From Newsweek March 23, 2009
According to the Coleman Report (1966), "Schools are remarkably similar in the effect they have on the achievement of their pupils when the socioeconomic background of the students is taken into account." That was a delicate way of not quite saying that the quality of schools usually reflects the quality of the families from which the students come.
One scholar estimated that about 90 percent of the differences among schools in average proficiency can be explained by five factors—number of days absent from school, amount of television watched in the home, number of pages read for homework, quantity and quality of reading in the home and, much the most important, the presence of two parents in the home.
Although, some of these factors cannot be helped. I encourage all families to value education. As an educator for a low Socio-ecoomic school system it becomes increasing alarming to see the lack of effort placed on homework. Parents should have no excuse for not mandating one hour of study time each night. If the student has no homework (a rare occasion) then the student should be made to read silently or aloud. Middle school students enjoy listening to books read to them. Parents please take advantage of this while it is still possible. If the student exibits good study habits at home then they are more likely to have good habits during school.
In closing, MAKE STUDY TIME A PRIORITY EVERY NIGHT. MODEL GOOD BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD READING AND STUDYING FOR YOUR CHILDREN. INSTEAD OF WATCHING TV ~ READ WITH YOUR KIDS.
