Special Topics for School Social Workers
BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONÂ
WITH PARENTS
LESSONS FOR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS
Collaborating with Parents In Making a Difference
About Us
Researchers have evidence for the positive effects of parent involvement on children, families, and school when schools and parents continuously support and encourage the children's learning and development (Eccles & Harold, 1993; Illinois State Board of Education, 1993). According to Henderson and Berla (1994), "the most accurate predictor of a student's achievement in school is not income or social status but the extent to which that student's family is able to:
Create a home environment that encourages learning
Express high (but not unrealistic) expectations for their children's achievement and future careers
Become involved in their children's education at school and in the community
This website is intended to help school social workers become stronger advocates for their students by involving parents in the change process.
Recommended Practices to Increase Parental Involvement
We constantly update our site with all that’s happening at Best Practices for School Social Workers, so make sure you stay in touch.
More Tools For Use in Schools
For New School Social Workers
Lend an Ear
Invitation for Parent Involvement Social
Parenting Contract
Parent advocacy websites to help new school social workers
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the lifespan, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.
National Center for Learning Disabilities
The mission of NCLD is to improve the lives of the 1 in 5 children and adults nationwide with learning and attention issues—by empowering parents and young adults, transforming schools and advocating for equal rights and opportunities. We’re working to create a society in which every individual possesses the academic, social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school, at work and in life.
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National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education
The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE) is a national membership organization dedicated to rendering all possible support and assistance to parents whose children receive special education services, both in and outside of school. NAPCSE was founded for parents with children with special needs to promote a sense of community and provide a national forum for their ideas.
Resource Websites to Share with Parents
Best Practice Video Library
Videos Promoting Positive Parent Collaboration and Communication
Down the Rabbit Hole: A Commentary About Research on Parents and Special Education
This article examines what we know about the experience of parents of children with learning disabilities since the passage of PL-94-142. Â The author offers a review of special education literature about parent and professional collaboration, a rationale for relying on a plurality of methodological frameworks in conducting research with parents of children with LD, and a challenge to the profession to raise and respond to ethical questions about our naturalized practices in alliance with parents.
Jan W. Valle (2011) Learning Disability Quarterly 34(3) 183-190
Jane D. Hull
"At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents."
