Parent involvement also contributes to other positive outcomes, such as better school attendance, improved homework completion rates, decreased violence and substance abuse, and higher graduation rates. National PTA defines parent involvement as the participation of parents in every facet of the education and development of children from birth to adulthood. Parent involvement activities can range from parents volunteering an hour or two a week in their child's school to playing a central role in school reform and restructuring efforts. They engage parents in substantive tasks, such as school restructuring and setting higher learning standards. They also create an atmosphere where parents feel appreciated and welcome.
Parents instinctively know the importance of their involvement in their children's schools.
More than half of the parents, however, stated that low levels of parent involvement and the inability of the schools to keep parents well informed were serious problems in their children's schools. Ninety-six percent of parents agreed that the role of parent is critical for a student to succeed in school. The AASA poll showed that 84 percent of parents polled believe that required parent involvement is very or somewhat likely to improve public schools. More than 70 percent felt that requiring parent involvement was very important to them personally. This study found 69 percent of those surveyed felt more opportunities were needed for parents to participate in order to improve public schools.