Dad's Involvement: Better Grades for Kids
 
 

Children are more likely to get mostly A's and less likely to repeat a grade or be expelled if fathers are highly involved in their
schools, according to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Education, "Fathers Involved in Their Children's School."

The findings hold whether the fathers live with their children or whether mothers also are active.

Involvement is defined as participation in school meetings, a teacher conference, a class meeting or volunteering. High involvement is participation in three or four activities.

The study, based on interviews with parents and guardians of almost 17,000 students in early 1996, found that in two-parent
households where both were highly involved:

     51 percent of the children got mostly A's;

     48 percent did so when only the father was highly involved;

     44 percent did when just the mother was highly involved;

     27 percent got mostly A's if neither parent was very involved.

     31 percent of children with highly involved fathers got mostly A's even when the father was a noncustodial parent.

It is the position of ANCPR that Family Law should facilitate the ongoing, active involvement of both parents in the lives of their children.  It is in the best interest of children to have this relationship.  This relationship is much more important that how much money in the form of child support is paid in the name of the child to some impersonal state agency.  The current system systematically excludes one of the parents whenever there is a child support order established.  This is wrong, and must be changed.

For a free copy of the study, call the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800 USA LEARN.