Schools understand the importance of parent involvement and children with families engaged in their education are more likely to:
Earn higher grades and test score
Graduate from high school and attend post-secondary education
Develop self-confidence and motivation in the classroom
Have better social skills and classroom behavior
Students are also less likely to:
Suffer from low self-esteem
Require redirection in the classroom
Develop behavior issues
Researchers found strong connections between family involvement/engagement and student academic achievement across fifty different studies. The earlier educators establish family engagement, the more effective they are in raising student performance. Family partnerships formed during elementary school years build a strong foundation for future student success and continued engagement. When students receive more support, classrooms with engaged families perform better as a whole.
The above citation derived from Waterford.org “How family engagement leads to student success”
The vast research and articles on the benefits of parent involvement have not been sufficient to motivate parents to increase their engagement because families encounter different obstacles that get in the way of being involved in school.
Scheduling and transportation issues make attending teacher conferences tough and families may feel uncomfortable with staff that show a lack of cultural awareness. If a positive family-teacher relationship is not established early in the year, families may not feel welcome at school.