PTA
WAITING ON ELECTION RESULTS
Why Parent Involvement is Important?
According to the publication entitled, A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement (Henderson & Mapp, 2002), parental and family involvement in the education of children has a powerful and positive effect on their learning. Guess what? Your parents and mine told us the same thing! While research and common sense come together on this issue, the challenge is in making it actually happen. For example, the academic standards children have to master at each grade level have become increasingly difficult over the past several years. Unless you have been studying and helping your child at each grade level as they progress through school, you will find some of these standards challenging as well. What the evidence about parent involvement shows is:
- Students who have parental involvement in their learning earn higher grades, have better attendance, take more advanced courses and are more likely to go to college.
- Students who have parents that take an interest in what their children are learning, have a more positive attitude towards school and improve their behavior.
- Students from diverse cultural backgrounds improve their performance in school when parents and teachers work together to bridge the pat between home and school.
- Students who do the best are more likely to have parents that help at school, take an active role in their child’s learning, help plan their child’s education, and attend school meetings.
“When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” (Henderson & Mapp, 2002, P. 7)
Ask yourself, “What can I do to support and improve my child’s education?” Not sure where to start? Join us on the P.T.S.A. and see how your efforts will be impacting your children and those that attend Arlington Heights High School.