How do schools foster successful parent involvement?
Schools successful in engaging parents start by going beyond narrow definitions of involvement. They don’t just count the number of parents who attend the spaghetti dinner or volunteer at the book fair. They don’t focus on requirements such as having parents sign reports cards. Instead, they start with a belief that student success is a shared interest of both school and family, envision parents as partners in the learning process, and then identify concrete ways that partnership can be activated. • Improve Communication Effective communication requires a two-way flow of information. While most schools develop efficient structures for getting information out-such as newsletters, Web sites, and press releases-far fewer develop similar structures to ensure that feedback from parents is actively solicited. For some schools, improving communication involves technology such as e-mail messages and interactive phone systems. When Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Virginia, implemente
