Key Idea Parent education is key to actively engaging parents in their child’s learning..

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Activities for schools to engage parents

• Provide training for parents on new curricula or teaching methods.
• Translate information into several languages.
• Inform parents of how to interpret school data.
• Role play with parents to help them ask questions about academics.
• Establish a parent resource center.
• Provide services, such as child care and transportation, to encourage participation.

Strategies for SEAs

• Provide professional development to school and district staff, to teach them strategies to use in workshops for parents
• Provide sample schedules and examples of school events
• Expose schools to positive examples of parent workshops that are being used successfully throughout the state.

Resources

All Your Parents - Part 5: Engage in Learning from the National Center for Family Literacy

Henderson, A., & Mapp, K. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

Henderson, A., Mapp, K., Johnson, V., & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the bake sale. New York, NY: The New Press.

U.S. Department of Education with the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. (1996). Special practices and programs in Reaching all families: Creating family-friendly schools. Retrieved June 25, 2008, from www.ed.gov/pubs/ReachFam/spp.html

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