“draft” Model Standards

“Research has shown conclusively that parent involvement at home in their children's education improves student achievement. Furthermore, when parents are involved at school, their children go farther in school, and they go to better schools”.

CA State Board of Education Policy #89-01

PURPOSE

Research shows students do better in school when their families are engaged in their education (see Appendix I). Federal and state laws require parental involvement in schools (see Appendix II). Despite awareness of the benefits and the clear mandates, many parents are still not comfortable at schools and many teachers are frustrated with the lack of parental involvement.

A small dedicated advisory group to the Title I Office of the California Department of Education realized that the noble efforts for parental involvement were irregular and fragmented. The group, the Family Area Network, or FAN, had a vision for true partnerships, supported at every level of the education system. They undertook a project which spanned three years to engage parent and educational leaders to develop Model Standards of Family Involvement.

Their hope is that these standards will guide the state in leading a process for supporting and normalizing family involvement in all our schools.

They were urged by these leaders to offer the standards in a format that would encourage self-assessment, reflection, and promotion of implementation ideas. This is the first version of that tool.

OUR PROCESS

The FAN wanted to develop parental involvement standards that were grounded in both legal statute and academic research. We wanted to create a useful tool that spoke to the diverse populations within California.

In keeping with the California State Board of Education’s Parental Involvement Policy, we structured our inquiry around the research of Dr. Joyce Epstein. We use her term, “school, family, and community partnership” to describe parental involvement within the educational system. We explored implementation of the six types of parental involvement which she identifies as:

1. Parenting

2. Two-Way Communication

3. Volunteering

4. Learning at Home

5. Decision Making

6. Collaborating with the Community

The FAN examined all levels (state, county, district, school, classroom, family) of the California educational system to identify role-appropriate opportunities to strengthen school, family, and community partnerships. We identify opportunities for leadership, capacity building, and accountability.

The FAN then took the research-based framework to parent leaders and asked them what worked to promote the six types of family involvement. The simple question evoked over 300 ways to promote family involvement.

These practitioners asked that we present their ideas in a way that would help schools and their partners assess how well they were doing. They wanted a tool that could be used to measure progress. By offering very specific examples, we encourage families and educators to examine their personal and professional role in making school, family, community partnerships a reality for all our students and families.

Involvement Includes All

While many people over the past three years have helped create this resource, we know that we have neither captured all the best ideas, nor fully engaged leaders at all levels of school administration. We understand that to build partnerships with schools, we must link with existing practices. Over the next two years, the FAN board will be bringing these standards to schools, districts, county offices and administrative associations. We will ask educational leaders to align these with existing roles and responsibilities, and seek ideas on how to make them more doable and helpful.

Use this resource to get ideas, or gauge how fully your classroom, school or district is utilizing partnerships for learning. This will be used as a blueprint for building a statewide system of school, family, and community partnerships for student success.

The FAN invites all who read this to take the time to fill out an assessment for the level appropriate to their role. Contribute to the State’s effort to nurture effective school, family and community partnerships for student success by sending us a copy of your assessment with your ideas and comments for improving the form. (See address at end of document.)
CATEGORICAL PROGRAM MONITORING

The release of these standards has been coordinated with the California Department of Educations Categorical Program Monitoring (CPM) process. The CPM identifies 7 program dimensions listed below which are used in monitoring twenty categorical programs. These are cross referenced within the LEA, School, Classroom and Family assessment worksheets. (See green column.)

I. Involvement. Parents, staff, students, and community members participate in developing, implementing, and evaluating core and categorical programs.

II. Governance and Administration. Policies, plans, and administration of categorical programs meet statutory requirements.

III. Funding. Allocation and use of funds meet statutory requirements for allowable expenditures.

IV. Standards, Assessment, and Accountability. Categorical programs meet state standards, are based on the assessed needs of program participants, and achieve the intended outcomes of the categorical program.

V. Staffing and Professional Development. Staff members are recruited, trained, assigned, and assisted to ensure the effectiveness of the program.

VI. Opportunity and Equal Educational Access. Participants have equitable access to all programs provided by the local educational agency, as required by law.

