Stephanie Lugardo Santos

Prof. Arlinda Lopez

November 13, 2015
EDPE 4005
Parental Involvement in Education

Parental Involvement
Lets start off with defining parenting. Parenting has a variety of different definitions throughout
the world, yet it is best to focus on tree terminologies. In Sociological terms parenting is considered the
care and upbringing of a child. In Psychological terms the rearing of a child, the care, love, guidance and
support given to a child. Never the less, in general terms, parenting is referred to as The process of
promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, financial, and intellectual development of a
child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the aspects of raising a child aside from the biological
relationship. When talking about parental involvement, Jeri LaBahn (Psychologist whos worked with
Education and parental involvement in secondary school level) defines it as a combination of
commitment and active participation on the part of the parent to the school and to the student. Jeri focuses
on the problems, solutions, and effects caused by the lack of parental involvement in a child education
process. Dr. Joyce Epstein however works studies a childs education process from the very beginning,
in elementary years. Epstein on another hand defines parent involvement as families and communities
who take an active role in creating a caring educational environment. She further asserts that parents who
are involved with their childrens education are those who consistently demonstrate good parenting skills,
communicate with the school staff, volunteer their time in the school, help their children learn at home,
take an active role in school-related decision making, and who regularly collaborate with the school
community. Her framework is divided into six types of parental involvement which helps educators
develop more comprehensive programs of school, family, and community partnership. Each type of
involvement includes many different practices of partnership. Each type has certain challenges that must
be met in order to involve all families in the students learning process. Each type requires redefinitions of
some basic principles of involvement. In an essence, each type of involvement may lead to different
results for students, families, and teachers, depending on the need and achievement succeeded with each
student or school at whole. Although all schools may use the framework of six types of involvement as a
guide, each school must choose practices that will help achieve important goals and meet the needs of its
students and families to their personal matter. The framework consists of six types of parental
involvement which include:
Type 1 Parenting: Assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding child and
adolescent development, and setting home conditions that support children as students at each age and
grade level. Assist schools in understanding families.
Type 2 Communication: Communicate with families about school programs and student progress
through effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications.
Type 3 Volunteering: Improve recruitment, training, work, and schedules to involve families as
volunteers and audiences at the school or in other locations to support students and school programs.

Type 4 Learning at home: Involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including
homework and other curriculum-linked activities and decisions.
Type 5 Decision making: Include families as participants in school decisions, governance, and advocacy
through PTA/PTO, school councils, committees, and other parent organizations.
Type Collaborating with the community: Coordinate resources and services for families, students, and
the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups, and provide services to the community.

Epstein suggested further that schools follow a five step implementation process:
Create an action team.
Obtain funds and other support.
Identify starting points.
Develop a three-year plan.
Continue planning and working to improve the program.

Statistics
I. The amount of parents who check their childrens homework decreases once the child has passed on to
secondary school.

II. The more involved the task is the less the parents attend the events presented

III. Andrianes Pinantoan and his infographic: Parenting Has Huge Impact on School Success

Facts:
1) Students that have both parents in a supportive role are 52% more likely to enjoy their classes and
achieve straight As than those students whose parents are disinterested or indifferent. Support is most
needed during the early school years, from Kindergarten through the 5th grade, when the the chance for
academic success doubles. Once the student has entered high school, a certain maturity has set in making
them more responsible for their own success.
2) Students that are held back, expelled or face any sort of disciplinary issues in school find more comfort
in having a supportive mother, while those students with a supporting father tend to have slightly higher
grades and are more driven on placing at the top of their class academically.
3) The educational attainment of the parents will affect the amount of time spent preparing the student for
primary school. Parents with advanced degrees are 3.5 times more likely to teach their children the
alphabet, 2.4 times more likely to teach them to count to 20, 1.8 times as likely to teach them how to write
their name and 2.8 times more likely to read to them on a daily basis than parents without high school
degrees. The early stages of a childs life are so very important for shaping their academic future, and
these statistics just reaffirm it.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS ON PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Tip # 1: Start the parent-teacher relationship right by sharing positive notes.
Tip # 2: Teachers, open the door for parents. Make the parent feel comfortable.
Tip # 3: Tip: At the start of the year, set expectations for parental involvement.
Tip # 4: Plan events and workshops that bring families into the school. Example: Career day
Tip # 5: Assign homework that requires family participation.
Tip # 6: Plan school brunches
Tip # 7: Build showcases of what students are learning and accomplishing in class.
Tip # 8: Communication is the key to parent teacher connection. Example: Parent teacher
conferences.

Possible Videos and works to help out on Parental Involvement:

1) Hara, S and Burke, D. (1998). Parent Involvement: The Key to Improved Student Achievement.
Originally published in the School Community Journal, Vol. 8, No. 2, Fall/Winter. Find source at:
http://www.adi.org/journal/ss01/chapters/Chapter16-Hara&Burke.pdf

2) Epstein, J. (1995). Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement. Sources: Michigan Department
of Education, National Network of Partnership Schools, PTA. Find source at:
http://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/parent-involvement6types.pdf

3) LaBahn, J. (1995). Education and parental involvement in secondary schools: Problems, solutions,
and effects. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved
from: http://www.edpsycinteractive/files/parinvol.html

4) 19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School. See the following link:
http://www.edutopia.org/groups/classroom-management/783266

5) Building relationships between parents and teachers: Megan Olivia Hall at TEDxBurnsvilleED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kin2OdchKMQ