Middle School

• Make sure your child attends school regularly and is on time and in school every day. 
• Don’t ignore misbehavior and poor conduct as these may be signs that your child is disengaging from school. 
• Monitor grades and course performance and meet with your child’s teacher if he/she needs help to be successful. Set high expectations for your child. 
• Attend parent-teacher conferences. Work collaboratively with your child’s teachers and talk to them about goals and expectations for your child. 
• Talk to your child. Find out what he or she is doing in school and discuss what he or she has learned on a daily basis. 
• Listen to your child and teach them to advocate for themselves. Teach them to ask for help if needed. 
• Stay involved with school. This is the best way to know how and what your child is doing at school. 
• Encourage participation in extra-curricular activities. Students that are involved in sports, clubs and other school activities will be more likely to want to stay in school. 
• Seek academic help. Some students may benefit from tutoring and extra academic assistance to help them. 
• Be aware of signs that your child is unhappy. Look for signs of bullying, learning disabilities and/or health concerns as a possible reason for your child’s poor performance or unhappiness at school. 
• If your child has an IEP, make sure they have access to the general curriculum and that IEP goals are ones that will keep them on track for a high school diploma (taking the right courses, earning credits, etc.). 
• Check that your child with an IEP has access to and is using the necessary accommodations to be successful. 
• Encourage your child to take prescribed medications and live a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and sleep.

Credits: National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), PACER Center, US Department of Education (Ed.gov), Parent to Parent of Georgia