KDE Dropout Prevention Resource Guide

For Parents

Welcome to the Kentucky Dropout Prevention Resource Guide. This guide was specifically developed to assist teachers, counselors, school administrators and others that work with students of all ages that are at risk for dropping out of school and that may be experiencing difficulty with their academic and /or social progress. The National Dropout Prevention Center has identified 15 strategies to address dropout prevention. Effective practices and resources based on these strategies are featured in this guide. While the resources are designed with school staff in mind, there is information within the site that parents/families and concerned community members may find helpful.

The first line of defense to prevent student dropouts is a strong parent/family culture for high academic performance and eventual graduation. Richard W. Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education, emphasized this when he said:

“The American family is the rock on which a solid education can be built. I have seen examples all over this nation where two-parent families, single parents, stepparents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are providing strong family support for their children to learn. If families teach the love of learning, it can make all the difference in the world to their children.”

Research consistently finds that parent/family involvement has a direct, positive effect on children’s achievement and is the most accurate predicator of a student’s success in school. Dr Joyce Epstein defines six different types of parent/family involvement. The six types are discussed in the Family Involvement articles in the Early Intervention section of this site. This section offers school staff a variety of strategies that will assist in promoting family and community involvement in school and provides an array of resources that will also be beneficial for your viewing.

Family involvement in education can encompass many different types of activities . Some parents and families may have the time to become involved in many ways; while others may have restraints on their time because of their jobs , childcare, transportation, etc. Family involvement in education can include but is not limited to such things as reading a story to or with your child, checking homework every night, getting involved in PTA or other school activities, discussing your children’s progress with teachers, consistently asking your child “how did school go today?”, voting in school board elections, helping your school to set challenging academic standards, limiting TV viewing to no more than two hours on school nights, getting personally involved in governing your school, or becoming an advocate for better education in your community/state and insisting on high standards of behavior for children.

Whatever your level of involvement may be, remember, “If you get involved and stay involved, you can make a world of difference.”