Summer Homework for Parents

Everyone knows summer is a great time to prepare your child for the academic challenges to come, but most parents do not think about how to prepare themselves for the next school year. Now that the kids have their activities, it's time for you to catch up on your child's educational progress and prospects.

By taking action now, you can impact the school experience for years to come. Here is Parent Power's homework helper for parents to help you get ahead of the fall back to school madness before it begins.

1. How is your school doing? Does your school have a guide explaining what your child should know at the end of each year about history, science or English? Are these goals are being met? Did you know that every school must produce a report card on its performance? Parents should do a little research on their child's school to see if it is doing well. Does the school have reasonable goals set to meet standards and raise student achievement? Find out if other schools in your area have more success in meeting rigorous standards.
   
   
2. How is your child doing? Schedule an "exit interview" with your child's teacher. How did your child progress over the last school year? What does he need to work on this summer? Ask for a reading list. Look over the recommended books - how well do they suit him? Challenge him to write about some of his favorites! 
    
3. Do you have a choice in where your child goes to school? Parents know best what kind of environment will suit their child's needs. Sometimes one size-fits-all does not "fit all." Does your area have other public school options such as charter schools? Would a private school be a better fit? Now's the time to find out.
    
4. What do other parents know about the school or the teacher your child is likely to have? Do you know someone that may have had your new teacher in the past? Do parents get involved at school? Is there room for meaningful involvement? Would a different teacher impact your child differently?
    
5. Read up on education issues! Check out The Center for Education Reform's School Reform Handbook or visit any of the the Parent Power! education topics for tools that can help you prepare for a parent-teacher conference, get the latest on school performance, or build a coalition to crusade for change. Another great new resource for parents is the Picky Parent Guide: Choose your Child's School With Confidence, by Bryan and Emily Hassel. Check out Links for more parent resources.
   
   
6. In August, try to find out who your child's teacher will be next fall. Ask to see a syllabus or find out if the curriculum is research-based and has proven results. Compare them to the resources in this magazine. Ask what will be expected of your child by the end of next year.
   
   
7. Power in numbers: There are many local, state and national parent-led organizations meeting during the summer - attend a seminar or a conference. Is there a parents group in your area? If you can't find one, found one! While you may not have any complaints now, communicating with other parents about what's going on at school will help you be more prepared if an issue does arise. Also, having a strong, involved and well informed parents' group can help prevent any issues from springing up.

Back to Power Topic: Summer Fun.