Dive Brief:
- Writing for Edutopia, middle school English language arts teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron describes how back-to-school nights can ease parents' transition into a new school year by allowing the teacher to have a chance to explain class expectations and allowing parents to share questions and concerns.
- Wolpert-Gawron writes that crafting a student-influenced class constitution can clearly define academic and behavioral standards for the new academic year, and she also recommends creating brochures and a Powerpoint presentation for the event.
- Good communication between parents, students and teachers in the beginning of the school year allows for the building of trust and promotes greater educational progress as the school year progresses.
Dive Insight:
Quality education cannot happen in a vacuum. The best education occurs as a partnership between educators, parents, students and community members — all of whom have a vested interest in the role that the child will play in society in the future. However, this partnership cannot occur without strong communication.
As the importance of these partnerships becomes clearer, several organizations have developed strategies for improving communication. The National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University has created a book of such strategies called "Promising Partnership Practices." The activities in these books demonstrate how “family and community partnerships improve the school climate and boost student success in school.”
Another organization, Learning Heroes, surveys parents on their “mindsets" each year. Their most recent report, "Parents 2017: Unleashing Their Power & Potential," is a nationally representative survey of K-8 parents and finds that parents often believe their children are performing better academically than they really are. This finding could indicate the need for more ongoing communication between parents and teachers throughout the year.