VII. Teaching and Learning. Participants receive core and categorical program services that meet their assessed needs.

EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY

The model standards have been separated into five instruments, each focused on the responsibilities of these roles. No instrument has been developed for higher education, but it is included here to recognize the essential role it must play to build a statewide system of school, family and community partnerships.

Parents

· Parents must know their rights and be welcomed onto school campuses, into classrooms and onto governing bodies.

· They must be able to share their concerns and offer their help both at home and at school.

· Some parents will become leaders on action teams and in school governance.

Teachers and School Staff

· Teachers provide guidance and resources to help parents help their children learn at home.

· All teachers must be trained in effective parent communication.

· School staff must have resources to communicate with parents in their home language and in ways that are culturally appropriate.

· Staff must form action teams with parents. Engage in development and assessment of the school parent involvement plans, policy and implementation.

· Make school facilities available for parents to gather formally and informally.

· Must assist with families with the transitions between school levels.

Districts

· School districts have the responsibility to ensure that all their schools are meeting minimum standards of family involvement which includes: family involvement policies; information sharing; family/school compacts; functioning committees; and parent/teacher conferences.

· Encourage a team approach between families and school staff.

· Districts must create and maintain ongoing mechanisms to monitor family engagement.

County Offices of Education

· County Offices have the opportunity to provide regional leadership and capacity strengthening.

· County Offices can feature model programs, provide training and serve as a regional clearinghouse for promising practices and other resources.

Higher Education

· Parent involvement research and “good practice” in school, family and community partnership must be added to coursework to prepare all teachers, administrators and school support staff to work effectively with families.

· More research is needed on what works to engage families and achieve student success, especially with our diverse cultures.

State

· The role of the state is to promote high standards of family involvement and provide a structure of public accountability and training to build capacity of schools and districts to work effectively with families.

· The state must model family engagement through its own advisory bodies.

· Family engagement strategies should be coordinated across CDE divisions and programs.

· The state must take a lead in the identification and dissemination of resources.

· Monitors progress toward a statewide network of school, family and community partnerships.

Instructions for Self Assessment Standards

· There are six instruments, each developed for a specific level of our educational system.

1. Home

2. Classroom

3. School

4. School District

5. County Office of Education

6. California Department of Education

· They are designed to assess leadership, capacity building and accountability.

· They include the six types of family involvement developed through research. (Epstein.)

· Many of the listed practices are examples generated from parent leaders. Some are specifically required by statute; others are what these leaders have found effective. You may have other effective practices.

· We urge you to take this survey at the beginning and end of each school year so you can measure progress.

· Scoring Rubric:

1. Never: This strategy does not happen.

2. Rarely. There is no plan or policy to make this happen. It may happen rarely or occasionally.

3. Sometimes. There is a plan or policy to make this happen. It is happening, but not consistently.

4. Fully implemented. There is a plan or policy and this happens consistently.

Appendix I

Select Family Involvement Research

Birch, T.D., and Ferrin, S.E “Mexican American Parental Participation in Public Education in an Isolated Rocky Mountain Community.” Equity & Excellence in Education, 35(1), 70-78, 2002.

Brody, G.H., Dorsey, S., Forehand, R., & Armistead, L. “Unique and Protective Contribution of Parenting and Classroom Processes to The Adjustment Of African American Children Living in Single Parent Families.” Child Development, 73(1), 274-286. EJ649384, 2001.

Boethel, M. Diversity: School, Family and Community Connections. Austin, TX.: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. 2003

Chavkin, N.F. “Debunking the Myth about Minority Parents”, Educational Horizons, (Summer), 1989.

Chen, X., & Chandler, K. Efforts by public K-8 schools to involve parents in children’s education: Do school and parent reports agree? (NCES 2001-076). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics, 2001. ED458256. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/index.asp

Clark, R.M. “Parents as Providers of Linguistic and Social Capital”, Educational Horizons, 66, 1988.

