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Positive involvement in parent-teacher collaborative models.

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Abstract

Collaboration and consultation have become important issues in public education. Many districts have acknowledged the importance of parent-teacher collaboration by implementing different models. This article addresses the importance of establishing parent-teachar collaboration models that focus on communication and respect. First, I will discuss the characteristics of parent-teacher collaborative models and offer educators ideas on how to start their own. Next, I will present challenges that may arise when implementing a parent-teacher collaboration process and possible solutions to these problems. Finally, I will discuss an example of a parent-teacher collaborative model that provides opportunities for effective communication and present an acronym to help educators remember the importance of positively including parents in education.

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The terms "collaboration" and "consultation" have been linked to the public educational system in recent years. The American Heritage College Dictionary (2002) defines both terms in a concise manner. To collaborate means to "work together, especially in an intellectual effort,"--while to consult means to "seek advice or information". In education, a combination of the two terms results in a procedure that requires gathering information and advice from parents, students, teachers, and administrators and then working together on curriculum, instruction, and other methods in order to provide positive learning opportunities for each student. Many types of collaborative efforts can take place in school settings. There are several reasons why educators would consider implementing collaborative teams. Some of these include: involving parents, increasing school moral, accounting for learning, providing support to general education teachers who have special education students included in their class, and increasing students' opportunities to learn. Epstein (1995) notes other educational reasons such as: improving school climate and programs, providing family support, increasing parental skills, connecting families with other families, and helping teachers with their workloads. Epstein's main rationale for parent-teacher collaborative models is to establish communication systems between families, schools, and communities in order to help children be successful in school and later in life.

Researchers have stressed the importance and benefits of including families in different educational aspects, but teachers are consistently not utilizing this knowledge (Parodi, 1997; Knight & Wadsworth, 1999). This gap may have been created due to a lack of knowledge of both parents and educators in how to engage in a collaborative educational model. The seriousness of this issue, involving parents in education, has been addressed in past literature and recently in The No Child Left Behind Act. The purpose of this article is to offer teachers suggestions and examples of how to better communicate and involve parents in their child's education. First, I will discuss basic ways to set up a parent-teacher communication and collaboration systems in schools and give a brief explanation of...

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