Parent-School Involvement during the Early Adolescent Years

Abstract

Adolescence is one of the most fascinating periods of development. Other than infancy, there is no other time in life when the individual experiences such rapid and dramatic change. This rapid change opens the door for both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, there is growing concern about the fate of our adolescents. A myriad of reports have emerged in the last few years pointing to the problems associated with this developmental period-increasing incidence of school failure, growing dropout rates, especially in the large urban school districts, increasing involvement of youth in delinquent and very dangerous activities, increasing violence among youth, and increasing incidence of other indicators of poor adjustment. The recent report Turning Points, for example, concluded that at least one-quarter of American adolescents are already in serious danger while another quarter are at risk for major problems.’ On the other hand, adolescence is also the time when many youth begin a successful and exciting transition from childhood into adulthood. It is a time when children blossom into interesting and healthy young adults if they are provided with supportive and developmentally appropriate social contexts in which to explore themselves and the world around them. Many reports have suggested that schools could play a critical role in helping to keep (or to put) adolescents on a healthy, rather than risky, developmental trajectory. Adolescents spend more waking time in school than anywhere else, including with their families. They also need close relationships with nonfamilial adults to help them sort through independence and identity issues, especially since achieving increasing independence from one’s parents is a primary task of this developmental period. In our society, teachers are likely to be the primary nonfamilial adults in many adolescents’ lives. Not surprisingly, then, evidence from a variety of disciplines indicates that teachers can have a major positive impact and may even play a protective role in the lives of adolescents. This is particularly true if they work in concert with