7 WAYS PTAS CAN IMPACT STUDENT LEARNING

PTA’s are traditionally known for supporting the schools with engaging programs and activities. At my children’s schools, for example, the PTA runs talent shows, organizes classroom and school-wide parties, and holds fundraisers for items such as playground equipment and classroom technology. In the school district where I teach, our parents run the school store, help chaperone dances, and bring in special assemblies for students to enjoy. Clearly, our children benefit from the PTA’s involvement, and these dedicated parents should be commended for their hard work and commitment by making programs and activities possible that may otherwise not be feasible. An increasingly popular discussion topic for these involved parents relates to a high-stakes subject: how PTA’s can impact student learning. With tight budgets and cuts to school funding, PTA’s have an even larger role to fill – today more than ever. Schools may not be able to fully implement programming and activities that could boost student achievement, and a parent-teacher organization can be that vital missing link.

Consider the following seven ways that PTA’s today can help: 

• Begin with the end in mind.

  Grant Wiggins, the author of Understanding By Design, explains how teachers can more effectively educate their students by planning lessons based on goals they expect students to reach by the end of the lesson, unit, or school year. With this model, planning with the end result in mind leads to better outcomes. Likewise, if the PTA focuses on educational goals, they can take already-existing events and transform them in such a way that they are both enjoyable and achievement-oriented. For example, at the next school dance, the PTA can send home a tip sheet on how to balance schoolwork and extra-curricular activities. Or, in planning the next assembly, the focus might be on a particular subject area (such as reading, math, science, or social studies), and the PTA may design the event based on that theme.

• Fundraise.

  Use fundraising proceeds to make purchases that will boost student learning. In my children’s district, the PTA funded the purchase of Smartboards, document cameras, and projection devices for the classroom. Without their contribution, the majority of classrooms in my daughter’s school would be without this technology.

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