• Higher grades and test scores;
• Better attitudes and behavior;
• Better school attendance;
• More homework completed;
• Greater likelihood of graduating from high school; and
• Better chance of enrolling in postsecondary education.

Showing an interest in your child's education, setting high expectations for achievement and letting your child know you believe in his or her abilities sets a positive context for growth and achievement.

How Do I Get Involved?

Make school important:

• Speak positively about your child's teachers and counselors.
• Talk to your child about the benefits of education.
• Make sure your child gets to school on time.
• Attend open houses and parent-teacher conferences.
• Answer notes and calls from your child's teacher.

Encourage reading and writing! You can help your child perform better at school if you:

• Keep books, magazines and newspapers in your home.
• Take your child to the library.
• Discuss what your child reads.
• Read with your child.
• Encourage your child to write notes to grandparents and other relatives.
• Suggest that your child keep a journal.

Sources:

• Helping Your Child Succeed in School, U.S. Department of Education, 1992, revised 2002.
• Questions Parents Ask About Schools, U.S. Department of Education, 2003.
• Parents Make the Difference!, The Parent Institute, 2003.
• Parents Make a Difference!! Teens and School Success, University of Wisconsin-Extension, 2002. PDF
• Learning in Your Home, Florida Partnership for Parent Involvement, University of South Florida.
• Parent Involvement=Student Success, Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center, 2002.
• Parent Involvement in Education: A Resource for Parents, Educators, and Communities - Chapter 6, State of Iowa, Department of Education, 1998.
• Selected Parent Involvement Research, John H. Wherry, The Parent Institute, 2003.
• Middle School/High School Parent Involvement, National PTA, 1999.

A Parent's Promise: As a Parent, I Promise…

To read to my child because children learn from good stories to be compassionate; to treat others as persons, not objects; to have courage; to have hope; to take action; and to take responsibility. To promote my child's self-esteem by giving him opportunities to build competence and confidence; by giving her specific praise for her work and displaying it for others to see; by letting him share in family responsibilities and decisions. To encourage my child's curiosity and natural interest in science and math because all children need to learn both and all children can; to engage with my child in activities to observe and discover so she can see that science and math are part of our everyday lives.  To turn off the television more because both child and adult programs include enormous amounts of glamorized violence. To be involved in my child's education throughout the school years by showing in every way that I think education is important; by talking with my child's teachers; by volunteering my time and talent to the school. To enjoy my child as we grow and learn together.