As parents, you must be knowledgeable about your child's academic status. Get involved. Be present. I get it, it's not easy to always be at your child's school. However, there are ore other ways to be present. Send letters, make phone calls, etc. Make yourself known. I remember when I was in 3rd grade at a predominantly White elementary school and the class had just taken the Gifted and Talented exam. This exam determined if students performed above grade level. Scores came back and I didn't make it in. No African American students were admitted. My mom felt I deserved to be in the program and wanted to find out how I performed on the test. So, she called the school and asked for my scores. She was informed that I just missed it by one point. She then asked if she could see a copy of my test. The school informed her that they "lost" my test scores and they would let me retake it. So, that's what I did and I passed. If my mother had not called the school, I would have missed that opportunity. Did the school really lose my test? I highly doubt it. My mother made it her business to get involved and that made a difference.
Several studies prove that parent involvement and student success are directly related. According to researchers (Cole-Henderson, 2000; Sheridan & Gutkin, 2000) children whose parents are involved have higher education attainment rates, perform better on high stakes testing and in school achievement.
Also, parents, we have to be honest with our children. Shielding them from the truth, only hurts them and does not prepare them for the world. Be honest. Educate them on the realities of the world. The purpose of is to better prepare them for the world they cannot escape; not to scare them, but to make them aware and able to handle situations when they occur.
Parents! Teach self worth at home. Self-esteem plays a role in the success of African American student as well. Teach them to love and value who they are.
