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The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.

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Thomas Friedman, in an op-ed in The New York Times, declared that parent engagement is a powerful way to increase student achievement. In his article "How About Better Parents?" Friedman alluded to many op-ed articles calling for better teachers in public schools and encouraged his readers to consider the important role families can play in their children's academic success. Friedman writes:

There’s no question that a great teacher can make a huge difference in a student’s achievement, and we need to recruit, train and reward more such teachers. But here’s what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents. Parents more focused on their children’s education can also make a huge difference in a student’s achievement.

Harvard Family Research Project's founder and director Heather Weiss responded to Friedman's op-ed in a letter to the editor, which you can read below.  The letter was published on NYTimes.com on November 24. 

To the Editor:

Thomas L. Friedman writes that better parenthood can boost student achievement. I’ll go one step further: better support for family engagement is essential for improving student achievement and teacher effectiveness.

Not only does family involvement predict school success, but it also offers cost savings. One study found that schools would have to spend $1,000 more per pupil to reap the same gains in achievement that an involved parent brings.

Another study found that teachers are more likely to stay in schools where teachers rely on parents to support students’ education. This is important in low-income schools, where high teacher turnover can affect learning.

And our research suggests that disadvantaged children benefit more from family involvement than their middle-class peers.

But this is not just about better child-rearing: it is about making education a shared responsibility between families and schools, and giving parents the tools they need to become partners in learning.

HEATHER B. WEISS
Cambridge, Mass., Nov. 21, 2011

The writer is founder and director of the Harvard Family Research Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.


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