Indicator 35: Parent Involvement in School  

Why This Is Important

Schools have a responsibility to encourage parents to be an integral part of the educational
experience of their children. Many educators believe parental involvement in school activities
has a beneficial effect on children's school performance. They associate higher levels of
parentalinvolvement with greater monitoring of school and classroom activities, a closer
coordination of teacher and parent efforts, greater teacher attention to the child, and earlier
identification of problems that might inhibit learning. In two-parent families, parental involvement
of both caregivers in their child's school is significantly associated with an increased likelihood of
1st through 12 th grade children earning mostly A's, and with a reduced likelihood that these
children will ever repeat a grade.

 

 

Where We Stand

As has been the case in the past, over 90% of parents have attended at least one event at
their child’s school since the beginning of the school year. This would represent the first half
of the school year from September to December, approximately four months. For 2005, that
number was 94% who reported attending at least one meeting/event and of those, 60%
reported attending six or more events/meetings at their child’s school. The average (median)
number of times these respondents reported attending an event at school from September to
December in 2005 was 8 times.

The Search Institute also includes this indicator as one of their developmental assets, “Parent
Involvement in Schooling.” In 2003, their survey found that 29% of 6th to12th grade youth
experienced parents who were actively involved in helping the young person succeed in school.

 

Data Sources and Context

Data on this indicator comes from a random digit dial statewide telephone survey of Maine
households with children/youth present who are age 18 or younger. There were 403 respondents
to this survey, each an adult in the household who self-identified as a parent. This survey was
conducted by Critical Insights, a strategic marketing research firm in Portland, Maine. This survey
for this 2005 report was completed in January 2006. Data is not available every year on this
indicator due to funding limitations.

The adults were asked the following: “Since the beginning of this school year, how many times
have you or the other adults in your household gone to meetings or participated in activities at
your child’s school?”.

National data comes from the Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors
Survey. This 2003 survey reached approximately 150,000 6th to12th grade youth in 202
communities across the United States. Complete results and explanation can be found at
http://www.search-institute.org/research/assets/assetfreqs.html.