_________ “Why Disadvantaged Children Succeed”, Public Welfare, Spring, 1990

Cotten, Kathleen & Savard, W.G. Parent Involvement in Instruction K-12: Research Synthesis. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 1982.

Davies, Don. “Low Income Parents and the Schools: A Research Report and a Plan for Action.” Equity and Choice 4,3 Spring, 1988.

Desimone, L. “Linking Parent Involvement with Student Achievement: Do Race and Income Matter?” The Journal of Educational Research, 93(1), 11-30. EJ598248, 1999.

Epstein, J.L. “Paths to Partnership: What We Can Learn from Federal, State, District and School Initiatives.” Phi Delta Kappan, 72, 376-382, 1991.

________. “School and Family Partnerships.” In M. Alkin (ed.) Encyclopedia of Educational Research. New York: MacMillan, 1992.

________. School,Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2001.

Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., & Van Voorhis, F. L. School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2002.

Epstein, J. and Van Voorhis, F. Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) Interactive Homework Training Materials. Baltimore: Authors. 2002.

Erbe, Brigitte. "Parent Participation in the Chicago Public Schools." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, 1991.

Fan, Serena, et al, “Shifting Identities: Chinese Immigrant Values as They Support and Hinder Family, School and Community Relations.” Paper delivered to the 13^th International Roundtable on School, Family and Community Partnerships, San Francisco April 7, 2006.

Fan, Xitao, and Chen, Michael, Parental Involvement and Student's Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis, National Science Foundation; National Center for Education Statistics, 1999, summarized.

Gaitan, Concha D. The Power of Community: Mobilizing for Family and Schooling. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Denver CO., 2001

_________. Involving Latino Families in Schools: Raising Student Achievement through Home-School Partnerships. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA, 2004

Henderson, Ann. The Evidence Continues to Grow: Parent Involvement Improves Student Achievement. Columbia MD: National Committee for Citizens in Education, 1987.

_______ . A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Crucial to Student Achievement. Washington, DC. National Committee for Citizens in Education, 1994

Henderson, A. & Mapp, K. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement, Austin, Texas, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 2002.

Honig, M.I., Kahne, J., & McLaughlin, M.W. “School-Community Connections: Strengthening Opportunity to Learn and Opportunity To Teach.” In V. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (4^th ed.). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association, 2001.

Jeynes, W.H. “A Meta-Analysis: The Effects of Parental Involvement on Minority Children’s Academic Achievement.” Education and Urban Society, 35(2), 202-218, 2003.

Johnstone, T.R., & Hiatt, D.B. “Development of A School-Based Parent Center For Low-Income New Immigrants.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, March, 1997.

Jeynes, W., "Parental Involvement and Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis". Boston: FINE Network at Harvard Family Research Project, 2005.

Johnson, Mary “Redefining and Restructuring Parent Involvement.” Paper delivered to the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco 2006.

Jordon, C., Orozco, E., and Averett, A. Emerging Issues in School, Family and Community Connections. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 2002.

Lawrence-Lightfoot, S. The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other. New York: Random House Publishing, 2003.

Liontos, L.B. Communication: The Importance of Personal Contact. At-Risk Families and Schools: Becoming Partners. Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, Univ. of Oregon, 1992.

López, G.R., Scribner, J.D. & Mahitivanichcha, K. “Redefining Parental Involvement: Lessons from High-Performing Migrant-Impacted Schools.” American Educational Research Journal. 38(2), 253-288, 2001.

Moles, O.C. “Collaboration Between Schools and Disadvantaged Parents: Obstacles and Openings.” N. Chavkin (ed.) Families and Schools in a Pluralistic Society, 1993.

Olivos, Edward M. The Power of Parents: A Critical Perspective of Bicultural Parent Involvement in Public Schools. Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York, 2006.

Richman-Prakash, N., West, J., & Denton, K. “Differences in Parental Involvement in Their Children’s School among Children of Poverty.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, 2002.

Safron, Dan. “The Psychology and Politics of Parent Involvement.” Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, 1997.

Slaughter, D.T. & Kuehne, V.S. "Improving Black Education: Perspectives on Parent Involvement." Urban League, VII, 1-2 ,Summer/Winter, 1988. EJ 377 100.

