“If parents value schooling and think it is important, then kids take it seriously.”
-- Prescott School Principal, 1987
“The former slaves’ fundamental belief in the value of literate culture was expressed most clearly in their efforts to secure schooling for themselves and their children.”
-- J. Anderson, 1988
Many studies have shown the benefits of parental involvement in children’s education. This week we read about the effect it can have on children’s academic success and on the reasons behind why parents do or do not become involved in participating.
In Annette Lareau’s study on “Social Class Differences in Family-School Relationships: The Importance of Social Capital,” she found that overall parents from a middle-class school were much more involved with the school and had a more interdependent relationship, compared to the independent relationship she observed in a working-class school (1987).
Furthermore, Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey and Howard Sandler look at the reasons behind why parents “become involved in their children’s education” (1997). Basically, Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler found that schools need to not only invite parents to become involved in the school, but they also need to address what individual parents’ role construction (their idea of what and how a parent should be involved) and sense of efficacy for even wanting to help their children in school.
How can schools invite parents to participate, encourage parents to take a more active role in their child’s schooling and actually help parents believe that they can make a difference?
Over the course of the semester, we have learned about the evolution of schools and how they began in one-room school houses (with the teachers living in a family’s home) and progressed to the current education system we have in place now. Although it has not always been explicit, we have seen examples of parents taking an active role in educating their children. When the freed slaves wanted to educate themselves and their children they rallied together and started schools with their own money; education to them meant “liberation and freedom” (Anderson, 1988). Today, how can parents of all different backgrounds “prove” that they value education?
In comparing schools, Lareau observed that the parents from the middle-class school took a very active role in participating; they attended Open Houses, read to their children on a regular basis, and knew a lot about their child and their classroom. Unfortunately, she did not find nearly as much commitment from the working-class parents.
Pierre Bourdieu would remark that cultural capital influences the amount of involvement by the parents (1973). Transportation, time off from work, access to Internet and other resources all make parental involvement a lot easier for the middle-class parents compared to the working-class parents. Bourdieu would suggest that schools should openly teach parents how to become involved and expose the educational system’s hidden expectations. However, Lareau urges that further research needs to be conducted to truly understand the effects of cultural capital.
If we believe Bourdieu, and believe that students whose parents are involved benefit more and achieve higher success, then don’t we, as future educators, need to reinvent creative ways for teachers and school administrators to involve all parents, of all backgrounds, to become involved in their child’s education? Lareau states:
“It is important to stress that if the schools were to promote a different type of family-school relationship, the class culture of middle-class parents might not yield a social profit. The data do not reveal that the social relations of middle-class culture are intrinsically better than the social relations of working-class culture...Instead, the social profitability of middle-class arrangements is tied to the schools' definition of the proper family-school relationship” (p. 82, 1987).Is there a way to help all parents to take a more active role in education, regardless of their own personal educational and occupational position?
Local Situation:
Currently, Metro Schools has school level, cluster level and a Parent Advisory Board to involve parents in the schools. At the school level, Metro lists a wide range of possible ways to be involved: sports events, parent groups, cafeteria and bus duty and more (http://www.mnps.org/Page2779.aspx). Additionally, the cluster level involves key parents from each school within a certain cluster (geographic location). The goal of clusters is to share ideas between schools and try to improve the city’s schools. Are these levels enough for all parents, or are these levels further encouraging a divide between the parents who have the time to attend the meetings and volunteer and the ones who have to work full-time and are unable to volunteer?
I am not arguing that increasing parental involvement is the silver bullet to our education system. But I have to wonder, what would our education system look like if all parents did take a more active role? What defines an "active role?" A few weeks ago, Zach and Nicole led us in a discussion about the “ideal classroom” inspired from reading John Dewey. Looking back, would increased parental involvement be one of the necessities for that ideal school?
Other interesting links:
http://www.tnpta.org/
http://www.ptotoday.com/index.php
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_/ai_n21093607
7 comments:
"How can schools invite parents to participate, encourage parents to take a more active role in their child’s schooling and actually help parents believe that they can make a difference?
What defines an 'active role?'"
The unclear definition of an active role is a major problem in helping parents become involved in their child's education. First, we have to take into account how we define families. How do the parents define family? How do teachers define family? How do parents define active? Are there differences in how teachers and parents define achievement, support, and discipline? These questions are vital in understanding the complex backgrounds of one's students and attaining meaningful support from families. If we understand where they are coming from a cultural standpoint, then we are able to help parents play an active role in their child's education.
"Looking back, would increased parental involvement be one of the necessities for that ideal school?"
I think parental involvement is necessary for the ideal classroom. In order for children to feel completely supported, teachers and parents must work collaboratively to ensure the best educational experience. Teachers must be reflective and thoughtful when when defining the parents' roles in their classroom. Am I providing multiple language support? Am I accounting for different work schedules? Different means for transportation? Different religions and cultural backgrounds? This is no easy feat, which is why this type of support requires not only the teachers, but the schools' cooperation as well. It takes commitment, time, and a broad understanding of complex issues. This is why there is no clear definition of active role because it depends on the community and families that make up the schools.
