Families & the Community Report Roundup

Parent Involvement

By Alexandra Rice — September 13, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A new report highlights some nuances in the ways parents from different demographic groups engage with their children and their schools.

Released last month by the Center for Public Education, the report notes, for instance, that attending school meetings or events is the leading form of participation among all parents. Yet, when race is taken into account, the percentages of parents who embrace that activity seem to shift. African-American and Hispanic parents, while less likely to attend PTA meetings or serve on a school committee than white parents, are more likely to check their child’s homework. According to national survey data, 82 percent of white parents said an adult checks homework compared with 94 percent of African-American parents and 91 percent of Hispanic parents.

While all types of parent involvement are beneficial to student achievement, the biggest gains come when a healthy partnership exists between schools and parents, the report states. Encouraging families to support their children’s learning at home, one of the six types of parent involvement the report identifies, is often the best way to achieve this partnership.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 14, 2011 edition of Education Week as Parent Involvement

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Families & the Community 3 Signs That Schools Are Sending the Wrong Message About Attendance
How schools communicate attendance policies can affect how parents report absences and whether students are motivated to show up.
3 min read
Empty desks within a classroom
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Families & the Community Some Students Are Less Likely to Have Absences Excused. Why That Matters for Schools
Schools' punitive responses to unexcused absences can be counterproductive, a new analysis suggests.
5 min read
Image of a conceptual dashboard that tracks attendance.
Polina Ekimova/iStock/Getty
Families & the Community Q&A How One High School Became a Model for Intergenerational Learning
School and community leaders say “there’s no down side.”
5 min read
Swampscott High School students and Senior Center members hold a quilt they made together for Black History Month at Swampscott High School, which is collocated and shares space with the senior center in Swampscott, Mass., on March 8, 2023.
Students and senior center members display a quilt they made together for Black History Month at Swampscott High School, in Swampscott, Mass, on March 8, 2023. The high school and senior center were designed and built to be part of the same complex, providing opportunities for teenagers and senior community members to collaborate and learn from one another.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Families & the Community A Town Put a Senior Center in Its High School, Offering a Model for an Aging Nation
When crowded classrooms pushed Swampscott, Mass., to consider building a new high school, some innovative thinkers saw another opportunity.
7 min read
A Swampscott Senior Center bus sits in front of an entrance to Swampscott High School, which is collocated and shares space with the senior center in Swampscott, Mass., on March 8, 2023. As America’s population ages and the number of school-aged children decrease, district and community leaders are finding ways to combine services and locations.
A Swampscott Senior Center bus sits in front of an entrance to Swampscott High School, which is collocated and shares space with the senior center in Swampscott, Mass., on March 8, 2023. As America’s population ages and the number of school-aged children decrease, district and community leaders are finding ways to combine services and locations.
Sophie Park for Education Week