Raising Test Scores Using Parent Involvement

William L. Callison is an emeritus professor of Educational Leadership at California State University at Fullerton. He has been deeply involved in the parent involvement program of the Even Start Program in the Bakersfield (California) City (Elementary) School District as the evaluator for three years. Even Start is primarily a program for low income parents built around the assumption that the best way to help young children (three year olds in this program) to prepare for school is to have mothers bring their child to a two hour morning program five days a week, 45 weeks a year. The children prepare for kindergarten and the mothers learn to read and to take care of their children. The mothers also are working to pass the GED high school equivalency examination. Callison has also been involved in the creation of the Head Start Supplementary Training Program which he has also served as National Director for. This parent training effort has operated since 1966 and involves scores of small staff and parent groups in every state as they learn to be Teacher Aides in Head Start classrooms.

Research has shown conclusively, that parent involvement at home improves student achievement. In this book, William Callison focuses on the role of parents in helping their children succeed in school.