Family Involvement to Support Student Achievement

As a single mother of three, I experienced firsthand how hard it is to keep up with everything that’s happening at school. What I appreciated was when the school communicated clearly what priorities mattered - and how I could partner with the school to support my children.

Most everyone understands that family involvement is an important part of student achievement. But there are many definitions of “involvement” and many approaches to the school-family partnership. The key question is: involvement in what?

At Harlem Village Academies, we believe the most important aspect of family involvement is ensuring the quality of time that is spent at home. So we communicate with our parents about how we want our students to spend their hours at home. We came up with the acronym HOURS: H stands for homework; O for organize; U for unwind; R for read; and S for sleep.

Given how many hours students spend at home — evenings, weekends, and holidays — our families have told us year after year that they appreciate this simple and clear set of priorities.

Here’s to a great school year!