PTA & PARENT INVOVEMENT - BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The largest child advocacy organization in the United States, National PTA, has launched a multifaceted parent involvement initiative to increase awareness of the benefits of parent involvement and the need for building successful partnerships in school reform efforts.

National PTA worked with Congress to initiate the PARENT Act, which sought to strengthen the parent participation policies in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In January 2002, the ESEA was signed into law as the No Child Left Behind Act. It authorizes more than 40 programs that provide federal funds to nearly every school district in the nation. This law now includes many of the parent involvement provisions of the PARENT Act and, for the first time, defines the term “parent involvement” based on National PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnership Programs.

DEFINITION OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT

We define “parent involvement” as the participation of parents in every facet of children’s education and development from birth to adulthood, recognizing that parents are the primary influence in children’s lives.  Parent involvement takes many forms, including:

• Two-way communication between parents and schools
• Supporting parents as children’s primary educators and integral to their learning
• Encouraging parents to participate in volunteer work
• Sharing responsibility for decision making about children’s education, health, and well-being
• Collaborating with community organizations that reflect schools’ aspirations for all children

PROVISIONS IN ESEA

Through the efforts of National PTA, ESEA expands and formalizes parent involvement to benefit student achievement. The parent involvement provisions were included in the law to ensure that:

• Parents will get information in a language they understand,
• Parents’ participation on decision-making committees is expanded,
• Educators will have access to training on how to work with parents effectively,
• States will evaluate school-level parent involvement practices to ensure they are effective,
• Technical assistance will be provided to schools having difficulty implementing parent involvement activities.

IN THE HOME, WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

• Parents must realize that they have the primary responsibility for their child’s education. Education begins with the family.

• Convey positive attitudes toward the school. Respect for school personnel must be taught in the home. 

• Encourage your children to use their minds. Help them to apply what they learn in school to real life situations. This will help them to realize that what they learn in school and out of school are tied together.

• Be sure your child has a quiet place where he or she can study in private, away from other family members, radio, television, etc.

• Read to your children, beginning when they are very small. Good reading is essential, even in this age of computerized education. When they are old enough to read by themselves, have them read to you or take turns reading to each other. This is a good way to be sure your children are reading their textbooks, and understand what they are reading.

• Take the time to review the books your children are using in school. If you know what they are studying, you will be better prepared to help them and evaluate their progress.

• Ask your child to describe what they did that day in a specific subject area. Use open-ended questions. 

• Just asking what they did in school usually brings a “nothing” response.

• Don’t emphasize the grade students earn. Instead, emphasize what they have learned in that area and how you can help them learn even more.

• Attend parent-teacher conferences. Be prepared with your own questions and concerns, and also be prepared to listen to what the teacher has to say. 

• As responsible citizens, parents should make an effort to learn more about educational issues and exercise their rights to voice their opinions and vote.

OVERALL, WHAT CAN PTA DO?