Parental involvement has been a top priority for school leaders for decades, and research shows that it can make a major difference in student outcomes.
But a parents鈥� rights movement that has captured headlines over the past few years and become a major political force has painted a particular picture of what parents鈥� involvement in their children鈥檚 education looks like.
Policies that have passed in a number of individual school districts, states, and the U.S. House have spelled out parents鈥� rights to inspect curriculum materials and withdraw their children from lessons they deem objectionable; restricted teaching about race, gender identity, and sexuality; and resulted in the removal of books from school libraries, including many with LGBTQ+ characters and protagonists of color.
The parents鈥� rights movement has been divisive and attracted the ire of some teachers who feel censored. But it has also opened up the conversation around parent involvement in school, said Vito Borrello, executive director of the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement.
And that鈥檚 a good thing, he said.
鈥淭he parents鈥� rights bills in and of themselves, I wouldn鈥檛 suggest are entirely focused on best practice family engagement,鈥� said Borrello, whose group works to advance effective family, school, and community engagement policies and practices. 鈥淗owever, what the parents鈥� rights bills have done is elevated the important role that parents have in their child鈥檚 education.鈥�
For decades, research from around the world has shown that parents鈥� involvement in and engagement with their child鈥檚 education鈥攊ncluding through parent-teacher conferences, parent-teacher organizations, school events, and at-home discussions about school鈥攃an lead to higher student achievement and better social-emotional outcomes.
Here are five takeaways from the research.
1. Studies show more parental involvement leads to improved academic outcomes
When parents are involved in their children鈥檚 schooling, students show higher academic achievement, school engagement, and motivation, according to of 448 independent studies on parent involvement.
A , for example, showed that school practices encouraging families to support their child鈥檚 math learning at home led to higher percentages of students scoring at or above proficiency on standardized math tests.
And research shows that parent involvement with reading activities has a positive impact on reading achievement, language comprehension, and expressive language skills, as well as students鈥� interest in reading, attitudes toward reading, and level of attention in the classroom,
鈥淲hen parents become involved at school by, for example, attending events such as open houses or volunteering in the classroom, they build social networks that can provide useful information, connections to school personnel (e.g., teachers), or strategies for enhancing children鈥檚 achievement,鈥� the APA research review said. 鈥淚n turn, parents with heightened social capital are better equipped to support their children in succeeding in school as they are able to call on resources (e.g., asking a teacher to spend extra time helping their children) and utilize information they have gathered (e.g., knowing when and how their children should complete their homework).鈥�
2. Parent involvement changes social-emotional outcomes, too
The APA study showed that not only does parental involvement lead to improved academic outcomes, but it also has a positive impact on students鈥� social and emotional skills and decreases instances of delinquency.
That finding also applies internationally.
A 2014 International Education Studies report on parental involvement among 9th and 10th graders in Jordan showed that parental involvement had a positive impact on students鈥� emotional engagement in school. That means students with more involved parents are more likely to have fun, enjoy school, have high self-esteem, and perceive school as a satisfying experience.
And when parents visit their children鈥檚 school, that contributes to a sense of safety among the students, ultimately improving school engagement, the study said. Although conducted in Jordan, the study provides insight into how parental involvement affects students鈥� social-emotional development in other countries, including the United States.
Parent involvement also gives teachers the tools to better support their students, Borrello said.
鈥淲hen teachers understand what their students are going through personally and at home and any challenges they may have, then that improves their teaching,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e able to support their student in ways they wouldn鈥檛 be able to otherwise.鈥�
3. Not all parental involvement is created equal
Different levels and types of parent involvement led to varying outcomes for students, according to the American Psychological Association study.
For example, school-based involvement, such as participation in parent-teacher conferences, open houses, and other school events, had a positive impact on academics in preschool, middle school, and high school, but the size of the impact was much lower in high school than in preschool. That may be because parents have fewer opportunities to be involved in the high school environment than in younger students鈥� classrooms where parents might volunteer.
At-home discussions and encouragement surrounding school also have a positive impact on students鈥� academic achievement at all developmental stages, with that type of parent involvement being most effective for high schoolers, according to the study. Reading with children and taking them to the library have a positive impact as well.
But one common form of parental involvement, helping kids with their homework, was shown to have little impact on students鈥� academic achievement.
In fact, homework help had a small negative impact on student achievement, but positive impacts on student motivation and engagement in school, according to the APA study.
The research shows the value of encouraging parents to be involved in their student鈥檚 learning at home, and not just attending school events, Borrello said.
鈥淚n the past, schools either had an event that wasn鈥檛 connected to learning or only measured the engagement of a family based on how often they came to the school,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat families are doing to create an environment of learning and supporting learning at home, is probably even more important than how many times they鈥檙e coming to school.鈥�
4. Results of parent involvement don鈥檛 discriminate based on race or socioeconomics
Research has shown a consensus that family and parent involvement in schools leads to better outcomes regardless of a family鈥檚 ethnic background or socioeconomic status.
Parent involvement has led to higher academic outcomes both for children from low and higher socioeconomic status families.
When comparing the impact of parent involvement on students of different races and ethnicities, the APA found that school-based involvement had a positive impact on academics among Black, Asian, white, and Hispanic children, with a stronger impact on Black and white families than families from other demographics. The finding also extended internationally, with similar effects on children outside of the United States.
5. Schools can encourage parent involvement in person and at home
Parent involvement doesn鈥檛 have to end with parent-teacher conferences. There are many ways for schools to encourage parents to be more involved both in school and at home, Borrello said.
The best way to start, he said, is by creating a school culture that is welcoming to families.
鈥淭hat starts with the principal, and that starts with school leadership that is welcoming to families, from how they鈥檙e engaging parents in the classroom to what policies they have in schools to welcome families,鈥� Borrello said.
Parent gathering spaces or rooms in school buildings, scheduled parent engagement meetings and office hours, and at-school events held outside of the school day are all good places to start, Borrello said. From there, schools can work to include parents in more decision-making, give parents resources to support learning at home, and equip teachers with the tools to engage and connect with parents.
鈥淚f the school is not welcoming and families don鈥檛 feel welcome at the school, then you鈥檙e not going to get them to come to school no matter what you do,鈥� Borrello said. 鈥淭hen it鈥檚 really thinking about who you鈥檙e creating those relationships with families so that they can be heard.鈥�
