This section is aimed at you, to suggest programs, projects, strategies that you might consider to involve parents, to support parents, to support teachers, to build a cooperative relationship with the school and ultimately, to help students.

Your association should consider setting objectives and priorities for at least the current year. Perhaps you might decide that communication between home and school (a common concern) will be your priority. Perhaps you might decide that adding resources to a parent resource centre, or improving adult literacy in order to improve student literacy, or improving science awareness in your school community, will be your focus. Whatever your plan, at least one of the ideas in this section may be a catalyst. Though some of the suggestions seem to be aimed at the school, parent associations can suggest them to their school if they feel they would be worthwhile. Without the school' s active encouragement of parental involvement, it cannot succeed. As a parent association, you can encourage your school to implement some of the strategies suggested by researchers. By working to build a relationship built on trust and cooperation with the staff and administration of your school, and by demonstrating the benefits to both students and staff of having parents involved, your association works towards making parents welcome at the school.

Research has indicated that parent involvement is a developmental process that must evolve over time. Parents are interested in all forms and levels of parent participation. A variety of involvement opportunities needs to be available to accommodate varying skills, interests, available time, and work schedules of parents.

An excellent resource for parents and schools, with background information on parent involvement and strategies for increasing involvement, is Planning for Parent Involvement: A Handbook for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents. Parent Participation for Effective Schools by the Arizona State Department of Education. Copies can be obtained from The Federation. Another is Schools and Communities Together: A Guide to Parent Involvement (1990) by Karen Wikelund. It is available for $12.50 American (shipping included) from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 101 S.W. Main, Suite 500, Portland, Oregon 97204. Tel: 503-275-9500.

(Taken from the "Parent Resource Binder: The Essential Link", published by the Newfoundland and Labrador Home and School Federation, p. 83).

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