SHALL PARENTS BE INVOLVED IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
Parent engagement, according to experts from Schools in Mumbai, is defined as parents and teachers having a responsibility to help their children learn and achieve educational goals. When teachers include parents in school meetings or events, and parents volunteer their support at home and at school, this is known as parent engagement. They are making a commitment in this way. Teachers agree to listen to parents and offer a space for collaboration with them, and parents commit to prioritizing their child’s educational aspirations.
Although both are beneficial, parent engagement in schools differs from parent involvement. When parents participate in school events or activities and teachers share learning tools or information on their student’s grades, this is known as parent involvement. Teachers, unlike parents, have major responsibility for establishing educational goals. They see parents as advisors rather than partners, guiding them through academic support for their children.
As per research conducted by the International Schools in Mumbai, Parent involvement can be thought of as the initial stage of parent engagement. While teachers can provide guidance to parents in some areas, parents also have valuable information about their children that teachers may not be aware of. Both can add to a student’s learning experience by bringing different perspectives to the table. Without the other, neither is whole. “A school looking for family participation frequently leads with its mouth — identifying programs, needs, and goals, and then telling parents how they may assist,” writes Larry Ferlazzo in his article “Involvement or Engagement?” In contrast, a school aiming for parent engagement tends to lead with its ears, listening to what parents think, dream, and worry about.”
Our focus as educators switched from parent involvement to engagement after the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB). We start by providing resources to parents, inviting them to activities, and assisting them in tracking their children’s progress. Then we work together to develop goals for their pupils and find strategies to make our classes more effective. When we involve parents in the learning process, it enriches our school communities even more.
The Importance of Parental Involvement
According to the Schools in Bengaluru, Because parental involvement and engagement in school are on the decline, it is more important than ever. In 2016, the study revealed a decrease in the number of parents who believe that close parent-teacher communication is beneficial. Parents are less likely to attend parent-teacher conferences or school activities as they prefer distant methods of communication, such as online student portals. Because of the implications for parental engagement, this transition is both abrupt and disturbing. While digital tools can assist families in staying informed, pupils miss out when their parents do not contribute their time and support.
The reasons for this shift in parent involvement at school are numerous. Volunteering and attending parent-teacher conferences can be difficult for some parents due to scheduling or transportation concerns. Others, such as low-income or minority families, believe that personnel makes them feel uneasy or lacks cultural sensitivity. Parents may not know whether they are welcome at school if a parent-teacher relationship isn’t developed early in the year. However, some populations are more vulnerable to poor parental involvement. Parental participation is lowest among low-income families, families with older children, and parents who do not speak the predominant language of the area or did not complete high school.
Parent participation in schools is the first step toward parent engagement and, eventually, parent collaboration. The impact on students is enormous when parents and teachers collaborate to create a vibrant classroom. Students with involved parents not only had better test scores, but they also have better attendance, self-esteem, and graduation rates. Parent-teacher relationships are more than just a nice-to-have in the classroom. They are critical in assisting children in reaching their academic potential on a personal and classroom level. We limit our classroom’s ability for growth if we don’t provide a space for parent collaborations in our schools.
Student Success and Parent Engagement
Educational experts identified a link between family involvement and academic achievement in fifty different studies on parental engagement. And the earlier educators engage parents, the more effective they are at improving student achievement. Parent-child partnerships established in elementary school lay a solid basis for student success and future participation opportunities.
Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing more than twenty days in a school year, is also reduced when parents are involved. Student absences decreased by 20% when teachers connected with parents through home visits, for example. Even after controlling for the grade level and past absences, students with involved parents miss fewer days of school. Students who have two-way communication with their parents and professors are more likely to attend class on a daily basis and participate more actively in class.
Parents and teachers gain from family involvement just as much as students do. Teachers can aid parents with homework or academic concepts by preparing them. Engaged parents are more likely to think highly of their children’s instructors, which boosts teacher morale. Knowing more about a student’s home life can also help teachers create courses that are more tailored to the requirements of that student or communicate with families more effectively. Additionally, because active parents provide greater support to their children, classrooms with engaged parents do better as a whole. Everyone benefits when parents and teachers work together.