The role of the school counselor is anything but cookie cutter these days. School counselors may serve as schedulers, test coordinators, consultants, mediators, surrogate parents, teachers, and with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), school counselors have an additional duty to account for student success rates. It’s no secret that there is a direct correlation between student achievement and parental involvement. When schools and families work collaboratively, student achievement rates are higher. Numerous studies have shown that the biggest predictor to student success has little to do with race/ethnicity, socioeconomic level, parent education level or parental figures in the home, but rather how conducive the home environment is to learning and how involved the parents are with the child, school and community.

There are myriad opportunities and events for parents to become involved with their children’s schools. So, why aren’t they? What is the key to involving parents enough to see student improvement? There are programs, lesson plans, educational videos, books and a plethora of research informing teachers, counselors and administrators how to promote parental involvement in their schools and community. Why don’t they work? With No Child Left Behind, if a school is not meeting achievement standards, parents can transfer their children to a passing school. NCLB believes that providing the parents of failing students with vouchers to attend private institutions may be the solution. However, bouncing students from school to school will not guarantee academic success. Parents need to understand their responsibility to participate in their child’s education. How can school counselors help parents accept accountability for their child’s academic performance?

Parental involvement can potentially change the climate of the school and the public education system but only if there is mutual understanding, respect and collaboration. Parents need a voice and need to know their voice will be heard. School counselors are critical catalysts for closing the gap that often exists between school and parent communication, and it is time to rise to the challenge to improve parental involvement.

Barriers To Parent Involvement

School counselors must be cautious when considering how to involve uninvolved parents. Schools may interpret lack of involvement as lack of caring, which is often not the case. Several barriers prevent or deter parents from participating in their children’s education.

Language Barriers

The most common barrier to parental involvement involves the most basic issue of communication -- language. Parents for whom English is not the primary language often miss opportunities to learn about important educational programs because they do not understand the information shared through written communication, such as newsletters or fliers. School counselors can provide documents in other languages and use translators when necessary to provide parents with information regarding the importance of their involvement.

Cultural Barriers

Another possible barrier is cultural differences in how education is valued. In some cultures, parents may believe their only school-related responsibility is simply ensuring their children go to school. These parents often have two or three jobs simply to make ends meet. Helping with homework or participating in activities supplementing the academic curriculum may not be a priority. Families that own their own business may expect their children to grow into that career; therefore, grades, attendance and behavior issues may not be addressed in the family. This could have an impact on post-secondary planning. Many families do not believe they can afford to send their child to college. They are not aware of the scholarship opportunities that all passing, successful students have. School counselors can provide parents with valuable information and help parents to realize the importance of a comprehensive education. School counselors can remind parents that their children can still work in the family business while attending a local university; advanced schooling will only broaden their horizons and make the business more profitable.

Scheduling Barriers

The realities of everyday life, such as work schedules, child care arrangements and home situations may prevent parents from actively participating in their child’s education. School counselors should ascertain the reason for the absence or lack of responsiveness and develop ways to address the issue precluding parental involvement. School counselors can arrange for teachers to be available for a mini-conference night, whereas all teachers are available to meet with each parent for a fixed amount of time one evening a semester. Childcare could be provided, or in such circumstances, it may be acceptable for children to attend mini-conference night with their parent.

Environmental Barrier

Perhaps your school’s environment is a barrier to parental involvement. Is your school’s climate warm and inviting? Is it clean? Are the secretaries friendly and welcoming? When parents make suggestions, are they addressed? If so, how are the parents made aware of it? Are bad grades and behavior problems the only reason you may call and invite a parent to visit? These are some questions you may want to address when assessing how you actively involve parents. In addition, some parents have not had positive experiences in school themselves and can often be intimidated by efforts to involve them in their child’s education. School counselors can ensure parents have a encouraging visit each and every time they walk through the doors. School counselors can implement a "take your parent to school day" where parents attend classes with their child. A quick way that school counselors can communicate optimism and hope to both the parent and the child is by sending home "glad notes" addressing positive behavior, grades or something special the student did in school.

The obstacles that may affect the level of parental involvement in schools will vary from school to school. It is critical that school counselors identify the barriers relevant to their school community and directly address them to foster student success.

Editor's Note :In Part II of this article, we will offer advice on how to overcome these barriers and engage parents in school. This article first appeared in the May/June 2004 issue of the ASCA School Counselor.

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ABOUT JULIA TAYLOR, M.A. AND TAMARA DAVIS, ED.D.

Julia Taylor completed her master’s degree in school counseling in May 2004 and is employed as a school counselor in Loudon County, Virginia. Tamara Davis, Ed.D., is an associate professor of Psychology at Marymount University in Arlington, Va., and president-elect of the Virginia School Counselor Association.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION

Professional school counselors everywhere share the same vision to support their schools by serving their students. School counselors know that guiding students toward personal and social development leads to improved academic achievement. Through their partnership with principals and teachers, school counselors help prepare today's students to become tomorrow's adults.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) responds to school counselors' unique needs, helping them grow individually as professionals and providing them with real tools to guide their students. As an international nonprofit organization founded in 1952, ASCA has the benefit of foresight and hindsight. It has grown to fit counselors' changing needs through social and educational movements from desegregation to standardized testing. Responding to the needs of counselors as voiced by counselors has enabled ASCA to remain vital and forward-thinking.

ASCA serves as the voice of school counselors on Capitol Hill and helps members ensure their voices are heard in state legislatures. ASCA has active government affairs representatives who monitor activities in Congress, the Department of Education and throughout Washington to advocate on behalf of school counselors' interests: funding, certification, student-to-counselor ratios and more.

A full-color bimonthly magazine, School Counselor provides practical information and how-to articles to help school counselors help their students and themselves. Each issue has a focus on something school counselors care about, from public relations to grief counseling, as well as departments and columns covering a range of topics. Professional School Counseling is ASCA's award-winning bimonthly academic journal, providing peer-reviewed articles on school counseling theory, research, practice and techniques. The journal and the magazine together provide counselors with the most well-rounded and up-to-date information in the field.

For more information, visit www.schoolcounselor.org or call (703) 683-ASCA.

FOR ADDITIONAL NEWSLETTERS...

If you've found The Counselor's Classroom useful and informative, you may also be interested in subscribing to some of our other newsletters. Dr. Playwell's Newsletter is a unique newsletter full of play therapy techniques to help you address the social and emotional needs of children and young adolescents. FYI From Wellness offers practical tips and suggestions for use in the clinic or classroom written by professionals from a variety of disciplines. The Guidance Channel Zine is a monthly online magazine that includes interviews, website reviews, statistics and articles by many national organizations such as the National Association of School Psychologists, the American School Counselor Association and National S.A.V.E. (Students Against Violence Everywhere). To subscribe to these newsletters, click here!

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