Scott-Jones, D. Family Influences on Cognitive Development and School Achievement. Review of Education Research (11): 259-304, 1984.

Walberg, H. “Families as Partners in Educational Productivity.” Phi Delta Kappan. February, 1984.

Westat and Policy Studies Associates, The Longitudinal Evaluation of School Change and Performance in Title I Schools, Volume I: Executive Summary, Washington, DC: US Department of Education, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Planning and Evaluation Service, 2001. www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/PES/esed/lescp_highlights.html

Wherry, John, “Selected Parent Involvement Research”, downloaded from http://www.par-inst.com/educator/resources/research/research.php, updated Dec. 2004.

Williams, D.L. & Chavkin, N.F. Essential Elements of Strong Parent Involvement Programs. Educational Leadership, 47, 1990.

Ziegler, S. "The Effects of Parent Involvement on Children’s Achievement: The Significance of Home/School Links." Ontario, Canada: Toronto Board of Education, 1987.

Appendix II

Parent/Family Involvement Law and Policy

FEDERAL

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title I, Part a , Section 1118

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

(a) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY POLICY-

(1) IN GENERAL- A local educational agency may receive funds under this part only if such agency implements programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in programs assisted under this part consistent with this section. Such programs, activities, and procedures shall be planned and implemented with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

(2) WRITTEN POLICY- Each local educational agency that receives funds under this part shall develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parent involvement policy. The policy shall be incorporated into the local educational agency's plan developed under section 1112, establish the agency's expectations for parent involvement, and describe how the agency will —

(A) involve parents in the joint development of the plan under section 1112, and the process of school review and improvement under section 1116;

(B) provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance;

(D) coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies under this part with parental involvement strategies under other programs, such as the Head Start program, Reading First program, Early Reading First program, Even Start program, Parents as Teachers program, and Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, and State-run preschool programs;

(E) conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academic quality of the schools served under this part, including identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by this section (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background), and use the findings of such evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parental involvement policies described in this section; and

(F) involve parents in the activities of the schools served under this part.

(3) RESERVATION-

(A) IN GENERAL- Each local educational agency shall reserve not less than 1 percent of such agency's allocation under subpart 2 of this part to carry out this section, including promoting family literacy and parenting skills, except that this paragraph shall not apply if 1 percent of such agency's allocation under subpart 2 of this part for the fiscal year for which the determination is made is $5,000 or less.

(B) PARENTAL INPUT- Parents of children receiving services under this part shall be involved in the decisions regarding how funds reserved under subparagraph (A) are allotted for parental involvement activities.

(C) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS- Not less than 95 percent of the funds reserved under subparagraph (A) shall be distributed to schools served under this part.

(b) SCHOOL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY-

(1) IN GENERAL- Each school served under this part shall jointly develop with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parental involvement policy, agreed on by such parents that shall describe the means for carrying out the requirements of subsections (c) through (f). Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. Such policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.

(2) SPECIAL RULE- If the school has a parental involvement policy that applies to all parents, such school may amend that policy, if necessary, to meet the requirements of this subsection.

(3) AMENDMENT- If the local educational agency involved has a school district-level parental involvement policy that applies to all parents, such agency may amend that policy, if necessary, to meet the requirements of this subsection.

(4) PARENTAL COMMENTS- If the plan under section 1112 is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children; the local educational agency shall submit any parent comments with such plan when such local educational agency submits the plan to the State.

(1) convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school's participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved;

(2) offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement;

(3) involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and the joint development of the school-wide program plan under section 1114(b)(2), except that if a school has in place a process for involving parents in the joint planning and design of the school's programs, the school may use that process, if such process includes an adequate representation of parents of participating children;

(4) provide parents of participating children —

(A) timely information about programs under this part;

(B) a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet; and

(C) if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible; and

(5) if the school-wide program plan under section 1114(b)(2) is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency.

