California Parent Center E-News Network

California Parent Center E-News Network

Welcome to the California PARENT Center's E-News Network archive page. On this page, you will find the materials and information submitted to the network in the past months, collected for your convenience. Feel free to use these materials as needed and thank you for your support.


November 17, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - November 17, 2004

Welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly

Upcoming California PARENT Center Parent Involvement Conferences

December 2-3 2004 – Orange County Leadership Development Conference on School, Family and Community Partnerships – This conference is in partnership with the California Department of Education and the Orange County Office of Education. Location: Doubletree Hotel Santa Ana/Orange Co. Airport, 201 East MacArthur Boulevard, Santa Ana, CA 92707. Click for conference agenda. To avoid late fees, register by Nov. 19, 2004.
January 13-14, 2005 – Riverside County Leadership Development Conference on School, Family and Community Partnerships – In partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education. Riverside Marriott Hotel, 3400 Market St., Riverside, CA 92501. Click for conference agenda.
February 17-18, 2005 – San Joaquin County Leadership Development Conference on School, Family and Community Partnerships – In partnership with the San Joaquin County Office of Education. Location: San Joaquin County Office of Education 2901 Arch-Airport Road, Stockton, CA 95206. Click for conference agenda.
March 10-11, 2005 – Contra Costa County Leadership Development Conference on School, Family and Community Partnerships - In partnership with the Contra Costa County Office of Education. Location: TBA. Click for conference agenda.

To register, call: 619-594-4756 or 877-972-7368 (877-9-PARENT). For information visit the California PARENT Center Web Site at http://parent.sdsu.edu.

Good Resources for Parent Involvement

Navigating the Children's Media Landscape Cable in the Classroom Guide – Source: National PTA – The National PTA website has posted a new publication: Navigating the Children's Media Landscape: A Parent's and Caregiver's Guide (PDF). According to the PTA, Research shows 36 percent of young children have televisions in their bedrooms and children are spending more time in front of 'screens' than outside playing. The challenge for today's parents is greater than ever as children are exposed to seemingly limitless media contact. That is why National PTA and Cable in the Classroom produced a guide to help parents navigate the ever-changing media environment with their children. The guide provides parents: 1) clear, flexible guidelines to navigate the media environment; 2) facts about the positive and negative influences media may have on children's learning, behavior, and health; 3) findings of academic literature, insights of experts, and input from parents and children; and 4) a six-step strategy for developing a family media plan. Click this path to view the Guide: http://www.pta.org/parentinvolvement/parenttalk/CableReport.pdf
Checklist of How to Increase Parent Involvement
This checklist contains criteria to consider in building steps to increase parent involvement in schools - Source: Elements of Equity: Criteria for Equitable Schools. Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium. 1991. Click this URL for the list: http://www.maec.org/tadocs/parent.html
Developing Family/School Partnerships: Guidelines for Schools and School Districts
This newsletter contains a good article about who should be included in developing a parent involvement policy and what the policy should contain. Source: Partners in Parenting Volume IV, Issue 2, The Parent Educator, Colorado State University, Jan. 1999. The full article is found at: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/PIP/parenteducator/pejan99.pdf.

Thanks to Dulce Herrera, State Coordinator/Trainer, Children's Home Society of Washington, Parent Information and Resource Centers Program (PIRC) for bringing these good resources to our attention. Dulce may be reached at: 206-695-3200.

Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center

California State PTA, Chicano Federation of San Diego, Homey's Youth Foundation (HIPPY), June Burnett Institute of the San Diego State University Foundation, Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Urban League, Union of Pan Asian Communities.


October 19, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - October 19, 2004

Welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly

Upcoming California PARENT Center Parent Involvement Conferences
Open Conferences - The California PARENT Center, has scheduled its next open LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES On School, Family and Community Partnerships for fall 2004.

December 2-3 2004 –Orange County in partnership with the California Department of Education and the Orange County Office of Education, Doubletree Hotel- Doubletree Hotel Santa Ana/Orange Co. Airport, 201 East MacArthur Boulevard, Santa Ana, CA 92707[(Click) for conference agenda. http://parent.sdsu.edu/services/conferences/agenda/english.htm] The due date for registration forms and payment is November 19, 2004. Space is still available but this conference is filling up fast. Registration is open to anyone in the state.
November 4-5, 2004 - Northern California (POSTPONED until further notice),

To register, Call: 619-594-4756 or 877-972-7368 (877-9-PARENT). For information Visit the California PARENT Center Web Site at http://parent.sdsu.edu.

