Parent´R´us Programme
School Parent Involvement to Increase Student Achievement
Stichting International Parent Alliance (IPA)
Evidence of results
Purpose related to Let's Care
Level of Education
Pillars
Brief description of the Project
Duration
Scope
Funds
Objectives
Provide information on mentoring models for involving parents in their children's education, as well as summarise the advantages, challenges and elements that need attention in order to implement a mentoring model for parental involvement.
Methodology
The document is part of the Parent'R'Usprogramme, a parent mentoring programme to engage them in their children's education. The model focuses on empowering parents, especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds, to help them reach their full potential as partners in their children's education. To this end, a comprehensive review of literature and inspiring practices has been carried out to provide a sound theoretical basis for the work of the Parent'r'us project team.
In addition, the document suggests that schools must be willing to step out of their comfort zone and change their practices if necessary to successfully implement this model. The methodology also highlights the importance of providing adequate resources and support to parents, as well as establishing effective communication between parents and teachers. In summary, the proposed methodology focuses on creating a collaborative environment between parents, teachers and students to improve school performance and the overall well-being of students.
Type of Action
Target Group and Determinants attended
Professionals involved
Networking - Actors and Institutions mobilised by the Project
Enablers
Firstly, the programme is supported and funded through Erasmus+. Being part of this EU programme has provided financial resources and support for the implementation of Parent'R'us, which has facilitated its development and execution. In addition, multi-partner collaboration has been a key advantage. The Parent'R'us programme has promoted collaboration between educational institutions, non-profit organisations, government agencies and other relevant actors. This collaboration has allowed for the pooling of knowledge, resources and expertise, thus strengthening the implementation of the programme. The support and backing of educational institutions has been crucial. Having the active participation and commitment of schools has facilitated the implementation of the programme, ensuring an enabling environment for parental involvement. Expertise and expertise have also been an important asset. Experts in parental involvement and education have provided experience and expertise, designing effective strategies and providing technical support to both teachers and parents. Access to specific educational resources and tools has been another benefit of the programme.
"Parent'R'us has provided teaching materials, best practice guides, training programmes and other resources that have facilitated the implementation of parental involvement strategies. Finally, the support and commitment of the wider education community has been crucial. The collaboration of teachers, principals, administrative staff and other relevant stakeholders has contributed to the success of the Parent'R'us programme. The commitment of all those involved has been key to achieving the programme's objectives.
Barriers
With respect to the relationship between the mentor and mentee, it should be noted that they should be treated as equals, despite the fact that the mentor will take the role of the supporter. Mentees have to be assured that the sensitive information they share with their mentor is confidential, as often families from low socio-economic backgrounds fear that there will be negative consequences for sharing their struggles. There needs to be a preliminary agreement on the extent that mentors should be involved in facilitating home-school communications. The mentoring conversations should go beyond the child’s academic performance.
With respect to the school’s role in the mentoring program, it is important that they take responsibility for revising practices that alienate parents and creating new spaces that make them feel welcome. They should not expect the families to assimilate to the existing system. The schools should actively reach out to parents labelled as “hard-to-reach”, and acknowledge that parents are not required to supervise their child’s school work in order to be “good parents”. Measures should be put in place to bridge language and vocabulary barriers. Cultural and language differences should be celebrated, and in no case should the mentor’s or school’s views prevail over the mentee’s.
Grade of linkage with the Safe Education Model
Although the programme does not explicitly work on bonding and attachment in the classroom, it does work on it intrinsically. Parental involvement and active collaboration in students' education can improve the parent-child relationship, which can have a positive impact on the development of bonding and attachment in the classroom. In addition, the guide (and the Parent'r'us programme in general), promotes a safe and nurturing school environment, which can foster a stronger bond between students and their teachers, improving their emotional well-being.
Grade of linkage with the purpose of Let's Care
The tutoring model proposed in the project has proven to have several advantages in its implementation. One of the main advantages is the improvement of school performance, especially for students coming from low socio-economic backgrounds. In addition, the model empowers parents to be active partners in their children's education, which can improve the parent-child relationship and increase students' confidence and self-esteem. Active collaboration between all those involved in the student's education is also an important advantage of the model, as it fosters better communication and teamwork to achieve better academic and personal results. Finally, the model also aims to encourage the development of employability-related skills.
In summary, the proposed mentoring model is an effective tool for improving school performance and empowering parents to be active partners in their children's education, fostering better communication and teamwork among all those involved in the student's education
Grade of evidence about impact and political relevance
The programme has not collected evidence of its impact.
Grade of evidence about impact - Project deliverables
Reproducibility
The project aims to develop an innovative mentoring model for parents and educators, and therefore proposes a model that can be adapted and replicated in other communities and educational contexts. In addition, the project involves people from different nationalities and international organisations, suggesting that a collaborative and global approach to tackling educational inequality is being worked on.
Outcomes
Parenting, Mentoring, School performance