(d) SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT- As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy developed under subsection (b), each school served under this part shall jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State's high standards. Such compact shall —

(1) describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under this part to meet the State's student academic achievement standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children's learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and television watching; volunteering in their child's classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time; and

(2) address the importance of communication between teachers and parents on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum —

(A) parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child's achievement;

(B) frequent reports to parents on their children's progress; and

(C) reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class, and observation of classroom activities.

(e) BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT- To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, each school and local educational agency assisted under this part —

(1) shall provide assistance to parents of children served by the school or local educational agency, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the State's academic content standards and State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children;

(2) shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children's achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement;

(3) shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school;

(4) shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children;

(5) shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand;

(6) may involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training;

(7) may provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this part if the local educational agency has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for such training;

(8) may pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions;

(9) may train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;

(10) may arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school, in order to maximize parental involvement and participation;

(11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement;

(12) may establish a district-wide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in programs supported under this section;

(13) may develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parent involvement activities; and

(14) shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request.

(f) ACCESSIBILITY– In carrying out the parental involvement requirements of this part, local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents understand.

(g) INFORMATION FROM PARENTAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CENTERS- In a State where a parental information and resource center is established to provide training, information, and support to parents and individuals who work with local parents, local educational agencies, and schools receiving assistance under this part, each local educational agency or school that receives assistance under this part and is located in the State shall assist parents and parental organizations by informing such parents and organizations of the existence and purpose of such centers.

(h) REVIEW- The State educational agency shall review the local educational agency's parental involvement policies and practices to determine if the policies and practices meet the requirements of this section.

Title I, A, 1118, (h)

CALIFORNIA

EDUCATION CODE

11500-11505

11500.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

   (a) Despite a substantial increase in school funding over the last five years, a significant percentage of the school-aged population, particularly in large urban areas, is learning well below the statewide average and is making only marginal progress at best.

   (b) Parental involvement and support in the education of children is an integral part of improving academic achievement.  Educational research has established that properly constructed parent involvement programs can play an important and effective role in the participation of parents in their children's schools and in raising pupil achievement levels.

   (c) The federal government has recognized the critical role of parents in the educational process and now mandates parental involvement programs as a condition of eligibility for funds under the Augustus F. Hawkins-Robert T.  Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988 (P.L.  100-297).

   (d) The State Board of Education has also adopted a policy urging the creation of parent involvement programs in all schools.

   (e) California's School Improvement Program has historically maintained parent involvement as one of its component parts.

   (f) Research and experience have demonstrated that these programs succeed only when certain components are made part of the program.

11501.  It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to ensure that parent involvement programs are properly designed and implemented and to provide a focus and structure for these programs based on prior experience and research while maintaining sufficient local flexibility to design a program that best meets the needs of the local community.

11502.  It is the purpose and goal of this chapter to do all of the following:

   (a) To engage parents positively in their children's education by helping parents to develop skills to use at home that support their children's academic efforts at school and their children's development as responsible future members of our society.

   (b) To inform parents that they can directly affect the success of their children's learning, by providing parents with techniques and strategies that they may utilize to improve their children's academic success and to assist their children in learning  at home.

   (c) To build consistent and effective communication between the home and the school so that parents may know when and how to assist their children in support of classroom learning activities.

   (d) To train teachers and administrators to communicate effectively with parents.

   (e) To integrate parent involvement programs, including compliance with this chapter, into the school's master plan for academic accountability.

11503.  The governing board of each school district shall establish a parent involvement program for each school in the district that receives funds under Chapter 1 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Augustus F. Hawkins-Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988 (P.L. 100-290).  That program shall contain at least the following elements:

   (a) Procedures to ensure that parents are consulted and participate in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of the program.

   (b)  Regular and periodic programs throughout the school year that provide for training, instruction, and information on all of the following:

   (1) Parental ability to directly affect the success of their children's learning through the support they give their children at home and at school.

   (2) Home activities, strategies, and materials that can be used to assist and enhance the learning of children both at home and at school.

   (3) Parenting skills that assist parents in understanding the development needs of their children and in understanding how to provide positive discipline for, and build healthy relationships with, their children.

