The arrival of summer is always exciting for students and staff. But how should students spend their vacations? Could summer plans significantly affect future learning? Yes, say researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. And parent involvement is part of the equation. In “Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap,” an article in American[…]
Families often associate summer learning with students’ need to make up for academic failures. Ideally, however, summer is a time to maintain skills and even get ahead. Parent involvement is critical to making this happen. As soon as possible, get the word out about summer programs that promote success in high school and beyond. For[…]
Parent surveys are valuable tools for assessing everything from interest in volunteering to support for school policies. They can be administered in person (such as in a focus group) or in writing (via handouts, mailings or email). The most effective surveys are brief and specific, but be sure to also include room for open-ended responses[…]
Schools that have effective programs for preventing students from using drugs succeed because they have the help of parents. But to get parents’ help, schools—and the agencies they work with to create a safe and drug-free program—must provide parents with encouragement and strategies for influencing their children. Foremost, parents need advice in two areas: how[…]
Most schools strive to turn out responsible citizens—people who not only know how to read, write and compute, but are guided by basic moral and ethical principles. To help instill these principles, schools implement character education programs. Perhaps the most successful programs have at least two things in common: They focus on students’ moral development,[…]
Parents are sometimes concerned when a school mentions teaching values. The first thing a school needs to do is to clarify that the values to be addressed are “universal” ones—values that transcend all cultures and religions, such as: caring, cooperation, honesty and moral courage. At a minimum, a values education program should focus on two[…]
As parents register their children for school, give them some parent handouts that emphasize the importance of learning at home. You might have several handouts available so parents can choose from topics such as: Ways to promote reading at home. Reading lists for various grade levels. Math activities to enjoy at home. Setting up a[…]
There are some stories that parents would love to hear. These are things that take place in your school, sometimes without much notice. A student wins a 4H competition. A teacher tries out a new software package to make history come alive. Here are five stories parents want to hear about your school: Stories that[…]