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September
2008
Back to School:
Help your child get a jump on success
Summer is over, and right now is your
best chance as a parent to step in and make a difference in
your child's success in school.
Research has proven that students do better in school when
parents stay involved and set high standards. And it's what
students say they want, too. In a 2006 Gates Foundation survey
of high school dropouts, for instance:
- Two-thirds said they would have worked harder if it
was demanded of them.
- Seventy percent said they were confident they could
have graduated if they had tried.
- Thirty-eight percent said they had "too much freedom"
and not enough rules.
- Only 21 percent said their parents were "very" involved
in their education, and more than half of parents who
got involved at all did so mainly for disciplinary reasons.
Simply staying involved as a parent
is your most powerful way to boost your child's chances
of success. Here's what you can do:
- Talk with your child about expectations and encourage
an on-going dialogue on "what's happening at school"
- Talk with your child's teachers, beginning in preschool,
about the areas in which your young child is doing well
and those in which he or she is struggling. Ask what you
can do at home to support your child's learning.
- Make reading a part of your home life. Children who
read at home are better readers, and usually become better
students, than those who do not.
- Know when every report card is due to arrive, and sit
down and talk with your child about it when it does.
- Set limits for TV watching, and supervise your child's
computer use.
- In middle and high school, stay on top of your child's
attendance. Check in with your child's school counselor
every so often to be sure you're aware of any issues with
attendance, classes, or school life.
- Starting in middle school, see that your child takes
challenging coursework. Students who take higher-level
math and science courses, for example, tend to do better
both in school and after graduation.
It's all about your being involved. Now, at the beginning
of a new school year, is the time to get off to a good start.
Even if he or she can't tell you, your child needs and wants
your involvement in order to succeed.
What Parents Can Do
Early in the school year, schedule
a one-on-one parent/teacher conference at your child’s
school. Here are some important questions to ask::
- What will you expect my child to know in
core subjects by the end of the semester/year?
- How will I know if my child is doing OK
or falling behind?
- In subjects where my child needs extra
help, how can we provide that help?
- What should I do if my child is struggling
with homework?
- What is the best way for us to communicate
with each other?
If your child is in grade school:
- Always find time to help your child
with homework and school projects.
- Ask your child about school, teachers,
and activities.
- Encourage reading and visit the
library together.
- Meet with your child’s teacher
and find out what you can do to help your child at home.
If your child is in middle school:
- Spend time every day talking or reading
with your child, and pay attention to everything your
child brings home.
- Give your child a quiet, well-lit
place to study.
- Check to see if your middle school
has a homework hotline or website to keep you informed
about assignments.
- Meet with your child's guidance
counselor to plan choosing courses for high school. It's
important to lay the right groundwork in middle school.
If you are the parent of a high-schooler:
- Ask your child, often, how things
are going at school.
- Talk with your child about what
he or she wants to do after graduating. Help your child
to come up with a plan for selecting courses, applying
to colleges or finding a job.
- Set a regular study time each day,
free of interruptions and distractions.
- Review your child's course selection
to be sure he or she is on track for his or her career
goals. Keep tabs on homework, too. Many schools post homework
assignments daily on a web site that parents can check.
- Meet regularly with teachers and
school counselors to ensure your child is on track academically.
Facts for Parents
Did you Know?
Students do better in school
when parents stay involved.
Thirty years of research has proven it. When parents are
actively involved with a child's education, the child performs
better in school and has a greater chance of success in
life. In fact, statistics show that the most accurate predictor
of a student's future success is the degree to which his
or her family encourages learning, sets high expectations
and gets involved with the child's school.
Source: Funkhouser & Gonzales, Henderson
& Berla, and other studies, cited by Jackson and Davis,
in Turning Points 2000.
Ninth grade is a "make-it-or-break-it"
year.
For many students, the shock of
moving from middle school to high school causes big problems.
Educators call it "the ninth-grade slump," and it has been
steadily worsening for decades. In the 1970s, 5 percent
of American ninth-graders failed to move on to 10th grade.
By the mid-1990s, it had reached 10 percent, or 400,000
students a year. Moreover, a 1998 national study showed
that 25 percent of students who fail ninth grade will also
fail to finish high school. At some schools, the percentage
is as high as 45 percent.
Source: Center For the Study of
Testing, Evaluation and Educational Policy, and Hertzog
& Morgan, both cited in American School Board Journal, February
2004
Students say their parents have
a big influence on their plans for the future.
In a recent study, 93 percent of eighth and ninth graders
said that their mothers were helpful in planning their future
college or career moves, and 87 percent said that their
fathers were helpful. Focus groups revealed that students
relied on parents for motivation and encouragement.
Source: Wimberly & Noeth, cited
in Schools Involving Parents In Early Postsecondary Planning:
ACT Policy Report, 2004
Half of high schoolers say that
"no one" at their school has been a mentor to them.
In a national 2001 study of high-school
juniors and seniors, 51 percent said that "no one" at their
school had been a mentor or especially helpful to them in
making plans for their future education or career. Many,
however, said they looked to relatives for advice. It's
another way that parents and caregivers play a crucial role.
Source: Decisions Without Direction, Ferris State University,
May 2002
Adolescents spend nearly half of
their waking hours in school.
For an adolescent, and even for an elementary or middle
school student, school is where much of life happens. School
is where children learn to socialize, to take on new tasks,
and to act out their independence. But they bring to school
everything they have learned at home. And what happens at
home can shape a student's approach to education for the
rest of his or her life.
Source: Kerr, in Educational Research
Service Spectrum, Summer 2002
Teens need you more now than ever.
Most parents surveyed by Public Agenda said, "It's natural
for parents to be less involved when kids reach high school."
Virtually all teens surveyed said, "the most important thing
parents can do is stay involved in their lives and schoolwork."
Source: "Playing Their Parts", Public
Agenda, 1999
For more helpful information for families on school topics,
visit the Parents Count home page.
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