A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Introduction

In 1994, the United States Congress put parental involvement on the national education agenda by including it in a revised list of National Education Goals. Research supports the conclusion that parental involvement is essential to sustaining education reform. Educators and policy makers know that when parents are involved in children’s learning, children do better in school and schools improve.

National interest in education was further heightened by President Clinton's State of the Union message in 1997 that issued a Call to Action for American Education in the 21st Century . The President's ten points challenge all community stakeholders--including families, businesses, colleges, senior citizens, educators, religious groups, community organizations and policy makers--to work together for strong, safe schools with clear standards of achievement and discipline, and talented and dedicated teachers in every classroom. The President's Call to Action provides an excellent focus for needed changes in education, while encouraging family and community involvement to ensure that our children are given the best possible education.

Research over the past thirty years has consistently shown that greater family involvement in children's learning is a critical link to achieving a high-quality education and a safe, disciplined learning environment for every student:

• PARENTS' efforts to help their children learn matter more to their children’s achievement than family income or education. This is true whether a family is rich or poor, whether parents finished high school or not, or whether children are in preschool or in the upper grades. For example, family members can improve the reading ability of a child in their family by reading and writing with the child for 30 minutes a day.

• SCHOOLS' efforts to encourage parents to participate in their children's education matter more than parental income or education. School practices to involve families are more important than family characteristics. For example, the reading achievement of fourth-graders whose families are involved in their school is greater than for those whose families are not involved in their school.

• COMMUNITY GROUPS, including religious organizations and employers, can make an important contribution to the effectiveness of families. Community groups can provide expertise and resources and facilitate family-school exchanges. For example, businesses that provide leave time for family members to volunteer in their child's school positively impact a child's achievement in school.

The U.S. Department of Education has put parental and family involvement at the head of the class for education reform efforts. "The American family is the rock on which a solid education can and must be built," Secretary Riley has said. "I have seen examples all over this nation where two-parent families, single parents, step-parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are providing strong support for their children to learn."

Studies show public support for family involvement in education is significant. Forty percent of parents believe they are not devoting enough time to their children's education. Teachers believe strengthening parents' roles in their children' learning must be the top issue in education policy. Nearly three-quarters of students aged 10 to 13 would like to talk to their parents more about school work. Nearly 90 percent of company executives find the lack of parental involvement to be the biggest obstacle in school reform.

Family involvement in children's learning has been an integral part of President Clinton's and Secretary Riley's programs, research agenda, and legislative activities. Some of the highlights include the Goals 2000: Educate America Act in which one of the two new National Education Goals is devoted to increasing parental involvement in education and through which the establishment of parent involvement centers in every state is authorized (for a list of the centers, refer to Appendix I); increased federal funding for family involvement in education in programs such as Title I, Even Start, Bilingual Education and Special Education; and a model for family-school compacts to develop partnerships between the family and the school through the Title I program under the Improving America's Schools Act.

In addition to legislative and policy initiatives, Secretary Riley has encouraged partnerships to promote family involvement. To demonstrate the effectiveness of partnerships and to assist local communities and organizations in launching their own partnerships, Secretary Riley formed the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, a nationwide coalition of thousands of national, regional, and local organizations representing families, schools, community groups, religious organizations, and employers that have committed themselves to developing partnerships between families, schools, and their communities. The Partnership has launched a grassroots movement across this country that encourages families and communities to support local schools and ensure that all children are learning to high standards.

President Clinton's Call to Action Set rigorous national standards, with national tests in 4th-grade reading and 8th-grade math to make sure our children master the basics. Make sure there's a talented and dedicated teacher in every classroom. Help every student to read independently and well by the end of the 3rd grade. Expand Head Start and challenge parents to get involved early in their children's learning. Expand school choice and accountability in public education. Make sure our schools are safe, disciplined and drug free, and instill basic American values. Modernize school buildings and help support school construction. Open the doors of college to all who work hard and make the grade, and make the 13th and 14th years of education as universal as high school. Help adults improve their education and skills by transforming the tangle of federal training programs into a simple skill grant. Connect every classroom and library to the Internet by the year 2000 and help all students become technologically literate.

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[Preface]

[About This Book]