More Research Findings on Family Involvement
Benefits of Family Involvement
For Students
- Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates
- Better school attendance
- Increased motivation and self-esteem
- Fewer Placements in special education
- More positive attitudes and behaviors
- Lower suspension rates
- Decreased use of drugs and alcohol
- Fewer instances of violent behavior
- Greater enrollment rates in post-secondary education
For Schools
- Improved teacher morale
- Higher ratings of teachers by parents
- More support from families
- Higher student achievement
- Better reputations in the community
For Parents
- Higher confidence in the school
- Higher opinions of them as parents and higher expectations of their children by teachers
- Greater confidence in children, school, and themselves as parents
- Increased chance of continuing their own education
Adapted from Talking points: Parent involvement and from Benefits of Parent and Family Involvement
Barriers to Effective Family Involvement
- Time is usually the largest barrier in most situations.
- School staff may have boundaries or territorial issues.
- Parents feel that they do not have anything to contribute or are intimidated by school staff, which could be due to a variety of reasons such as limited education, limited English proficiency, or negative experiences in the school system.
- School may present an unwelcoming atmosphere in staff interactions, attitudes, or physical appearance of the building.
- Parents may be unsure of how to contribute or even if they are needed.
- Families may be unfamiliar or not understand the school system or tutoring program.
- Families may be in need. If they are suffering from economic stress, immediate needs such as for food and shelter may take precedence.
- Childcare may not be offered.
- Language differences can prevent parents from understanding information about meetings, activities, and events.
- Parents or family members with disabilities may find it difficult or feel uncomfortable attending and contributing in family involvement events or meetings.
- Lack of transportation can prevent families from attending activities.
Adapted from Barriers to Effective Parental Involvement: Roadblocks and Detours by the National PTA
More Benefits
Here are just some of the reasons it is important for parents to be actively involved in their child's education:
- The most effective forms of family involvement are those that engage parents in working directly with children on learning activities in the home.
- Programs that involve parents in reading with their children, supporting their homework assignments, or tutoring them in materials and instructions provided by teachers show particularly impressive results.
- Family involvement is most effective when it is comprehensive, long lasting, and well planned.
- Family involvement should be developmental and preventative, promoting strengths rather than remedial intervention.
- School practices to encourage parents to participate in their children’s education are more important than family characteristics, such as the level of a parent’s education, socioeconomic, or marital status.
- Children from low-income and minority families benefit most when parents are involved in schools.
- Parents do not have to be well educated to make a difference.
- When parents help their children with schoolwork, the effects of poverty and the lack of a formal education are reduced.
- The earlier family involvement begins in a child’s educational process, the more powerful the effects will be. Involving parents when children are young has beneficial effects that persist throughout the child’s academic career.
- Family involvement works for older children too, even if they have not been involved previously.
- Most parents prefer informal, personal attention in parent/teacher relationships.
- Parents want and need direction to participate with maximum effectiveness.
- Studies document that regardless of the economic, ethnic, or cultural background of the family, parent involvement in a child’s education is a major factor in determining success in school.
- Parent involvement also contributes to other positive outcomes, such as better school attendance, improved homework completion rates, decreased violence and substance abuse, and higher graduation rates.
- Parent involvement programs should be well structured and result in consistent parent participation, not merely a one-time event such as a parentteacher conference or annual back-to-school night.
- Parents must be engaged in substantive tasks, such as school restructuring and setting higher learning standards.
- Barriers to parent involvement must be removed. Children who are read to, and who grow up in homes rich in literacy activities (like reading, writing, storytelling, singing, and lively conversation) are more likely to value and develop a love of reading.
- Children raised in literacy-rich environments often become successful readers and writers.
Adapted from Handout 7: Research on Family Involvement (n.d.). Also from Talking Points: Parent involvement.
