Pulling In The Parents

By Rebecca Winters

Every parent of a schoolchild is familiar with the counter. It's that imposing bit of architecture in the main office that many administrators use to keep parents at bay. "I hated that thing," says Steve Constantino. So when he became principal of Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Va., he immediately ripped the counter out.

That was just the first of many changes intended to make parents feel welcome. Constantino, 42, knew that a top predictor of a child's success is parental involvement in his or her education. But Stonewall faced a problem familiar to many schools in the suburbs, where parents in two-career families commute long distances to demanding jobs--and where a quiet kind of educational neglect often breeds mediocrity.

Only a decade ago, Stonewall overlooked a two-lane road in a rural county of cattle farms and Civil War battlefields. Today, Manassas is a bustling exurb of Washington, and Stonewall abuts a shopping mall with high-tech neighbors such as Lockheed Martin. Commuters face a 90-min. drive to Washington, making attendance at concerts and teachers' conferences problematic. And high schoolers at Stonewall, like those everywhere, are prone to reply to "What happened at school today?" with a sullen "Not much."

That kind of response was bothering Stonewall parents more than anything else, as Constantino learned when he became principal six years ago. Parents wondered, Did their child arrive on time for school that day? Did he or she turn in the math homework? Are there any big tests or projects coming up?

To provide answers, Constantino and his staff put in place a program called ParentLink. Through a website and a voice-mail system, parents can get up-to-date information about their child's grades, homework, attendance and even the details of that day's lessons. Yvonne Gray says, "ParentLink fosters communication" with her daughter. "It gives me something specific to ask her about." Helen Marmoll, after checking ParentLink, stunned her son by asking why he hadn't made it back to class on time after a doctor's appointment.

Stonewall also moved to accommodate working parents' schedules. Guidance director Rebekah Wight began planning events on Saturday mornings, including a breakfast orientation for the parents of incoming freshmen. A group of active Stonewall parents is now trying to draw in other moms and dads, even before their kids get to high school. Constantino, in addition to tearing out the counter, has placed directional signs in both English and Spanish throughout Stonewall. "Most schools are incredibly intimidating places to a visitor," he says. Parents are encouraged to make evening use of the school's resources on college and career options. And the school plans to open its newly renovated fitness center to the community. In part as a result of these initiatives, 59% of parents said in a 1999 survey that they were satisfied with Stonewall, in contrast to 34% in 1995.

Over the same period, the average SAT score has risen 61 points, with an 18% reduction in the disparity between minority and nonminority scores. The dropout rate is down from 11% in 1995 to 3% today. Even extracurricular pursuits are reaching new heights: the choir just hauled home a crystal trophy from a national competition, and a new robotics club placed well in its first outing.

While getting parents more involved, Stonewall has also aggressively challenged its students, especially through a demanding precollege curriculum called the international baccalaureate. Stonewall is one of 305 U.S. public high schools that offer an I.B. degree--which is awarded in 102 countries and is often regarded as superior to completion of advanced-placement classes. But at Stonewall, I.B. isn't just a way to prep the honors kids. Students are urged by the faculty to stretch themselves, and an astounding 45% take part, with 86% scoring four or better on a five-point scale.

I.B. classes, begun at Stonewall in 1994, often feel like college seminars. An I.B. anthropology course has become so popular that Stonewall offers four sections of it. In one lesson in April, the day before the prom, teacher Maureen Ellis hopped from apartheid to Yugoslavia to India's Mogul dynasty, and hands shot up as students fielded questions about acculturation and colonialism. It costs Stonewall $66,000 a year to offer the I.B. program, but teachers and parents say the benefits returned to the school are priceless.

--With reporting by Melissa August/Manassas

With reporting by Melissa August/Manassas