An increase in parental involvement at Detroit Public Schools is one of the reasons crime has decreased in those schools, according to Schools Police Chief Roderick Grimes.
Independent surveys of 3,144 parents demonstrated that parent engagement in school programs increased by 30 percent from the 2010-11 to the 2011-12 school year, a release from DPS indicates. “Parent involvement with their students’ activities has increased by 63 percent, and parents reporting their attendance at parent meetings has increased by 49 percent since last year,” the announcement says.
At the same time, overall on-campus incidents were down 10 percent in the district’s schools from the 2010-11 to the 2011-12 school year. In particular, break-ins and entries were down 28 percent; arson was down 61 percent, felonious assaults were down 35 percent, concealed weapons were down 15 percent, and robbery dropped 28 percent. However, there were 13 more reports of criminal sexual conduct cases, an increase of 26 percent.
“The more parents are involved, the better their child will do with education,” Grimes said. “The district has also provided wraparound services, support services [the parents] may dearly need.”
More evidence of the rise in DPS parental involvement:
- There was a three-fold increase in parent workshop attendance.
- The number of parent meetings held at local schools increased by a quarter.
- The district’s eight regional Parent Resource Centers recorded more than 29,200 visits during the school year, a 7 percent increase.
- Sixty percent of parents reported satisfaction with district communications to families this year and, as a result, three-quarters of parents—28 percent more than last year—indicated that they feel more connected to their child’s school.
- A majority of parents reported helping their students with homework on a daily basis.