I think a way to start encouraging parents to take an active role in their child's education can easily start with homework. While not all parents can help their child with homework, they can all enforce that their children do it. I've seen countless instances in schools where some of the lowest achieving students are the ones not bringing in homework. These students often don't have their parents pressuring them to get this work done. I think while it may not be the kind of involvement that is ideal in the classroom, setting up Homework calendars for parents so that they can enforce that the hw gets done and help if able is one of the first steps in increasing meaningful parental involvement
I think this is a tricky subject. Obviously, we want parents to be involved in their children's education. As Kate points out, "In order for children to feel completely supported, teachers and parents must work collaboratively to ensure the best educational experience." In the ideal situation, teachers and parents would work together to meet the educational needs of each student. But, as Julie and Kate have suggested, the issue of parental involvement is problematic. For instance, as Lareau suggests in her article, some parents aren't comfortable in the school setting or feel that they cannot contribute to their child's education. Personally, I wonder how I can tell someone that they're not involved enough with their child, or imply that they don't care enough about their child's education? I work with a woman who has two daughters. Her four-year-old rides the bus to preschool, while the eight-year-old has to walk down a busy street to get to ther school. My coworker was concerned about her daughter walking past prostitutes. This woman is not able even to take her girls to school - both because she doesn't have a car and because she works two jobs. Can I tell her that her lack of involvement means she doesn't care enough?
Chuck, I like your idea about homework calendars. I think keeping the parents informed about what the child is learning and what they need to be doing at home is important. And that sounds like a way to foster parental involvement without pressuring the parents to do something which they cannot do financially or because of their schedules. I do wonder, though, if there might be other reasons those "lowest achieving" students aren't completing homework, like maybe they have to watch younger siblings or work after school. While parental involvement is clearly a vital part of good education, I agree with my classmates when they suggest that it is a complex issue.
Chuck, kudos for proposing an idea! I like the idea of a calendar, and it is definitely a non-invasive way of asking for parental involvement. It is true that this is a complicated issue, mostly because we can never know all the circumstances behind a parent’s level of involvement. I don’t think that anyone ever has the right to tell a parent that they are not involved enough, but teachers can encourage involvement in a non-judgmental way (such as Chuck’s idea). Even just telling a parent when their child is doing exceptionally well, so that the parent can reinforce their child’s accomplishment with praise and pride (there is nothing like having a test pinned to the refrigerator). I think that a teacher has the responsibility to encourage children and parents alike, but sometimes this isn’t done because it’s hard to know how to offer encouragement without crossing the privacy line. It isn’t a teachers business to know when a parent is struggling unless it is a danger to the child, but the teacher doesn’t need to know everything that is going on to offer encouragement. Especially in the age of political correctness, I am fairly certain that teachers are capable of encouraging parents in a non-offensive/non-invasive manner.
I agree with everyone, it is a complicated issue. But you know in some ways I want to say that we aren’t setting high enough expectations for the parents and community. I know this is going against the grain of the idea that there are other situations that are preventing parent’s involvement, but I think our expectations need to change. And this boils down to our society’s view on the value of education! I can’t help but think about my children that I taught in Vietnam where their parents were involved in every way possible even though their jobs were to pick up trash off the streets. You see they see education as a way to get their child out of the situation they are in so they do everything possible to ensure that their child is being successful in school. Now I will say they are not in the classroom, but they are ensuring that the child gets all of their homework done and also provides outside education for the areas of struggle. Yes this is a different culture and I know that we can’t impose the same ideas on our culture, but I think we can learn something from them. As a society what is the value of education? Do the parents see that sacrificing a bit so that their child can succeed and maybe have access to a better life? What are our expectations as a society to the parents and the community in supporting education? Could our expectations be higher? Would that influence involvement?
Like the article from the NY Times we read ( or will read), he points to the fact that the home life ( along with peer life) is a huge factor in the success of a child. As an elementary teacher, I love Chuck's idea of a homework calendar, and am actually considering it in my class. I would also incorporate upcoming tests, quizzes and school activities so that parents can be informed. Any bit of organization and planning has to help in preparing a child for school, and preparing the parent for any "fun" events at school that often times are free entertainment!
“It is evident that the system devised for parent participation is not merely a value-free conduit for communication between parents and professionals, but rather a body of discursive practices whose written and unwritten rules determine what will emerge as participation.” (Harry, p. 429)
Though I appreciate all the attempts made thus far to determine ways to increase parental involvement (i.e. calendars, outside educational help, parental pride/praise), I am struck by the fact that they are all based on white, middle/upper-class, American definitions of involvement, education, and family roles. Herein lies the dilemma: to encourage the white, upper/middle-class, American model of participation for all parents is to denigrate the cultural values of others and encourages assimilation (when they run counter to the dominant culture), while allowing parents to define “participation” by their own values likely leads to student failure because they are participating in a system hat defines success by white, upper/middle-class, American values. (for a thorough and critical examination of this idea in regards to Mexican-origin parents, see Valdes, Con Respeto)
Which do we encourage students and parents to sacrifice: their culture or their success? In what way could we encourage both success and preservation of cultural values? I personally do not know, but I believe the answer will, by necessity, vary by context…
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