New Guide to No Child Left Behind for Special Needs Students – (Alliance Public Policy News) – The National Center for Learning Disabilities has produced a useful guide, "Making the No Child Left Behind Act Work" with funding from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation and the Oak Foundation. It can be accessed at www.LD.org. Particularly useful for parents, the guide helps them deal with the complexities of the law and equips them to advocate on behalf of their children. It explains the purposes of the law and what the states are obligated to do under it. State NCLP policies can be accessed at the Department of Education website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/index.html.
   A key component of the law is the fact that there is a distinction between Title I schools and those that do not have disadvantaged students, who are classified as “subgroups.” States define the minimum size of subgroups such as economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, limited English proficiency students, and students from major racial and ethnic groups in various ways. The minimum size of these subgroups can be found at the Department of Education website listed above. The database of the National Center for Education Statistics provides information on “School Characteristics” at http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/.
The $12.3 billion provided by the federal government in Title I grants must be utilized for “effective methods and instructional strategies that are grounded in scientifically based research.” School districts must have plans that are public records so you can request to see them.
   All children are assessed against the same high academic standards and therein lies the rub. Only 7 states -- Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and South Carolina -- require that the Individualized Education Program for special education students address the same state content standards.
   Another provision of the law places emphasis on highly qualified teachers, yet recent surveys indicate around 10 percent of special education positions nationally (39,000) are occupied by uncertified personnel who serve approximately 600,000 students with disabilities.
   School report cards are mandatory, to be made public, and must contain student achievement data for each school and for each subgroup in the school, and information about the professional qualifications of teachers. The individual student reports are, of course, confidential and must provide information on the child’s academic standing compared to what he or she should be achieving at the typical grade level and age.
   Remedial measures must be taken if schools do not achieve the goals set by the law after two and three consecutive years, and the remedial measures are clearly prescribed with timetables for improving student achievements.

Innovations in Education Creating Strong District School Choice Programs --
Innovations in Education: Creating Strong District Choice Programs is a new USDE publication which focuses on the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act’s public school choice provisions. This guide was designed to help school districts implement choice options more effectively. It draws on the concrete experiences of five districts that already had a history of implementing choice prior to NCLB. It provides ideas that have been implemented in these districts also, as well as relevant research, resources and sample communication tools to use with parents. Click here to view the publication. To order copies, contact ED PUBS at edpubs@inet.ed.gov. Public Policy News). A new generation of people with disabilities is preparing to enter the workforce, in part due to the skyrocketing number of cases of autism in the past 15 years.

National Women’s Law Center Reports Backward Steps on Child Care Assistance -- (Alliance Public Policy News) -- Stagnant federal child care funding, combined with cash-strapped states, have resulted in backward steps on child care assistance, reports an issue brief from the National Women’s Law Center.
The brief, “Child Care Assistance Policies 2001-2004: Families Struggling to Move Forward, States Going Backward” compares state child care assistance policies for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Studies demonstrate that adequate child care funding is crucial for low-income parents to be able to work, remain self-sufficient, and stay off welfare. Nonetheless, the issue brief finds that since 2001, many states have taken steps that limit child care assistance, including:

Restricting eligibility for help

Placing eligible families who meet the more restrictive income criteria on waiting lists for assistance
Requiring low-income parents receiving help to pay much more toward the cost of child care, and
Failing to adjust the rates paid to child care providers to keep pace with the rising costs.

In addition to waning child care supports for working families, the report highlights the recent Census figures that show the poverty rate for women and children has increased for the third year in a row, and the number of Americans without health insurance has increased. For more information on child care trends, and to access the report in full, visit www.nwlc.org.

Save These Dates:

October 25-26, 2004 - State Superintendent's High School Summit 2004 - High Expectations for All Students, Sacramento Convention Center, October 25-26, 2004 [Click for Full Information] http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/re/et/yr04hset1025.asp.
Nov 5-7, 2004 - C.A.C.E. Conference - The California Association of Compensatory Education (C.A.C.E.) conference is scheduled for November 5-7, Red Lion Hotel, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95815. For further information contact: Judy_Goddess@agencyinfo.org or Judy Goddess: 415-759-1994.
December 3-4, 2004 – California PARENT Center Orange County Conference, Santa Ana/Orange County Airport (See above)

California PARENT Center Parent Liaison Certification Program
-- In connection with San Diego State University’s College of Extended Studies (CES) and the CSU commission on the Extended University the California PARENT Center is developing a certification program for paraprofessionals in public schools working as parent liaisons. For more information contact Jeana Preston at 619-594-4756 or 877-972-7368 (877-9PARENT).

Read prior issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an E-mail with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists.

Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center


September 19, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - September 19, 2004

Welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly

The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center based in San Diego, CA. Originally established with funding from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Center is now self-supporting. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

Four California entities receive Recognition from National Network of Partnership Schools
Four California organizational entities have received awards from the National Network of Partnership Schools for their work to strengthen parent participation in schools. California was specifically cited for "leadership, teamwork, action plans for partnerships, activities, and progress over time. The California Department of Education received the Partnership State Award. Partnership District Awards went to: Los Angeles Unified School District - District B (now District 2), and Los Angeles Unified School District - District F (now District 4). Additionally, Families In Schools (a federally funded Parental Information Resource Center (PIRC) received a Partnership Organization Award. Click here for the full California Department of Education Media Release.

September 23-24 –Los Angeles County Office of Education, Doubletree Hotel-Rosemead, 888 Montebello Blvd., Rosemead, CA 91770 (In consultation with The California Department of Education and the Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center), [(Click) for conference agenda http://parent.sdsu.edu/services/conferences/agenda/english.htm] The due date for registration forms and payment is September 20, 2004. Space is still available but this conference is filling up fast.
Future conferences (scheduled in reach of each of the State Superintendent’s 11 regions).
November 3-4, 2004 – Northern California (location still being confirmed),
December 2-3, 2004 – Orange County Office of Education

To register, Call: 619-594-4756 or 877-972-7368 (877-9-PARENT). For information Visit the California PARENT Center Web Site at http://parent.sdsu.edu.

Los Angeles Unified School District Conferences (limited enrollment)—Through special agreement with the LA Unified School District, the California PARENT Center is presenting Leadership Development conferences scheduled for October 7-8 and October 14-15. These conferences are tailored specifically for the Los Angeles District and are open only to individuals employed by the District. To determine if you are eligible to register, contact Charleen Brown at 213-229-2001. For conference agenda showing sample content, visit http://parent.sdsu.edu/services/conferences/agenda/english.htm

No Child Left Behind – Critics Begin to Seek Changes – (Alliance E-News Service) -- Although the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now known as the No Child Left Behind Act, is not due until 2007, its critics are clamoring for changes as soon as possible. Critics of the law’s accountability provisions have started to propose alternatives they hope will be considered by the Congress. At the root of the discomfort with the law are what some term as unrealistic expectations for schools. The requirement that 100 percent of students score at proficiency levels defined by states in reading and math by 2013-14 is termed as impossible to meet given the subgroups that are disabled, limited English-speaking, poor, and of racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. For full article, visit http://www.alliance1.org/publications/enews/Aug-31-04.html#gg

Analysis of 2003 Census Report Shows Rise in Poverty Rate and in the Uninsured -
(Alliance E-News Service) -- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities presents two analyses, http://www.cbpp.org/, of the U.S. Census Bureau's recently released report -- which found household income remained unchanged between 2002 and 2003, but the nation's official poverty rate rose from 12.1 to 12.5 percent, the poverty rate for children rose from 16.7 to 17.6 percent, and the number of people without insurance coverage rose by 1.4 million. For the report itself, visit http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p60-226.pdf. For a compilation of key national numbers on poverty by the Coalition on Human Needs, visit http://www.chn.org/pdf/povertyrises.pdf.

Update on Proposition 63 from the California Budget Project
(California Budget Project) - Proposition 63 would provide dedicated funding to expand mental health services for children, adults, and seniors by imposing an additional 1 percent tax on individuals’ taxable income over $1 million. The California Budget Project (CBP) neither supports nor opposes Proposition 63. The analysis describes the measure, examines its implications, and identifies critical policy questions in order to help voters make informed policy choices. The Budget Brief is available on the California Budget Project website at www.cbp.org

Save these Dates:

October 25-26, 2004 - State Superintendent's High School Summit 2004 - High Expectations for All Students, Sacramento Convention Center, October 25-26, 2004 [Click for Full Information] http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/re/et/yr04hset1025.asp.
Nov 5-7, 2004 - C.A.C.E. Conference - The California Association of Compensatory Education (C.A.C.E.) is scheduled for November 5-7, Red Lion Hotel, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95815. For further information contact: info@comped.info or Judy Goddess: 415/759-1994..edu.

California PARENT Center Parent Liaison Certification Program
In connection with San Diego State University’s College of Extended Studies (CES) and the CSU commission on the Extended University the California PARENT Center is developing a certification program for paraprofessionals in public schools working as parent liaisons. For more information contact Jeana Preston at 619-594-4756 or 877-972-7368 (877-9PARENT).

Read prior issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an E-mail with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists.

Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center


August, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - August 25, 2004

Welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly

The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center based in San Diego, CA. Originally established with funding from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Center is now self-supporting. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

Using Parent Involvement to Increase Student Success and Academic Achievement!

