| It seems that when our children are in the | | | | their success. |
| elementary grades, parental involvement in their | | | | But the one common characteristic that I |
| day to day school activities is easy. Attending | | | | observed among most successful high school |
| PTA meetings and school plays, serving as | | | | students was that of continued parental |
| homeroom mom, and even helping with | | | | involvement during the high school years. In doing |
| homework assignments keep us connected to | | | | some extensive research on the subject, I |
| school life and help us keep a close watch on our | | | | discovered study after study that overwhelmingly |
| children's progress. | | | | indicates that parental involvement in teen |
| But for most parents, as their students progress | | | | education is directly related to increased |
| through school the monitoring of their schoolwork | | | | achievement. |
| and activities gets a bit more complicated. When | | | | So, what exactly do we mean by parental |
| the kids reach junior high and high school, they | | | | involvement? What form does it take during the |
| have several different teachers and the academic | | | | high school years? Actually, it can take many |
| demands become more advanced. There are also | | | | forms. Attending school functions, frequent |
| fewer activities that draw parents into school life | | | | communication with teachers, monitoring of |
| at this level. | | | | schoolwork, responding to requests from the |
| Teens become seemingly more independent, | | | | school for interaction, and taking an active part in |
| translated they don't need (or want) us as much, | | | | your teen’s preparation for the transition |
| they become mobile, and all of a sudden it | | | | to life after high school are integral components |
| becomes more and more difficult to keep up with | | | | of what parental involvement should include at the |
| what is going on in their lives, both academically | | | | high school level. |
| and socially. | | | | The structure of most education systems seems |
| In my 29 years of teaching high school | | | | to be constantly changing, sometimes with good |
| mathematics I, like most educators do, witnessed | | | | results and sometimes not so good. This instability |
| varying degrees of successful parenting of high | | | | deems it almost necessary that parents take |
| school students. Of course, there are many | | | | charge of their children’s education. Even |
| variables involved in each individual case. Teens | | | | the best of schools may have overloaded |
| are very unique creatures; what works for one | | | | teachers and too few resources. |
| may not work for another. One teen may be a | | | | Parents must take a pro-active role if they want |
| very successful student despite having little, if | | | | their child to be a successful student. Not |
| any, parental guidance. Another might have | | | | surprisingly, this is just as important during the |
| parents doing “all the right things” | | | | high school years as it is at the elementary level. |
| and still venture into areas that are detrimental to | | | | |