement because they

--Are uncertain about how to involve parents and still maintain their

role as specialized "experts"

--Are uncertain about how to balance their concern for the group of

children against a more personalized concern for each individual

child, which they believe would be expected if parents were more

involved (McPherson 1972)

--Believe parent involvement activities take too much planning time,

turn responsibility for teaching over to parents, and are disruptive

because parents do not know how to work with children

--Are concerned that parents may use non-standard English or

demonstrate other undesirable characteristics

--Question whether parents will keep commitments, refrain from sharing

confidential information, and avoid being overly critical

On the other hand, parents complain that the bureaucracy of the

schools discourages their involvement and their expression of

concerns, complaints, and demands (Wagenaar 1976).

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL PARENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS

Despite difficulties, the proven benefits of parent participation

result in continued interest in developing these programs. The

following characteristics are a basis for developing, implementing,

and evaluating successful parent involvement efforts. Included are

assumptions about parents held by teachers and principals who operate

successful programs as well as principles for implementing such

programs.

Assumptions Made about Parents

Successful programs emphasize the contributions parents already make

to their children's development and education. As a result, parents

feel good about themselves and the program and are more willing to

become actively involved. In the belief that parents can make

additional contributions, successful programs help parents identify

other skills they can share.

Parents have important perspectives on their children and can provide

the teacher with information about their child's relationships,

interests, and experiences outside of the school or center. This

information enhances the teacher's understanding of the child and

contributes to more effective teaching.

Whereas parent-child relationships are personal, subjective, and

long-term, teacher-child relationships are objective, impersonal, and

short term. Successful programs recognize these differences when

suggesting home activities and view processes and activities from the

perspective of the parents rather than from that of the staff.

Successful programs recognize that most parents really care about

their children but may feel it is more important to spend an evening

at home than to attend a meeting only distantly concerned with their

child. Staff also believe parents are interested in learning

parenting, developmental, and educational techniques.

Effective programs understand that parents have many reasons for their

involvement, that they may have good intentions but may not understand

how to help. The staff takes care to clearly state objectives and ways

for parents to work well with their child.

Principles for Implementing Successful Programs

--Match goals, purposes, and activities

--Realistically consider staff skills and available resources

--Recognize variations in parents' skills

--Respond to parent needs with flexible and creative program

activities

--Communicate expectations, roles, and responsibilities

--Involve parents in decision making and explain administrative

decisions to encourage parents to respond to decisions rationally

--Expect problems but emphasize solutions. Because problems are

anticipated, policies and procedures for resolving them are developed

and communicated to parents. "Failure" is not blamed on the parents

--Seek optimum versus maximum involvement. Parent involvement takes

time, effort, and energy. If staff or parents become overextended,

they may feel drained and resentful

CAUTIONS AND CONCERNS

Responsiveness to the following concerns may help to justify

increasing optimism that parent involvement can improve education and

educational opportunities for children.

--Continuous and increased emphasis on the crucial role of parents in

facilitating intelligence, achievement, and educability can place

excessive pressure and responsibility on parents

--Little attention is given to the role of the father

--The focus of educational responsibility should not shift toward the

parent so much that schools, programs, and teachers fail to examine

the ways in which they might change to more fully enhance children's

development, education, and achievement

--Parent involvement programs may antagonize teachers who already feel

overwhelmed by responsibilities beyond the direct instructional role

Successful parent involvement programs benefit parents, children, and

teachers and, therefore, have significant impact on children's

education.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Andrews, S. R., and others. "The Skills of Mothering: A Study of

Parent-Child Development Centers." MONOGRAPHS OF THE SOCIETY FOR

RESEARCH IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 47 (Serial No. 198). 1982.

Henderson, H., editor. PARENT PARTICIPATION-STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: THE

EVIDENCE GROWS. OCCASIONAL PAPER. Columbia, MD: National Committee for

Citizens in Education, 1981. ED 209 754.

Herman, J. L., and J. P. Yeh. SOME EFFECTS OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN

SCHOOLS. 1980. ED 206 963.

McKinney, J. EVALUATION OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

PROGRAMS 1979-1980. (Technical Summary, Report No. 8130).

Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia School District, Office of Research and

Evaluation, 1980. ED 204 388.

McPherson, G. H. SMALL TOWN TEACHER. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University

Press, 1972.

Meighan, R. "A New Teaching Force? Some Issues Raised by Seeing

Parents as Educators and the Implications for Teacher Education."

EDUCATIONAL REVIEW 33 (1981):133-142.

Seginer, R. "Parents' Educational Expectation and Children's Academic

Achievements: A Literature Review." MERRILL-PALMER QUARTERLY 29

(1983):1-23.

Wagenaar, T. C. SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL VIS-A-VIS COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT: AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT. 1977. ED 146 111.

This Digest was prepared for the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and

Early Childhood Education, 1986.

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This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of

Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education,

under OERI contract. The opinions expressed in this report do not

necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI or the

Department of Education.

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