Call parent or positive note home

Why should I do it:

Provides parents with direct & accurate info on child’s school behaviors
Helps to keep issues, situations, and circumstances clarified
Builds rapport, trust, and open dialogue between school and home
Helps establish and maintain behavioral limits that are consistent between school and home
Some kids respond very well to calls home
Gives parents power to enforce and follow through with limits and consequences
Avoids situations where kids can use misinformation to pit teachers against parents and manipulate the situation to avoid taking responsibility for their actions
Encourages some students behavior positively
Can take a small behavioral or academic gain and create more significant momentum
Can create parent “buy in” or establish of improve rapport with parents
Boosts student self esteem and self confidence
 

When should I do it:

As a consequence
When a student breaks a rule or whose actions are disruptive enough to require a formal consequence
When a child is exhibiting a chronic habitual behavior problem
When you need more support in addressing a behavior
When the behavior appears to be stemming from something in the home
When you suspect a child’s behaviors are due to environmental circumstance, like a family death, illness, etc.
When the student does not seem to respond to your authority
When there does not appear to be home consequences for poor behavior in school
As a reward
When a student has been well behaved
When a student has done well on an academic task’
When a student has been helpful
When a student meets a daily, weekly, monthly goal, either academic or behavioral
When a student needs to be encouraged to do something
When a student is a significant behavioral or academic problem and does ANYTHING remotely positive or productive
 

How do I do it:

Use a calm neutral tone with parents to avoid arguments, blame games, and power struggles
Describe the behavior clearly and with detail
Explain what you have already tried to address the behavior
Do not dwell on blaming the parent for the child’s behaviors, rather focus on solutions, whether on the child’s part of the parent’s
Ask the parent for their input and ideas to get them involved
Always say something positive about the child or something they did well
Have the child’s grades, behavior records, and the specific data ready in front of you when you call
 

Alternative Methods:

Consequences
Simply threatening to call home and picking up the phone can be enough to correct some behaviors or initiate certain responses, but be willing to follow through and actually call if the child calls your bluff
Some children may have an especially close or well established rapport with other staff in your building, so calling these staff or saying you will call them may be as effective as doing so with the child’s parent. 
Rewards
When students have a good rapport with a staff person, you may send a positive note or phone call to that staff person about the student’s accomplishment.  The staff person you contact can then help to praise and encourage the student, creating good momentum.