Strategies For Academic Success: Be Involved At School

One of the best strategies for academic success that you can provide for your teen is that of parental involvement.  Research shows that this is the number one contributing factor to a student's academic success, both at the elementary and high school level. 

Here are some easy ways you can provide parental involvement at the high school level:

Most schools have daily announcements that are made to all students sometime during the day, usually in the morning.  These announcements include much information about club activities, scholarship opportunities and deadlines for application, reminders about meetings, sports activities, etc.  Many schools now publish their daily announcements on the school web site.  If so, that can be an excellent source of "what's going on" information for you. Use this information as a guide in attending school activities and functions.

Make every attempt to attend the high school's open house and meet your teenager's teachers.  And when parent-teacher conference time comes, make plans to attend and discuss your student's progress.  During the visit with the teacher, you are likely to pick up pieces of information about things happening at school that you were unaware of. 

If your schedule allows, consider volunteering at the school in some capacity.  Field trips can use parent chaperones, there may be clerical chores that you can assist teachers with; if in doubt about what is needed, just ask.  Teachers, the principal, or maybe even the school secretary should be able to tell you about any programs that can utilize parent volunteers.

The bottom line is, the more contact you have with the school the more in the know you are going to be.  So be involved.  I love those public service announcements made on one of the television networks about involvement in your child's life..."The More You Know..." How very true that really is.

Additional information on strategies for academic success: