Parental Involvement from K-12

It has been more than a decade since the first large-scale one-to-one technology initiative was launched in Maine. That program, which put laptops in the hands of every public school student in the state, represented a major shift in the manner in which students learn. Recognizing the growing value of technology, particularly the Internet as an educational tool, the program opened doors for students to learn that otherwise would not have been available. For the first time, students could easily expand their learning time beyond the boundaries of their classroom and regular school day.

Yet, as children learned to utilize technology for educational purposes, the non-educational aspects of technology began to become more prominent. Gone are the days when a laptop was used to type a report or to access an online encyclopedia for research. Now, children have thousands of online distractions from YouTube videos to games to apps that allow them to chat, text, and share pictures with their friends.

This video explains what happens when you allow your child unlimited screen time.

All this makes it more difficult for parents to manage what their children utilize their technology to do. However, there are steps parents can take to ensure their child utilizes technology for learning first and fun second.

Set Rules and Stick to Them

Establishing rules can go a long way in helping your child define the boundaries of their use of

Your child’s success in school is dependent upon a wide variety of factors. Certainly, the quality of programming at your child’s school, the quality of your child’s teacher, and access to quality resources are all critical components of your child’s success. But the factor that is most important for your child’s academic achievement is your involvement in their educational process.

According to the Michigan Department of Education, parental involvement is twice as predictive of a child’s academic success than socioeconomic status. Yet, the same report also notes that a lack of parental involvement is the largest issue facing public schools today. There are likely many reasons for this gap, not the least of which is that some parents just don’t know how to help their children when they bring schoolwork home. However, involvement in your child’s education does not begin and end with struggling to help them with homework. There are many methods you can employ to help your child achieve his or her academic potential, and here are nine ways you can naturally incorporate into your child's academic support.

This video offers some suggestions for helping your child succeed in school.

Create a Routine and Stick to It

A major barrier that many parents face is simply finding the time in their schedules to sit down with their children to talk about school, review work, and provide assistance when needed. This has become even

Parent-teacher conferences can be a bit unnerving for parents regardless of how many times they’ve attended. It can be difficult to cover all the questions you have in a short period of time, and you may even leave the conference feeling like you weren’t able to accomplish much. However, there are practical steps you can take before, during, and after parent-teacher conferences to ensure you have all the information you need to support your child’s learning.

Before the Conference

Parent-teacher conferences are often set up such that parents have precious little time with each teacher, in many cases 10-15 minutes at the absolute most. Come to the conference prepared to get the most out of your appointment. Begin by reviewing your child’s grades beforehand, including their report card, any progress reports, work your child has brought home, and any comments your child’s teacher has made on his or her homework. Gathering as much information as you can ahead of time allows you to formulate questions to ask your child’s teacher and be ready to dive into the discussion once your appointment time arrives. Some possible questions to ask include:

• Is my child performing at grade level?
• What are my child’s strengths? Weaknesses?
• What can my child do to improve academically?
• What can I do to help my child improve academically?

It’s important to be prepared whether your child is doing well or poorly. On the one hand, if your child is struggling, you’ll need to be familiar

While most students anticipate summer break as a time to let down and recharge, others spend the summer months planning ways to get ahead during the next academic year. For those over-achievers, there are many options to choose from, between summer school opportunities and accelerated programs once the regular school year rolls around. If you are a student looking for fast-track opportunities, or a parent of one of those ambitious students, we have the tips you are looking for to get a step up on the high school years.

This video offers some tips for time management and organization.

Advanced Placement

This tried and true program offers high-pressure demands and challenges comparable to a college-level course. So why undertake Advanced Placement classes in high school? According to the Princeton Review, Advanced Placement, also known as AP, offers a myriad of benefits to high school students, including:

• The ability to pick and choose the subjects for acceleration
• The chance to impress prospective colleges
• The opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school

Currently, there are more than 30 AP subjects available, although the options may vary from high school to high school. If you excel at writing, an AP English course may be a perfect choice. Math gurus may prefer an AP math class, while aspiring scientists can find AP courses in biology, chemistry or physics. Even history buffs will find a

Graduation rates are on the rise at high schools across the county, putting the nation on track to achieve a 90-percent graduation rate by the year 2020. However, not all students are faring as well as those numbers make it sound, and plenty of factors may still impact the country’s ability to meet that completion goal. Check out the potential reasons why some states are seeking exponential increases to their own graduation rates, and why some students are not reaping the benefits of those improvements.

New Report Shows Encouraging Numbers

According to Reuters, the positive news comes from a recent report titled, “Building a Grad Nation,” co-authored by a leading expert on dropout rates from Johns Hopkins University, Robert Balfanz. Balfanz and his team noted that graduation rates are improving in an eclectic listing of states that include Texas, Tennessee, and Alaska. The report did not include numbers from Oklahoma or Kentucky since those states used a different formula from the rest to calculate their graduation rates.

The report lists the top performers in terms of graduation rates as Iowa, Vermont, and Wisconsin, which led the country with rates at nearly 90 percent. A handful of states still showed plenty of work ahead in their completion efforts. New Mexico and Nevada fell at the bottom of the pack, with graduation rates that barely reached 60 percent. Nationwide, graduation rates have increased from 71.7 percent