To help parents be more effective, ACT offers the following suggestions to help your students achieve success.

1. Start early - Encourage your children to start thinking about their college and career goals early on, at the middle school level, and help them devise a plan to meet those goals (school counselors are great for this stage of exploration).

2. Insist on challenging courses - Don’t let your children take the easy road; make sure they are taking the most challenging courses possible. Rigorous coursework helps prepare students for success in college and the workforce.

3. Talk to school officials - Parents should stay in close communication with school counselors, administrators and teachers. Monitor your children’s academic progress and find out what specific classes they should be taking to meet their post-high-school goals.

4. Provide encouragement - Be receptive and listen to your children when they want to talk about college and career plans, and encourage them to explore many different possibilities. Be supportive of their ideas, and help them collect as much information as possible.

5. Develop a financial plan now - Parents should not wait until their children are in high school to think about how they’re going to pay for college; start learning about college costs and financial aid now, and develop a financial plan as soon as you can. High school guidance counselors can help with any questions about financial aid, scholarships and loans.

Parents play the most important role in their child's development. If parents and children work together, both groups can work to help students achieve their goals.