Parent involvement study
School districts could do a better job of informing about and involving parents in the implementation, process and results of the No Child Left Behind Act, according to a recent study by the non-profit Appleseed.
The group researched parental involvement in six states. Among its findings and recommendations:
*States, districts and schools must provide meaningful, understandable and timely information to parents regarding key school and student data.
*Districts and schools should pursue multiple, proactive strategies for communicating with and engaging parents -- particularly parents who are low-income or whose first language is not English.
*Districts and schools should leverage their limited resources by engaging community organizations.
*Federal, state and district officials need to prioritize and fund more comprehensive professional development for teachers and administrators, with special emphasis on challenges of culture and language.
*Federal, state and local policymakers and educators should recognize parental involvement as central to school improvement and place parental involvement strategies on par with other steps take to improve student achievement.
The appendix includes resources for parents and school officials.