Support families to improve student engagement
Sometimes family problems get in the way of students’ academic engagement. Make sure teachers, counselors and the rest of your staff have access to a list of community agencies and resources to share with parents. Include contact information for:
- Family services. These include children’s services, domestic violence and abuse help, food and other assistance, foster care, homeless shelters and social services.
- Career support services. These agencies may provide assistance in finding a job or childcare.
- Health services. This includes emergency medical services, nutrition and support groups.
- Court services. Families might not know where the court is or how the system works.
- Mental health and substance abuse services. These usually include treatment and counseling facilities.
- Transportation services. Families might be unaware of bus, train or other transportation options in your community.
Strengthen home-school relationships
The beginning of the school year is an opportunity for a fresh start with parents. These tips can help you establish and maintain successful home-school relationships:
- Make your first contact with parents a positive one.
- Be straightforward when communicating with parents and avoid educational jargon.
- Provide parents with simple information about how to support learning.
- Ask parents to share their concerns and ideas—and address them in a timely manner.
- Provide accommodations for language and cultural differences.
Did you know?
Research published in the School Psychology Quarterly shows that teacher ratings of parental involvement early in a student’s academic career can accurately predict the student’s academic and social success. It also shows that teacher training programs can help improve the quantity and quality of teacher-parent interactions.