When parents are engaged in their children’s school lives, it's very helpful students have the home support and knowledge they need to not only finish their homework but also continue the good work they do every day.

The more parents are engaged in the education of their children, the more likely their children are to succeed in the education system. Parent engagement in schools is closely linked to better student behavior.

What is Parent Engagement?

Parent Engagement in Schools is defined as parents and school staff working together to support and improve the learning, development, and health of students and adolescents. Parent involvement is when parents participate in school events or activities, and teachers provide learning resources or information about their student’s grades. Having parents and teachers communicate more helps students feel more motivated in their classes; their self-esteem and attitudes in class improve. Parents help their children by doing homework and reading at home.

Why Parent Involvement is Important

Showing interest and encouragement in a child's education by parents can have a positive impact on the child's attitude towards school, classroom conduct, motivation levels, self-esteem. Parent involvement helps extend teaching outside the classroom, creates a more positive experience for children, and helps children perform better when they are in school. Parent-teacher relationships are more than an optional classroom benefit. They are key for helping students on a personal and classroom level reach their academic potential.

Parent Engagement and Student Success

When teachers engaged with parents through home visits, for example, student absences dropped by 20%. Family engagement in schools contributes to positive student outcomes, including an improved child and student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, improved parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and improved school environment. Parents involved in their school experience fewer behavioral problems, achieve better academic performance and are more likely to complete high school than students whose parents are not involved in their school. 

How to Increase Parent Engagement?

You can’t force a parent to be involved in their child’s education, but you can encourage and facilitate it.

1. Online advice videos: Parents and teachers can share ideas via web videos on your school’s website. 
2. Online calendar. School management creates a calendar for parents which mentions all school activities and events.
3. Home visits and parent/teacher conferences: Home Visits and Teacher-parent conferences are valuable in building respectful relationships with parents and in developing a broad understanding of every child in the program.

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