Enhancing pre-K-12 student learning outcomes: The need for synergies of policy-makers, school administrators and parents

Building strong synergy among policy-makers, school administrators, teachers and parents in the execution of their roles is very important to improve student learning outcomes. It helps to lay a firm educational foundation for children from Pre-K-12 and facilitates life-long learning in order to assist learners to acquire knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that empower them to contribute to sustainable development. As a remedy to deteriorating student learning outcomes (exemplified in Liberia), this paper examines and discusses synergic alignment of education stakeholders’ roles towards the primary goal of better learning outcomes for students from pre-primary through high school, focusing on the need for combined efforts. It highlights why synergic alignment matters in spite of their traditionally ascribed roles and pinpoints some challenges and benefits of building synergy among stakeholders. Finally, this article offers suggestions aimed at improving student performance, particularly in developing countries through collaborative partnership. It sees synergy in group roles as one of the most effective solutions to cultivating better student learning outcomes and condemns children’s education as the sole responsibility of school workers (administrators and teachers). It was concluded that the survivability of social institutions and continuity of human existence hinges on synergy built to support children’s learning. Key words: Pre-K students, learning outcomes, synergic alignment, education stakeholders.