Fewer than 25 percent of parents are actively involved their children's schools, according to most of the participants of the recent S2H Webinar, Getting Parents of the At-Risk Involved. The results of the impromptu survey "are probably accurate for many schools across the United States," observes Angie Yoder, a Webinar co-presenter and Alpha Parent teacher at the Peoria Transition Center in Peoria, AZ.

Regardless of setting, it's difficult to involve parents in any school activities once their children leave elementary school, Yoder acknowledged. Still, abundant research shows that, whatever the age, students benefit when their parents are part of their academic lives. The boost to student achievement is the payoff for continued efforts to provide many ways for parents to connect with schools.

The following initiatives, which are just a sampling of the Center's programs, show how the school strives to remove barriers that prevent parents from getting involved.

The Parent Alpha Program: Helping Parents Become Good Role Models

The Peoria Transition Center is an alternative school that provides options for those students who "don't conform" or fit in with the traditional education system, says Principal Bill Lamperes. The school also gives parents renewed optimism. Parents of at-risk youth "begin to believe that their children will not succeed. Our school was created to help renew hope and opportunity," Lamperes states.

One opportunity for parents is the Parent Alpha class, which is designed to help them become better role models for their children.

Through the class, which is required, parents learn:

• How the school operates
• How to communicate
• Different parenting skills
• How to contribute to their child's success

"The course asks parents to rethink their place in their children's lives," and to reinforce at home what is emphasized in school, says Lamperes.

Parent Alpha meets every week for five weeks. The cost per family is $35. And, although some parents "grumble about having to attend," says Lamperes, parents find that, upon completion, they have learned how to better interact with their children and support their learning.

The Active Parenting Program

Think of parental involvement as a three-legged stool, say John and Deb Lohman. "The stool won't stand up unless all three components are involved: students, staff, and parents," says John Lohman.

It's a well-known metaphor, and it's still apt. When educators understand the importance of supporting all three stakeholders, parental involvement and student achievement improves.

So, to help parents hone their skills, the Peoria Transition Center offers the Active Parenting Program. "A lot of families ask for help in parenting," says Deb Lohman. "We help show them how to use consequences that are logical and help discipline children."

The program designed for parents of teens, for example, focuses on current issues young people face, including sexuality, drug and alcohol use, and violence. "The program gives parents tools they can share with their teens," Deb Lohman states.

The school does charge a minimal fee for parents who want to attend, but free child care is provided.

Helping Teens Kick the Smoking Habit

The Peoria Transition Center wants to help eliminate any barriers to learning, says Lamperes, including any health-related challenges that may distract children. Sandy Salas-Kanitsch, the Wellness Coordinator at the center, says her goal is to "teach kids how to be well, to make healthy choices."

Toward that end, the center encourages students to participate in a smoking-cessation program. "Students who are caught smoking are offered an opportunity to take the class," explains Salas-Kanitsch. "If they ultimately quit, they earn a $25 gift certificate, which is presented to them in a school assembly."

One key of the program is the emphasis is on health, not discipline, adds Lamperes. "Emphasizing health changes the entire tone of [conversations] we have with kids." And, in the first year of running the program, 25 students quit smoking.

The center also emphasizes nutrition, says Salas-Kanitsch. "Students are encouraged to eat daily. If a student comes to me and complains of a headache or of feeling weak, my first question was whether or not he or she has eaten." For those students who have skipped meals, Salas-Kanitsch has food in her office and the school cafeteria will provide free lunch.

Whether its smoking or nutrition, or any other health-related barrier, the school will do its best to resolve the issue. "We can't let things pass," Lamperes asserts. "If something is interfering with learning, we must intervene."

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