Ask major local businesses and government offices to allow parents time off to visit school during the day - Try to get the local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club to endorse the program and set up an honor roll for those businesses and agencies that support it. Most parents only hear from school when there is a problem. Organize evening field trips. Once or twice a semester, organize evening activities so that more working parents can attend. These field trips make it easier for parents to get to know staff outside the formal school setting.
Offer families the chance to take sample standardized tests.
By making the exercise part of a school event or open house, you can help parents understand the test better and take some of the fear out of the process for both students and their parents. Outline overall behavior and homework standards for parents at the beginning of the year. Send a form home to be signed and returned. Update parents regularly between report cards and use the school or PTA newsletter to remind them of the standards in these areas. Give kids points if parents certify that they have read books to their children.