A Short Quiz By: Anthony Pellegrino

Today I have prepared a short quiz to help in your role for the education of your child. Cut it out and discuss it with friends. Ask them how they would answer the questions. The quiz is intended ts prod you to ask further questions.The more you know about what is happening in your child’s classroom, the better your child will be educated

1. Are you satisfied with your child’s learning development?

2. Do you know exactly what your child is studying?

3. Do you know how your child is being taught?

4. Do you monitor your child’s schoolwork and homework?

5. Do you ever read to your child or have your child read to you?

6. Do you ever check your child’s writing ability by having him/her write something for you?

7. Do you ever test your child’s math ability?

8. Do you ever discuss with your child his responsibility for doing good school work?

9. Do you ever discuss his future plans and dreams?

10. Do you know your child’s teacher or teachers?

11. Do you feel that if your child is not learning on his grade level, it is the (teacher’s) (parent’s) (child’s) (all three’s) responsibility?

12. Have you ever spent a day with your child in the classroom?

13. Has your child set goals for the school year?

14. Did the child set them himself or with you?

15. Are you monitoring them?

16. Where are they posted to remind him?

17. Have you set expectations for yourself regarding your child’s education?

18. Were they set by you alone or with your child?

19. Have you set expectations for your child’s teacher?

20. Are you monitoring them?

Characteristics Of An Effective School

Effective schools are not characterized by small class sizes, exceptional teachers, ethnic makeup of the faculty, or by the quality or age of the school facilities. But they do possess the following characteristics:

A. Have forceful administrators. How would you evaluate the administrators at your child’s school? Have they explained their standards of education and their means for achieving them?

B. Faculty has high expectations for student achievement. Do you feel the teachers have high student expectations? Are they readily accessible and helpful when necessary?

C. Maintain high standards: students who fall below the minimum standards will failbut help and encouragement to succeed is always available. Do you feel that your child’s school does that? Are the high standards clearly understood by you?

D. Have involved parents. Are you an involved parent? Do you feel in partnership with your child’s school?

E. Maintain a disciplined and orderly school atmosphere. Do you feel this at your child/s school? Do the teachers oreate a safe and conducive learning environment?

F. Assign ample and meaningful homework then reward diligent students. What is the school’s attitude towards homework? Is it and extension of classroom learning or just busywork? Is the school fair in rewards?

G. Give absolute precedence to academic achievement by emphasizing cognitive learning. Simply put, does the school emphasize pupil mastery of lowlevel skills which lead to unrelenting attention to the progress of all students in the essentials of reading, writing and computation which lead to higher knowledge? Check it out.

H. Constantly monitors and evaluates student progress. Does the school keep you informed of this evaluation and progress? How?

1. It places little blame on the home. parents or other factors for its shortcomings. Does it accept its share of the responsibility for any failures?

Your answers will reveal the success level of your child’s success in school and in life. “As you sow, so shall you reap.”