Increase communication efforts. As a teacher, administrator or parent leader, you can never communicate too much, according to Education World, an online resource for teachers. Publish classroom or school-wide calendars, newsletters and memos often. If printing costs are an issue, then email this information to all parents. When parents are in the know, they may be more likely to be more involved. State your school or classroom needs in your newsletter or memos, such as tutors, school supplies or volunteers for field trips. Sometimes all it takes for parent involvement is to simply ask for specific requests. Also keep you website up-to-date, and schedule face-to-face conferences on a consistent basis, suggests Education World.
Improve the school's environment, or climate, suggests Education.com, a website for teachers and school administrators. Ensure staff greets parents and make them feel welcome when they enter the school. Parents should be viewed by teachers as partners, and showing interest in the parents will help improve the involvement among parents. Schools should not only feel warm and welcome, but they should also look neat, clean and well-organized. The principal should also be an advocate to ensuring that parents feel welcome. "If the principal of the school is not committed to improving parent involvement and providing supports, then the amount of parent engagement would be limited," according to Education.com.
Provide programs that bring families together. To increase a sense of involvement among families and parents, host events throughout the school year that advocate for education, suggests Education.com. Family literacy nights, parent financial literacy workshops and open houses are just a few events that can bring teachers, administrators, students and parents together. Ensure these events that accommodate parents' work schedules. Taking "proactive steps to involve parents" helps strengthen the ties among parents and teachers, according to Education.com.