Getting information for a child when they get home from school can be like pulling teeth. The typical answer to “How was your day?” seems to be “Fine.” When you ask a student “What did do/learn today?” the normal response is “Nothing.” This isn’t sufficient information for parents. This tells them nothing about their child’s behavior, their grades, what they are studying, etc. For most parents, the only time they are notified about their child is when they get into trouble at school. This behavior could have probably been prevented if they parent had some sort of daily update.
A new parent notification system is beginning to emerge to solve these types of problems. TeleParent contacts the parent’s cell phone by text messaging them to let them know how their child is doing. It provides such information as: if the child was on time to his/her classes, any behavior problems that may have occurr
ed during the day, if the child participated in class, and if they did their homework. This same system is already in place for emergency situations, but some schools are taking it one step further and sending out daily or weekly updates to all the parents too.The goal of these sorts of systems is to increase parental involvement in the schools. A 2002 study found students with more involved parents are more likely to attend school regularly, receive higher grades and even have better social skills. It also increases accountability on the students’ part. TeleParent sends out notifications if an assignment is due or there is a special event. Parents can then make sure that their child is accomplishing what is required of him/her and even help them get more involved in the school. It brings the typical parent who can’t volunteer in the school everyday much closer with the school and the child.
How do the teachers get this information to the parents? It can seem like a daunting task, especially for high school teachers who have 120-200 students. In reality, it’s simple. They log on to a database, click the recipient and click the information that they want that recipient to receive. Essentially, it’s easier than writing an email. They can send grade information to open house reminders and everything in between.
The school has the capability to send the information out, but the question is are the parents reading it? It seems like they are. At Harlem Success Academy in New York City the school has logged near 100% parental attendance for special school events this year. Since they have the ability to send out the messages in audio format as well, parents of every language can receive the messages. At Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim, CA, where 53 percent of the more than 1,800 students come from families who speak English as a second language, administrators use TeleParent to phone parents with standard audio announcements about meetings, tests, and homework in three other languages: Spanish, Vietnamese, and Hmong. All the school has to do is click a button and a translator will record the message for them.
It seems as if services like TeleParent are increasing the direct connection between parents and the school. It’s an important service since most parents have to work and can’t be involved with the school on a daily basis. With this service (in all languages) every single student can be given the opportunity to excel in school. Parental involvement in no longer limited to the privileged students. This technology has the ability to decrease the achievement gap, if even by a little. The only technology that the parent needs is a cell phone, since 60% of our nations entire population has a cell phone; it is likely that they do.
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