The Family: America's Smallest School

[Astronuc]

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=ddc571ae769b5110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=1fe7a5b55c8b5110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

If the United States is to reach our ambitious national education goals, we need to focus as much attention on the starting line as we do on the finish line. While most reform debate centers on improving schools, increasing teaching quality and raising student achievement, success also requires changes within America’s smallest school as well: the family.

In the ETS Policy Information Center’s new report, The Family: America's Smallest School, ETS researchers Paul E. Barton and Richard J. Coley outline the family and home conditions affecting children’s cognitive development and school achievement and how gaps beginning early persist throughout life. With a preface and endorsement by Marc H. Morial, President of the National Urban League, both organizations call on leaders and policymakers to improve not only schools, but also home and family conditions, to help all students succeed.

Critical factors examined in the report include child care quality, parental involvement in schools, parent/pupil ratio, family finances, literacy development, student absences and physical home environments.

Interesting perspective on family and education.

 

[JasonRox]

Thank god this has been done.

Too many people are putting the responsibility on others, like teachers for learning, police officers for juvenile crime and so on.

Most parents aren't parents. It's time to be one.

 

[rewebster]

maybe this is the reason why that 'nanny 911' is even on TV--- a lot of parents don't know how to 'parent'---


I don't watch it but from the 'wide eyed' look of some of the parents on the commercials for the show--they seem to avoid discipline and structure to raising their children--as if their children 'should know' better