   (4) Parental ability to develop consistent and effective communications between the school and the parents concerning the progress of the children in school and concerning school programs.

   (c) An annual statement identifying specific objectives of the program.

   (d)  An annual review and assessment of the program's progress in meeting those objectives.  Parents shall be made aware of the existence of this review and assessment through regular school communications mechanisms and shall be given a copy upon the parent's request.

11504.  The governing board of each school district shall adopt a policy on parent involvement, consistent with the purposes and goals set forth in Section 11502, for each school not governed by Section 11503.

11505.  To the extent permitted by federal law, a school district may contract with nonprofit organizations and agencies experienced in administering parent involvement programs to design or implement, or design and implement, a school's parent involvement program.

11506.  Schools that receive federal funds under Chapter 1 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Augustus F.  Hawkins-Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988 (P. L. 100-297), and receive funds for school improvement plans pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 52000) of Part 28 or economic impact aid pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 54020) of Chapter 1 of Part 29, may receive funds for school improvement plans pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 52000) of Part 28 or economic impact aid pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 54020) of Chapter 1 of Part 29 only if they comply with this chapter.

EDUCATION CODE 51100-51102

51100.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

   (a) It is essential to our democratic form of government that parents and guardians of schoolage children attending public schools and other citizens participate in improving public education institutions.  Specifically, involving parents and guardians of pupils in the education process is fundamental to a healthy system of public education.

   (b) Research has shown conclusively that early and sustained family involvement at home and at school in the education of children results both in improved pupil achievement and in schools that are successful at educating all children, while enabling them to achieve high levels of performance.

   (c) All participants in the education process benefit when schools genuinely welcome, encourage, and guide families into establishing equal partnerships with schools to support pupil learning.

   (d) Family and school collaborative efforts are most effective when they involve parents and guardians in a variety of roles at all grade levels, from preschool through high school.

51101.

   (a) Except as provided in subdivision (d), the parents and guardians of pupils enrolled in public schools have the right and should have the opportunity, as mutually supportive and respectful partners in the education of their children within the public schools, to be informed by the school, and to participate in the education of their children, as follows:

   (1) Within a reasonable period of time following making the request, to observe the classroom or classrooms in which their child is enrolled or for the purpose of selecting the school in which their child will be enrolled in accordance with the requirements of any intra-district or inter-district pupil attendance policies or programs.

   (2) Within a reasonable time of their request, to meet with their child's teacher or teachers and the principal of the school in which their child is enrolled.

   (3) To volunteer their time and resources for the improvement of school facilities and school programs under the supervision of district employees, including, but not limited to, providing assistance in the classroom with the approval, and under the direct supervision, of the teacher.  Although volunteer parents may assist with instruction, primary instructional responsibility shall remain with the teacher.

   (4) To be notified on a timely basis if their child is absent from school without permission.

   (5) To receive the results of their child's performance on standardized tests and statewide tests and information on the performance of the school that their child attends on standardized statewide tests.

   (6) To request a particular school for their child, and to receive a response from the school district.  This paragraph does not obligate the school district to grant the parent's request.

   (7) To have a school environment for their child that is safe and supportive of learning.

   (8) To examine the curriculum materials of the class or classes in which their child is enrolled.

   (9) To be informed of their child's progress in school and of the appropriate school personnel whom they should contact if problems arise with their child.

Acknowledgements	2
Purpose	3
Our Process	3
Link to State Monitoring	5
We all have a Role to Play	6
Instructions for Self-Assessments	8
Self-Assessment of Standards
Families	7
Classrooms	10
Schools	13
School Districts	17
County/Regional Office of Education	21
CA Department of Education	23
Appendix I: Research	27
Appendix II: Legal References	29
Appendix III: Glossary	38
Appendix IV: Contributors	41

Fan, Serena, et al, “Shifting Identities: Chinese Immigrant Values as They Support and Hinder Family, School and Community Relations.” Paper delivered to the 13th International Roundtable on School, Family and Community Partnerships, San Francisco April 7, 2006.