September 2007

Superintendent’s Corner

By Dr. Richard A. DiPatri

These days it is common knowledge that students whose parents are actively involved and concerned about their educational progress tend to have higher levels of achievement. Still, it never hurts to remind parents that the more engaged they are in their children’s growth and development, the better chances they have of positively influencing their maturation into educated, contributing members of society. The School Board takes this idea seriously, and this fall, Brevard Public Schools is joining a campaign to remind parents to “Be There” for their students, wherever and whenever possible.

The effort was born over a year ago in Volusia County as a result of focus group sessions with parents, teachers, board members and administrators, who agreed that parents play a critical role in the success of children and schools. The “Be There” campaign is a multi-media research-based campaign designed to encourage direct parent involvement in their children’s education. “Be There” inspires parents to make ordinary moments extraordinary by connecting with their children during the daily routines of life. Voss & Associates, a communications firm that works closely with educational agencies, created the campaign and offers it to school districts without charge. Recently, Charlotte County has also joined the campaign.

One hundred percent of the research studies upon which the campaign is based, compiled by The Parent Institute, indicate that parent involvement has a significant impact on student success. The statistics show that with as little as a one-third increase in parent participation, school achievement scores increase dramatically. It only takes a small increase in parent input to see measurable results in student output. Here are five key research facts from some of the most significant research findings concerning the importance of parental involvement:

· The family provides the child's primary educational environment.

· Involving parents in their children's formal education improves student achievement.

· High scoring schools and districts have high levels of parent involvement.

· The benefits last a lifetime, they are not confined to early childhood or the elementary level; involving parents continuously through middle and high school shows results.

· School and home are connected. We cannot look at the school and the home in isolation from one another; we must see how they interconnect with each other and with the world at large.

This is not new data, which would seem to suggest that "old ways" of engaging parents are not working. The research clearly demonstrates that our children are depending on us to achieve their full potential. The entire campaign is built around the relationship between one adult and one child. It takes just one person to make a difference in the life of a child.

The School Board is committed to finding new ways to communicate with parents on issues of importance to their students, and is adding implementation of the “Be There” campaign to the District’s strategic plan for this school year. In the coming weeks, I encourage you to watch for special “Be There” materials coming home with your student, new parenting information on the BPS Web site, “Be There” programming on BPS-TV, and more. Our School Board, our teachers, administrators, and staff work diligently to be there for your child every day. Working together with you, the parents, we know that we can create new levels of opportunity and achievement for all of our students. Thank you for BEING THERE!