Delaware: Educational Accountability (continued)

Parents as Partners

How You Can Help Your Children Succeed.

Parents can help make the accountability system succeed by being involved. Parents play a crucial part in helping  accountability work to improve students’ academic performance. Along with schools, administration, teachers and community partners, parents need to be aware and take part in the education of their children.

Be sure your child is in school every day unless he/she is ill. Check homework. Help as much as you can and encourage students to do their best every day. Answer teacher phone calls and call the school if you have questions or need help. Set high expectations just as our schools and teachers must do. Praise children often and help them establish good learning habits. Help children develop a positive attitude toward learning early on by referring to school as a place where they will learn things that are interesting, important, fun and necessary.

Interact with teachers and talk with them to find out what is happening at school and learn what their children will be doing. Teachers are also available to give advice. They know about child development and they spend a lot of time with children. Parents also should let teachers know about things that may be happening in their children’s lives that may affect schoolwork, such as a divorce or the death of a family member or pet.

Parents are encouraged to find out the many different ways they can volunteer in schools from mentoring individual students to chaperoning events. Volunteering is essential to improving education and is a great way to contribute to a child’s learning.

Above all, become involved with your child’s school and with your child’s education. Learn all you can about your child’s school either from the school profile on the Department of Education website  (ww.doe.state.de.us) or make an appointment to visit with the school principal and learn what you can do to beome part of your child’s educational process. Become a part of a team. Your willingness to help will contribute to a strong system of support for the students and staff of that school. The Delaware Department of Education welcomes your questions. If you want to know more about the Accountability System, the Delaware Student Testing Program or No Child Left Behind, please call 1.877.838-DSTP (3787), or you can reach us on the web at www.doe.state.de.us. For specific questions about your child’s performance on the DSTP, please contact your local school.