Engaging Parents  

Communities are strengthened by enabling and encouraging the widespread participation of its citizens. People?s sense of belonging and worth grow when they are given plenty of choices and chances to make a difference to the health and vitality of their communities - Volunteering Victoria

Schools are no different and the impact of parent participation goes to the health and vitality of their children, the teachers and the school as a community. Yet parents are often busy people, juggling work and family commitments around their children?s schooling impacting on their time available for volunteering.

Therefore the following points need to be kept in mind when considering how to engage parents in school.

1. Do parents, prinicpals and teachers know parents matter?
2. Parent engagement is so much more that just being involved in the parent association.

In order for parents to be engaged, undesrtanding why it matters and how it impacts on the school, community, staff and children is a good beginning. This impetus usually comes from the principal who through genuine listening and reaching out on a personal level can implement strategic plans arouind parental engagement.     

To view the benefits of parental involvement in schools and understand why it may be hard to engage parents, click here to download the fact sheet

So how can parents be engaged in schools if not through traditional structures such as fundraisiing and uniform shops? 

Epstein (US) found the following six types of activity:

• parenting - assisting families with parenting and child-rearing skills, and assisting schools in understanding their families. UK research indicates that ?at home good parenting? has the most significant effect on student achievement and social adjustment. What parents do at schools is less important. Good parenting indirectly influences achievement by shaping the child?s self concept as a learner and through setting high aspirations.
• communicating - developing effective two-way communication from home to school and school to home. Schools should plan for the ways that parents will be effectively informed about the nature of school educational programs and the academic progress of their children, and how they may enter into a dialogue with schools. Cuttance and Stokes in Australia have researched the issue of ?best practice? in communicating with parents information in relation to student academic achievement .  They conclude that schools are often better at communicating information which is less relevant to parents than fundamental data on their child?s levels of attainment.
• volunteering - creating ways that families can be involved in schools or school programs, and effective ways of recruiting parents. Volunteering activities may involve different kinds of educational support, such as reading tutors, or they may be of the general support kind such as working bees, canteen assistance and so on. Learning at home ? linking families with their child?s curriculum through learning activities that can be done at home, as well as homework. Schools will make suggestions as to how parents may contribute at different year levels. decision-making ? including families as decision makers, advocates, and members of school councils and committees.  Schools should also seek opportunities for engaging families through mechanisms outside of traditional structures to encourage a wider participatory group.
• collaborating with the community ? coordinating services in the community with families? needs, and providing services to the community. To do this effectively, schools need to know their families well and know their communities well.

The above is taken from Rob McChonchie's Issues Paper - Family school partnerships. Click here to download the complete paper