It is projected that during the 2000-2001 school year, OPAT will serve over 7,500 children. The goal of the Oklahoma Parents As Teachers program is to strengthen the capacity of parents to be effective first teachers. The program is designed to maximize a child's overall development during the first three years of life, lay the foundation for school success and minimize developmental problems that interfere with the child's learning. OPAT is also designed to foster an early partnership between home and school so that parents take a far more active role during their children's formal years of schooling. When needed, OPAT helps families link with special services that are beyond the scope of the program.
Research supports parents' belief in the program's effectiveness and long-term benefits.
PAT children at the age of 3 were significantly more advanced in advanced language, social development, problem solving, and other intellectual abilities. PAT children scored significantly higher on standardized measures of reading and math achievement in the first grade. A significantly higher portion of PAT parents initiated contacts with teachers and administrators and took an active role in their child's schooling. In a random sampling, PAT children performed significantly higher than national norms on measures of intellectual and language abilities despite the fact that the sample was over represented on all traditional characteristics of risk.