Supportive parenting, which includes parents' attitudes, values, and child-rearing practices, is yet another aspect of family involvement that "has an important influence on learning,"write Susan Bouffard and Naomi Stephen in a recent issue of the Principal's Research Review (November 2007, NASSP, p. 4).

This not-altogether surprising discovery is information that school leaders can share with parents and caregivers so they can use the information to assess, and possibly modify, their current practices.

"Adolescents do better in school when their parents are emotionally warm and responsive to their needs," write Bouffard and Stephen. "Similarly, adolescents who share trusting relationships with their parents -- characterized by mutual and sustained bonds and open communication -- have higher GPAs and are more likely to stay out of trouble," write the authors (p. 4).

How parents use discipline and control can also make a difference. Research suggests that parents adopt an authoritative style, being firm but democratic. However, Bouffard and Stephen caution that "strict limit-setting" may be more appropriate for those families that "live in high-crime neighborhoods" or "face racial discrimination" (p.4).

No matter where students live, parents and caregivers should monitor their children's school lives. Showing an effort to know what is going on, can help alleviate school problems, substance use, and delinquency, while promoting social competence and good grades, write Bouffard and Stephen. "By monitoring adolescents academic and social lives, parents can catch emerging problems and promote positive academic outcomes," the authors report (p. 4).
 

References: Bouffard, S. & Stephen, N. (November 2007). Principal's Research Review: Promoting Family Involvement. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Read the entire report online at http://www.gse.harvard.edu, retrieved online on 01/04/08.
 

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