Parents can be involved in different ways Parents and teachers alike understand the importance of family involvement in a child s education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, research shows that when families are involved, children earn higher grades and score higher on standardized tests. They attend school more regularly, complete more homework, and take part in more extracurricular activities. They have fewer discipline problems and are better able to resist negative peer pressure. Students whose parents are involved graduate from high school at higher rates and are more likely to enroll in higher education than those whose parents are less involved.
Families gain in other ways, too, when they discover new ways to help their children succeed.
By learning more about their child s educational program and how the school works, they gain confidence in their ability to help their child learn. Nearly everyone agrees that family involvement in a student s education has strong benefits. The good news is that there are many, many ways for parents to support their child s education. There are almost unlimited ways to be involved, said Candace Whittaker, co-director of Minnesota Parent Center. Different parents find different ways of being active in their child s school, ways that work for their family.