Parents, teachers, and educators all share the same goal of providing the best learning experience for their children but they sometimes face factors that limit their ability to do so. Issues like shortage of labor, lack of funds, and outdated learning materials can hinder students’ educational potential.
However, a new study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University has found that there’s a component known as social capital that can be used in even the most disadvantaged schools to substantially help students succeed.
And it costs nothing.
Social capital refers to the network of relationships between school officials, teachers, parents and the community that together build trust, regulations, and actionable steps that promote academic achievement.
In the 96 schools evaluated, the ones with stronger social capital produced higher scores in state Reading and Math exams, regardless of the location’s financial demographic. This finding is significant because it was previously thought that social capital was less impactful in low-income neighborhoods because of its lower opportunity for a network.
The benefit of social capital is that it can impact any community that values childhood education. Not only that, but it’s also easy to cultivate and encourage within the community.
One way social capital can be encouraged is by maintaining open communication. If all subjects are contributing to the back and forth sharing of information, they can promote and implement each other’s ideas, paving the way for better support for the children. Consider a group message board or email chain to share important information with all members of the community.
Parents and guardians can participate in parent-teacher organizations (PTO or PTA) to form bonds between educator and caretaker that will benefit students. Through the meetings, parents can learn more about school expectations while teachers gain a valuable ally at home.
As stakeholders in the future of community youth, neighborhood members should contribute to making that future as bright as possible. Forming a community advisory board with youth-focused businesses, schools, and parents is also a valuable option. Community events like picnics, study groups, fundraising events, and educational field trips can be organized to give students productive and safe activities to participate in.
The youth of today are the future of tomorrow. If we equip them now with everything they need, we will one day see a huge payoff.