Getting Involved in Your Child’s Education

What Is Parent Involvement?

The Federal Department of Education says that Parent Involvement in education is the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities. Schools with a strong commitment to involving families ensure that:

• parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning
• parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school
• parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included in decision making
• parents are represented on school advisory committees

Why Is Parent Involvement Important?

Research has shown that parent involvement in education is a more important predictor of student success than family income level or the how much education the parents completed. In fact, kids are most likely to succeed when their families:

• create a home environment that encourages learning
• communicate high, yet reasonable, expectations for the child’s achievement and future career
• become involved in the child’s education at school and in the community

When parents are involved, children are more likely to:

• get better grades and test scores
• graduate from high school at higher rates
• go on to higher education
• be better behaved and have more positive attitudes

Family involvement in education impacts more than grades. Research has shown that:

• alcohol use, violence and antisocial behaviors tend to decrease as parent involvement increases
• educators tend to hold higher expectations of students whose parents talk regularly with teachers
• when parents are involved, students usually have better attitudes, are more motivated toward school, and have better self-esteem

How Can I Get Involved?

Here are some simple, research-based activities to develop strong family involvement:

Communicate

• find out the best way to contact your child’s teacher(s)
• tell your child’s teacher(s) the best way for them to contact you
• let your child’s teacher know right away when you have questions or concerns
• send notes, emails, or call the school
• attend open house and parent-teacher conferences
• ask for an interpreter and translated materials if you need them

Ask Questions

• talk to other parents in your neighborhood
• prepare for meetings with teachers by bringing a list of questions
• ask about your child’s achievement
• find out about extra support that might be available
• ask your child about his/her day
• enjoy a family meal at least three times a week

Show Your Child Education Is Important

• know what your child is learning at school
• make homework a priority, and provide a comfortable space for your student
• limit television viewing during the week to 1 hour a day or less
• volunteer for after-school activities
• attend school events
• offer to serve on school advisory boards
• help your high school student with course selection
• talk about your student’s future

Learn More

• attend parent workshops and informational meetings
• attend School Board meetings (some communities air them on cable TV)
• volunteer at the school regularly, or for special events
• join parent groups at the school like the PTA
• call Maine’s Parent Information and Resource Center (Maine State PIRC)