Family engagement is a term used to describe the way parents interact with schools, from volunteering in classrooms to attending school events and conferences. When families are engaged in a child’s education, it can have positive effects on their academic performance and overall well-being. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of family engagement programs on students’ academic performance and how they work.
Building healthy relationships between families and schools improves students’ success.
The importance of parent involvement in students’ academic success cannot be overstated. Parental support and involvement, whether it comes in the form of encouragement and open communication with teachers, or even more tangible help such as homework assistance, can have a powerful impact on student performance.
Evidence shows that parental engagement has been linked to improved academic outcomes for children. Studies indicate that students who are involved in programs that encourage family participation are more likely to stay in school throughout their high school years than those who do not receive these programs. Also, students whose parents participate frequently in schools generally exhibit higher levels of academic achievement than those whose parents do not engage or have limited knowledge about education issues.
Parents can be an important influence on their child’s learning environment by setting examples for them at home—studying hard for tests or going to college themselves—or by participating actively in school life outside of class time; this includes attending parent-teacher conferences or volunteering at food drives (Kostelnik & Kimball). These interactions between teachers and parents help build trust between all parties involved which is crucial for creating optimal conditions where students will thrive academically (Wang et al., 2017).
Giving parents the means to help their children succeed in school decreases absenteeism.
The importance of attendance has been well-documented. Students who are chronically absent are at a disadvantage to those who attend school regularly, and their achievement suffers as a result. A study by the Center for American Progress found that students with high rates of absenteeism have lower standardized test scores than their peers who attend school more often.
In addition to the negative impact on student achievement, absenteeism can have a deleterious effect on attendance itself: The longer children remain out of school, the harder it is for them to make up missed work or get back into the swing of learning at their grade level. When parents make efforts to be involved in their child’s education by attending parent-teacher conferences and other school events (or simply dropping kids off on time), these sorts of behaviors send an important message about how much they value education and demonstrate that they understand its importance in their children’s lives.
Research suggests there are concrete ways we can increase parent engagement and decrease truancy among students: community-based interventions like after-school programs provide opportunities for parents to interact with teachers one-on-one; mentoring programs help young people find role models within their communities; health outreach services allow families access to resources such as food stamps or Medicaid that may not otherwise be available because they live outside major metropolitan areas; and parent-child interaction programs help parents learn how to better communicate with their children.
Participation in family engagement programs improves students’ ability to learn, especially among disadvantaged students.
Family engagement programs have been shown to benefit students’ ability to learn in a variety of ways. First, they help teachers better understand the needs of their students, which can be especially important for disadvantaged students because they often need additional support in order to succeed academically. Second, through increased communication between parents and teachers, family engagement programs can help teachers understand how families are supporting their children at home. Thirdly, having parents involved in the classroom increases their involvement with other community resources that may benefit their child’s education such as tutoring or mentoring programs. Fourthly, family engagement programs provide an opportunity for parents and children to build trust with one another; when trust is strong between parents and teachers it allows them both more freedom when making decisions together about how best serve each individual student’s needs.
Academic engagement is key for students’ long-term success.
When educators talk about engagement, they generally mean a student’s connection to school and their learning. It’s a process; it isn’t something that happens in a moment. Engagement is not just about grades or test scores—it’s about the whole child and how they are able to succeed in school and beyond. When students are engaged, they feel connected to their teachers and peers, feel like they belong at school, and have an interest in what’s being taught (and why).
Engaged students also tend to do better academically than those who are not engaged. In fact, research has shown that students who get involved with extracurricular activities such as sports teams tend to earn higher GPAs than their non-athlete counterparts.”
Engagement is one of the most important factors in student achievement. When students feel connected with their teachers and peers, they’re more likely to do well in school and have a better chance of graduating high school.
Family engagement programs are a proven way to improve student success.
Family engagement programs are a proven way to improve student success. Students who participate in family engagement programs have higher academic performance, better attendance and more positive attitudes toward school. At the same time, these programs are also improving the lives of their parents by reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction, while benefiting schools and communities as well.
When you consider that students who participate in family engagement programs have improved academic performance, better attendance and more positive attitudes toward school, it’s easy to see how these types of initiatives can help schools succeed. But this isn’t just about improving individual students’ grades or making sure they get enough sleep at night—it’s about creating an environment where everyone succeeds together.
When parents and schools work together, they can support students on their path to graduation.
The benefits of these programs don’t just stop with improved grades; they also lead to higher rates of college enrollment and completion among disadvantaged students. By creating a culture of collaboration between families and educators, we can ensure that every student has access to the resources they need for success.
Contact us for more information about our specialized parent engagement and professional development workshops. We can customize workshops and services tailored to meet the needs of your organization.
References:
Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, Kostelnik, M.J., 2010
Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education and Cultural Adaptations, M. Wang, 2017