Not all factors in their children’s success are within the control of parents. No matter what parents do, sometimes children do not choose, for a variety of reasons, to make good decisions. However, parents are far from helpless in promoting school success. You can summarize the most important things a parent can do to promote school achievement in three two-word phrases. Get involved. Be interested. Be supportive.

Families whose students do well in school often interact with their children’s schools differently from those of underachieving students. Parents of high achieving students tend to make sure they take part in school activities. Whether it is conferences or events sponsored by the school’s parent organization, these parents are interested and participate whenever possible.

Such parents often are willing to help out in the school in small or big ways. They may serve on the school’s PTO or PAC boards. Some volunteer in the classrooms or school offices. Such parents try to make school involvement a part of their schedules whenever this is possible.

These parents also take an active interest in how their children are doing in school. This interest is demonstrated in various ways. One way is checking daily with their children on how the day went and about what they learned in school. Another is checking student planners and looking over assignments to make sure their students are completing their work and working up to their ability.

Another strategy such parents use is checking the district’s online student reporting system, called Power School. Frequent examination of Power School helps parents very quickly know how well their children are doing in each class. It also lets them know if there are any truancies or discipline issues about which to be concerned.

Wise parents also have a good relationship with the school. If their child is in trouble in some way, these parents’ first reaction is to solve the problem. It is not to be defensive. They take seriously their responsibility to keep an open line of communication with the teachers. They also are willing to share concerns or ideas directly with the people involved.

One parent trait educators have seen change over the years is the reaction to the school when a child is in trouble. It used to be that the parent was first angry with the child if he or she was in trouble at school. “If you are in trouble at school, you will be in more trouble with me,” was a common response. Too often the first reaction now is to be angry with the teachers or the school.

This is not to say that the school is always right, or that a parent should not take their children’s side on issues. However, it is critical that children see adults working as a team. Seeing mom or dad as adversaries of the school serves no good purpose. This is similar to issues in the home. Children will take advantage of disunity between parents. The young are excellent at the old strategy of divide and conquer.

Along with supporting the school, parents need to support their children. This is especially true when they are struggling in school. An effective practice for parents is to look for their children’s successes and praise them for them. Praise for success and improvement serves as the seeds for future success. Sometimes these accomplishments may be small. However, it is critical that parents notice the children’s efforts and encourage such hard work in the future.

Several keys help increase the likelihood of student success. Two of the greatest are parent involvement and interest in their children’s education. A third is the parents’ support for their children and for the school. When these building blocks are in place, the likelihood of school accomplishment is greatly enhanced.

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