National Study Finds 70% of Teachers Expect Active Involvement from Parents in Their Kids' Education
Today's parents rising to the occasion: nearly 80% spending more time with homework than previous generations
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 13, 2015 -- Education.com, the nation's leading online destination for learning materials, today released new research that provides insights from parents, teachers and homeschoolers into the nature of parental involvement in homework, attitudes about the US education system and Common Core State Standards, and other current academic issues. More than 12,000 teachers, parents and homeschoolers responded and revealed a growing trend toward deepening, hands-on parental involvement in K–12 education, along with teachers expecting such commitments of parents.
When asked how often parents should be helping their kids with schoolwork, 70 percent of teachers answered "sometimes," "frequently," or "most school nights." Four out of five parents are meeting these expectations—79 percent reported they spend more time helping their kids with schoolwork than their parents spent with them. Notably, 42 percent of the same respondents reported spending at least 75 percent more time than the prior generation spent with them.
Other key survey findings include:
- Over three quarters of parents (77 percent) rated the quality of education their child is receiving at their school as good, very good or excellent; but nearly one half (45.5 percent) believe the quality of education at schools nationwide is only satisfactory, fair or poor.
- Teachers have a more positive outlook on US education, as almost nine in 10 (85 percent) rated the quality of education at the school where they teach as good or better, and a hefty majority (66 percent) believe the quality of education nationwide to be good, very good or excellent.
- Parents remain mixed on the Common Core State Standards and how it will affect their child's education: 25 percent believe negatively or very negatively; 35 percent believe positively or very positively; and 40 percent are on the fence.
- While some parents may be coming around to the Common Core, many teachers still lack the support needed to properly implement the new standards. Over a quarter of teachers (26 percent) said they are receiving no guidance from their school or school district on how to implement Common Core in the classroom.
Education.com fielded the research to gain deeper insights into the needs and attitudes of the millions of parents and teachers who download more than 20 million of its supplemental education materials annually. "The data reveals that parental involvement with their child's education has grown dramatically, driven by increased teacher expectations," said Rich Yang, co-CEO of Education.com. "Their increased involvement and expectations mirror the growth of our educational products, and it's inspiring to see the daily commitment teachers and parents make to help their kids succeed in school."
ABOUT EDUCATION.COM
With more than five million members and millions of visitors each month, Education.com is the leading one-stop destination for parents and teachers to find the guidance, inspiration, and materials they need to help kids succeed. From printable workbooks to Brainzy learning games to insightful articles and everything in between, Education.com delivers content kids love and resources educators rely on. Education.com is based in Redwood City, California, and was founded in 2007 by a group of parents dedicated to making learning fun inside and outside the classroom. Learn more at www.education.com.
