Kids who feel supported and cared for as learners and as individuals by the adults and students in their school do better--both in and out of school.

Research shows that liking and feeling connected to school is a very important protective factor for kids that positively influences not just academics but also their social and emotional health.  Unfortunately, too many kids feel disconnected from school.

The 2007 Minnesota Student Survey included three questions that help measure how connected our students feel toward school:

1. How do you feel about going to school?
2. How many of your teachers are interested in you as a person?
3. How much do you feel teachers/other adults at school care about you?

Here are results for students in Suburban Ramsey County:

Kids (and parents) can get help with homework seven days a week from 1 to 11 p.m. just by accessing the Ramsey County Library's Web site at www.rclreads.org.  Homework assistance is provided "live" by certified tutors using controlled chatting, interactive whiteboards, and shared Web browsing. 

This free service is available in both English and Spanish to anyone with a library card and a desire to learn.  You can access it from your home computer or from computer workstations in the library.  Tutoring is provided in all core subjects including Science, Math, Social Studies, English, Reading, and Writing. 

"Tutors do not give students answers," said Marcus Lowry, teen libarian.  "They help learners determine solutions." 

Check out this new resource, funded by the Metropolitan Library Service Association, today. 

Don’t wait until there is a problem to approach them to talk. 

Children do best in school when parents and teachers work together.  Sometimes your child will need you to advocate for them with the school.

That's one more reason to meet your child’s teachers, counselors, principals and other school staff as soon as possible in the school year.  Find out how and when they prefer to be contacted so you'll know how if you need to reach them.

When your child is struggling, first talk with your child and ask what is their understanding of what's wrong.   Ask when the problem started, who is involved, what they've done to try to solve it, what the teacher or school has tried, etc. 

The more you know from your child's point of view, the easier it will be for you to talk with the teacher or other school staff. If your child insists that nothing is wrong and you're still concerned, trust your judgment and contact the school to discuss issues you've noticed. 

Parent-teacher conferences are an important opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher(s) and learn about how your child is doing academically.  They are also an opportunity for you to learn about and discuss the teacher’s expectations.  Your attendance reinforces the message that you think school is important. 

If you have a specific concern about your child’s progress, don’t wait until school conferences to bring it up.  Contact the teacher to schedule time for a meeting to discuss your specific concerns.

Although each school schedules specific times for school conferences, if the offered times don’t work for your schedule, ask for a time and location that is convenient for you.  If you can’t attend in person, can you have a telephone conference?  If you need an interpreter, ask as early as possible. 

One of the most important ways you can be involved is through regular, consistent communication with your child's teacher and other school staff.

Parent involvement in school is an important factor in school success. 

Most schools provide formal opportunities to connect with school through back to school open houses, parent meetings, parent-teacher conferences, etc. but it is also important to take advantage of informal opportunities to communicate with school.  Maybe you can say a quick hello to the teacher when you're dropping off or picking up your child.  Pass along information about your child that will help their teacher connect with them.  When you hear good things about school, be sure to pass that along to the teacher.  And, when things aren't going so well, be sure you advocate for your child. 

Kids do best when family and school work together to support a child's learning.  Communication is key. 

Looked at another way, over one in five Minnesota students do not graduate from high school. 

According to the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, about 79 percent of all students in Minnesota graduate from high school with a regular diploma in four years.

Rates are lower for students who are African American, Native American, Asian, or Latino or who have emotional or behavioral disabilites.

Parents play a very important role in keeping kids in school.  When families remain involved, particularly during the middle and high school years, students are more likely to attend school regularly, have a positive attitude about school, earn higher grades, score higher on standardized tests, graduate from high school, and enroll in post-secondary programs. 

While summer is a time for fun and fewer schedules, research shows that children can lose skills over the summer.  If the idea of "summer school" at home is not appealing, think about ways you can incorporate learning into your everyday routines, not just during the summer but all year long. 

Make reading fun.  The Ramsey County Library sponsors a summer reading program that rewards kids for reading.  Encourage your child to sign up and track their reading.  Barnes and Noble also offers incentives for readers.  Encourage your child to read books that they might not ordinarily read.  

One of the best ways to encourage your child to read is to show them that you like to read too.  Whether it’s the newspaper, the latest novel, or a book you are using to learn a new skill, talk to your child about how reading is an important lifelong skill.  Consider scheduling “family reading time” where everyone grabs something to read.

Sometimes parents want to know what they can do to help their child build the skills they’ll need in kindergarten.  This list includes some of the common items found on kindergarten checklists.  Before kindergarten, a child should be able to:

• Cut with scissors
• Trace basic shapes
• Speak understandably
• Identify some alphabet letters (especially their own name)
• Count to 10
• Hold books correctly and turn pages
• Know their first and last name
• Hold and use crayons and pencils
• Recognize groups of one, two, three, four, and five items.
• Talk in five or six word sentences
• Participate in rhyming games

Before starting kindergarten, children should also be able to do certain things including separating with parents without distress, using the bathroom, washing hands, dressing themselves, and communicating personal needs. 

It is also good to practice certain classroom routines including:

As parents, our job is to look ahead at the risks our children may face, prepare for them, and courageously do everything we can to prevent our children from experiencing bad outcomes. Preparing for the teen years is different from, but just as important as, child proofing our homes.  Only in this case, we might think of it more as "environment proofing" our children. 

Children and young people face many challenges and choices as they grow up.  Parents who want to keep their children safe need to be aware of the risky situations kids are exposed to and help prepare their child to make healthy choices.  We can't stick our heads in the sand thinking "not our child" or "not in our community".

Usually, it takes time for problems to become critical, life threatening or intolerable.  If we know what to look for, there are usually warning signs that a child may be getting into trouble.  It is important to act quickly when when you see warning signs.  The consequences when children don’t get the help they need can be tragic.

The most accurate predictor of a student’s achievement in school is not income or social status, but family involvement, including encouraging learning at home, setting high, yet reasonable expectations and being involved with school. 

Encouraging learning at home:

While school provides formal learning, kids also need informal learning.  From the moment they are born, you are your child's first and most important teacher.  Whether talking, reading, or playing with your child, you are both helping them learn and, ideally, instilling in them, a love for learning. 

Once your child is in school, you still have an important role to play.  Encourage your child to learn about things that interest them.  Provide books, visit museums, and introduce your child to people who are knowledgeable about what they are interested in learning.