As educators, we do all we can in the classroom. But we know we can only do so much. If things are not on track at home, it is hard to get them back on track at school.
A recent study concluded that the majority of factors contributing to below-level eighth-grade performance were related to family life. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), the group behind standardized tests like the SATs, released the report, called "The Family: America's Smallest School," identifying key factors associated with academic performance. Those factors, positive and negative, included children living with one parent; eighth-graders being absent from school at least three times a month; eighth-graders watching five or more hours of television daily; and parents reading daily to children ages 5 and younger.
The bottom line, according to the study, is that children whose parents do not read to them often are already behind at age 5, and those children tend to stay behind. In poor families and single-parent homes, there are lower-level readers on average because working parents often do not have as much time to spend reading with their children.
The moral of the story: Just as we must focus on improving the time students spend in schools, as a society we need to help parents find ways to spend critical time with their children.
It is not popular to "parent bash" in public forums. We are, however, very comfortable "teacher bashing" or "teaching methods bashing" etc... You see, we have no way of holding parents accountable in the public school system (thanks to ideals like NCLB, least restrictive environment and "College bound!!!) whereas, private schools have the option of kicking a child out. This leverage can have a profound effect on parental behavior and dedication. Many like to apply the chicken or the egg principle here. I agree that if fewer problems arise from better parenting, a better school is the outcome. Any way you look at it, parents and children need to be held accountable, but not just on paper like at my school. I work at Cherokee Point Elementary in San Diego. To hold all stakeholders accountable, we began the SBRC (Standards Based Report Card). We report how children are doing and everyone knows what is expected of them (the standard). When children do not meet the standard, they are passed on to the next grade anyway. There is NO leverage and therefore NO measurable change.
I have to respond to the comment, "...we need to help parents find ways spend critical time with their children..." You are too kind. I used to feel the same way. My idea was to start a government program where employers would be compensated for spending time volunteering in their child's classroom or ideas similar to Head Start or mandatory parenting classes.
My views have evolved. Not without exception, but quite often parents that care enough find the time, find the books, find the public library. Parents who have simply spawned and now have off spring, don't need our help, they either need better birth control methods or better priorities.