Seton Hall professors publish book for educators on parent involvement

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Two faculty members of Seton Hall University’s College of Education and Human Services have published “Getting Parents on Board: Partnering to Increase Math and Literacy Achievement, K–5,” a book for educators to learn how to work more effectively with elementary school parents to increase student achievement.

The book, published by Routledge, was a joint effort by Alisa Hindin of Maplewood, an associate professor who specializes in literacy development and instruction, and Mary Mueller of Warren, an associate professor who specializes in mathematics education. The professors also serve as co-directors of the College of Education and Human Services’ elementary and special education program and wanted to provide helpful, research-based strategies to foster meaningful home-school partnerships and overcome the challenges teachers may face when trying to build relationships with parents.

“Developing partnerships between teachers and families is critical for children’s learning, and teachers often struggle with building and maintaining effective partnerships,” Hindin said in the release. “In the book, we provide specific ways teachers can both share information with families and learn from families. For example, we provide suggestions for how teachers can inform families about expectations for their children’s literacy and math instruction and learning.”

Mueller added that the book has implications for researchers as well.

“‘Getting Parents on Board’ is important to researchers because we present and analyze the current issues that educators face in involving parents,” Mueller said in the release. “We begin by explaining why parent involvement is important and describe the role that teachers play in supporting and promoting this involvement. We explore today’s educational environment and initiatives and share how these impact the ability of both teachers and parents to meet the needs of children.”