WP: Parents' Effect on (student) Achievement Shaky

Parents' Effect on Achievement Shaky
Other Factors May Play Greater Role, Study Says
By Jay Mathews
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 22, 2005; Page A10


....Parental involvement is often cited as vital to raising student achievement. The best schools usually have the most school-oriented parents, many experts say. So doesn't it make sense that all schools need that kind of support at home?

But a new study of low-income public schools in California has concluded that several other factors, including teaching the state's rigorous academic content and getting experienced teachers, have much more influence on achievement than does parents' involvement. The findings have inspired a national debate on the subject, with some parents like Allen saying the study is correct and others saying parental influence should not be so quickly dismissed.

Attempting to clarify the study after seeing the conflicting interpretations, the nonprofit EdSource group in Mountain View, Calif., which led the project, as well as others in the 11-member research team cautioned against concluding that parents are not important. "In fact, parent involvement was found to be positively correlated" with scores on California's academic performance index (API), the authors said. However, they said, other factors "had a far greater impact on school performance."

The group surveyed 5,500 teachers and 257 principals at California public elementary schools with large numbers of low-income students. They compared the methods used at each school with the average score on the 200-to-1,000-point API scale, which is based on state test results. The four practices most closely associated with high student performance were putting greater emphasis on student achievement, tightening the curriculum to fit the state academic standards, using student assessments to identify and remove weaknesses in instruction, and assembling certified and experienced teachers and principals with the best educational equipment.

The student characteristics of the 257 schools were very similar, but the schools' API averages varied by as much as 250 points. The authors calculated that, on average, strong emphasis of the four leading approaches was associated with 16- to 18-point higher API scores, while emphasis on "involving and supporting parents" was associated with a 9.9-point API difference....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/21/AR2005112101287.html

Here is the key phrase of the article, in my opinion:

"The four practices most closely associated with high student performance were putting greater emphasis on student achievement, tightening the curriculum to fit the state academic standards, using student assessments to identify and remove weaknesses in instruction, and assembling certified and experienced teachers and principals with the best educational equipment."

In other words, the quality of education at the school is fundamentally important. Yes, parent involvement in their child's education is important. No one should interpret this research to mean that parents don't matter. However, in the face of a failing school, the most involved parent probably can't overcome the deficits that will accrue as a result.

These four practices are essential in our educational system and for me it is understood that they are part of my responsibility as a professional educator.

I would add that parental involvement is vital for student motivation. If parents are detached from their children's educational progress and do not place importance on learning, then the children will behave with the same attitude. It is the clever teacher that balances all of these different requirements and encourages parental involvement that truly enhances the lives of children.

By parental involvement, I do not necessarily mean volunteering time in the classroom, I realize many parents schedules do not allow this. Parental involvement can be as simple as reading with your child every night, going over their homework with them, praising their accomplishments and encouraging them during tough times, or attending parent teacher conferences. It is these little things that truly matter in our children's educations.

Taking kids to enriching experiences--many of which are free or low cost.

Talk about what's going on in the world.

Reinforce the school's reasonable expectations for behavior and don't run to the principal complaining that the teaacher is picking on your kid until you've considered the possibility that your kid really is disruptive, and then you make sure that your kid knows that any punishments at school will be matched by punishments at home.

"...tightening the curriculum to fit the state academic standards..."

So, kids do well on the state's standardized test when the purpose of the school is teaching the test. That makes perfect sense. If you spend an entire academic year learning how to take the test it follows that you should be proficient in taking the test.

For me, however, this opens a another whole discussion. Can you say that kids are being properly educated and learning what they need to know when the whole focus of a school is in preparing for a standardized test?

What about the serendipitous detours you make in learning? Sorry kids, we can't take the time out of our day to talk about sailing and world discovery when we're trying to learn about latitude and longitude for the standardized test.

I hate the whole idea of teaching the test.

Heck, that doesn't even make it onto the Texas test (at least the last time I checked). In Texas, one merely has to pass a test on the basics of education- and they really do mean basics.

It is unfortunate because it puts the teachers into such a bind, and the kids aren't taught anything but the test because the teachers' jobs/pay depend on the kids doing well on the test. Who has time to learn how to think?