For example, while 88 percent of the courses that mentioned family involvement dealt with parent-teacher conferences, and 80 percent covered parents teaching children at home, fewer than 25 percent covered communicating with parents or understanding parents and families. Likewise, more than 85 percent of these courses used lectures, discussions, or required readings to cover family- involvement issues, while less than 25 percent gave students an opportunity to work directly with parents or even to hear guest speakers. 208 Colchester Ave. And at the University of Houston at Clear Lake, teacher- education students teach classes in parenting, household finance, English as a Second Language, and other subjects to local parents. Everybody is sort of reinventing the wheel.
Research is needed on teachers who have taken part in family- involvement training.
Research also can help define what specific steps schools can take to support family- involvement efforts by their teachers. Ultimately, research also needs to examine how teacher preparation affects student achievement and behavior. States should establish clear, specific guidelines for preparing teachers to work with families. Family-involvement training needs to be available to teachers working with students of all ages. Right now, early-childhood educators receive more training than teachers in elementary or secondary schools, Lopez says, while studies show that family involvement in schools declines with each successive grade.