Schools and Parents: A Collaborative Effort

Research confirms that with the involvement of parents and academic success is improved for all students. Knowing the importance, there are best practices that can be developed for parental engagement that other organizations are employing. Above all, the school must create a welcoming environment and along with that, supportive learning environments. Second only to that, the school should develop a system of home to school communication and a better system of school to home communication. Outreach efforts should also employ the inclusion of parents in school planning, and volunteer opportunities that are meaningful. 

It is undeniably essential to have a parent involvement plan integrated into the school processes. It is the responsibility of the leader to employ such a program. Planning on a school campus should involve not only staff, but parents along with the staff. This is not only professionally the correct thing to do, it is a requirement for many accreditation programs such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) which is the accrediting body in California. It is also one of the requirements of the Federal Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). Though it is the obligation of the school leadership, school planning and development is the responsibility of all stakeholders. The research also reports schools are more successful when all stakeholders are involved. Additionally, culture shifts happen to the positive when people have ownership of their school. Everyone can be contributing members because it is not only the teachers that makes a difference. Before students even get to the classroom, they enter the school and should be met with a team of people that all have the same goal.

That goal should be focused on increasing student achievement at home and school.  With consistent communication, the home to school transition will not diminish the message. Parents as partners with the school, on the same page, pulling on the same side of the rope. Until next time...