Dads have one more reason to celebrate this Father's Day.

A study conducted by the National Center for Fathering and the National Parent Teacher Association showed double-digit increases in fathers' involvement in their children's education over the past 10 years.

Between 1999 and 2009, there was a 16 percent increase in dads taking their children to school, 11 percent increase in dads attending classroom events and a 12 percent increase in dads participating in parent-teacher meetings.

Though fathers have made great strides, improvement is still needed, said Chuck Saylors, president-elect of the National Parent Teacher Association.

"We are elated to see that (increased involvement), but we have a lot of work to do to get dads more involved," said Mr. Saylors, who joined the PTA almost 20 years ago in Greer, S.C.

The survey also showed that 74 percent of the fathers surveyed never eat lunch with their children and 54 percent never volunteer at their children's school.

Fathers cite time as their main reason for not participating in their children's education more often, Mr. Saylors said.

Wayne Frazier, Glenn Hills High School principal, said that dads also feel somewhat out of place and uncomfortable in the role of school volunteer.

"A lot of fathers have had a lot of bad experiences with schools themselves," he said. "I think the key is us as administrators being more aggressive and inviting them to get involved."

Dr. Frazier said aggressively pursuing fathers last year at Tubman Middle School, where he was principal, resulted in a great response to a Criterion-Reference Competency Test workshop at the school in May.

"We never expected to see that kind of response, but we had about 100 kids there trying to prepare for the test," Dr. Frazier said. "There were so many dads walking their kids there and picking them up."

Mr. Saylors, who is the first male president of the PTA, said he hopes the 3 For Me campaign, which encourages parents to volunteer three hours of their time within a school year, invites more fathers to see the benefits of giving a small amount of their time.

"We know that moms and dads getting involved has a positive effect on a child's success," he said. "We're highlighting that dads can spend a little bit of time and do a lot of good."

Locally, dads have also stepped up to donate their time with Dads in Action, a mentorship group that partners with the PTA.

Richard Roundtree, chairman of the group and an investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, said the group has grown from 22 members to 51 since its inception last year.

"The guys that signed up were looking for an outlet," he said . "A lot of guys want to be active, but they think they didn't have a role."

The members mentor at Tubman Middle, Morgan Road Middle, Glenn Hills Middle, East Augusta Middle, A. Brian Merry Elementary, and John Milledge Elementary schools.

Though the group has made a difference in Richmond County schools, Mr. Roundtree said that more dads would help the group expand its scope.

"We want to be at every Richmond County middle and elementary school," he said. "When these kids see a male active and caring about their education, that makes them more excited and more likely to succeed."