Leadership Development Conferences Schedule
Research confirms that when parents are engaged and involved, student’s’ academic performance increases. Based on Dr. Joyce Epstein’s framework for family-school partnerships, The California PARENT Center has developed a two-day Leadership Development Conference on School, Family and Community Partnerships. The training conference content includes: (1) Reaching out to under involved parents (2) Setting up an effective action team to plan partnership activities that meet the NCLB Act parent involvement requirements (3) Identifying strengths of culturally diverse school communities to build parent leadership (4) Creating a welcoming school environment, (5) Building successful partnership strategies at elementary, middle and high school levels to increase student achievement and (6) Finding funds to support partnership and literacy activities.

Upcoming Conference - The California PARENT Center, in consultation with the California Department of Education and the Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center (LACOE), has scheduled its next LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE. The conference will be held on September 23-24, 2004 at the Doubletree Hotel-Rosemead, 888 Montebello Blvd., Rosemead, CA 91770. The registration deadline is September 20, 2004. For more information on this Conference:
Call: 619-594-4756 or 877-972-7368 (877-9-PARENT)
Visit: the California PARENT Center Web Site at http://parent.sdsu.edu.
Los Angeles Unified School District Conferences - Through special agreement with the LA Unified School District, the California PARENT Center will present Leadership Development Conferences scheduled for October 7-8, 2004 and October 14-15, 2004. These conferences are tailored specifically for the Los Angeles Unified School District and are open only to individuals employed by the District. To determine if you are eligible to register, contact Charleen Brown at 213-229-2001.
Future conferences - The California PARENT Center will soon be announcing the locations of future conferences which will be scheduled between October 2004 and June 2005 within reach of each of the State Superintendent’s 11 regions. Check the Center Web Site for dates and locations as they are scheduled.

Back to School Checklist – Tips for Parents and Schools The U.S. Department of Education has developed a comprehensive, new Back to School Checklist - Questions and Tips for Parents, Schools and the Community. In his August 5th press release the U.S. Secretary of Education said: "States across the nation will soon be releasing their education report cards and revealing which schools did and did not meet their progress goals. Parents and other citizens will no doubt have a few questions about these changes under the No Child Left Behind Act and what they mean to their child, their school and their community. We've provided a checklist so that busy moms and dads can be sure to ask the right questions. Many factors go into a quality education. These are some that should be closely monitored."

Parents’ Guide to No Child Left Behind -
No Child Left Behind: A Parents' Guide (June 2003) summarizes the No Child Left Behind Act. It answers common questions about the law, explains what the law does for parents, and tells where to find additional resources. It is handy for teachers and community members as well as parents. It is available at http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/nclbguide/parentsguide.pdf.

Save the Date - November C.A.C.E. Conference
The California Association of Compensatory Education (C.A.C.E.) is scheduled for November 5-7, 2004 at the Red Lion Hotel, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95815. For further information contact: info@comped.info or Judy Goddess: 415-759-1994.

Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center


July 21, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - July 21, 2004

Welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly

The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center based in San Diego, CA. Originally established with funding from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Center is now self-supporting. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

Upcoming California PARENT Center Parent Involvement Conferences

Open Conferences - The California PARENT Center, in consultation with The California Department of Education, has scheduled its next open LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE On School, Family and Community Partnerships for September 23-24, 2004 in the Los Angeles area. For more information on this conference, call 619-594-4756, or visit the California PARENT Center Web Site at http://parent.sdsu.edu.

Los Angeles Unified School District Conferences - Through special agreement with the LA Unified School District, the California PARENT Center will present three Leadership Development conferences scheduled for July 29-30, October 7-8 and October 14-15. These conferences are tailored specifically for the Los Angeles District and are open only to individuals employed by the District. To determine if you are eligible to register, contact Charleen Brown at 213-229-2001.
Future conferences, soon to be announced, will be scheduled between October 2004 and June 2005 within reach of each of the State Superintendent’s 11 regions.
Leadership Conference Content - Aligned with Dr. Joyce Epstein’s Model for School, Family and Community Partnerships and current research, content areas include: (1) Setting up an effective action team to plan partnership activities that meet the NCLB Act parent involvement requirements, (2) Identifying strengths of your culturally diverse school community to build parent leadership, (3) Creating a welcoming school environment, (4) Building successful partnership strategies at elementary, middle and high school levels to increase student achievement; and (5) Finding funds to support partnership and literacy activities.

Save the Date for November C.A.C.E. Conference
The California Association of Compensatory Education (C.A.C.E.) invites you to attend its fall Leadership Training Conference "Strengthening Parent and Community Involvement to Support Student Success", scheduled for November 5-7, 2004 at the Red Lion Hotel, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95815. For further information contact: info@comped.info or Judy Goddess: 415/759-1994.

California PARENT Center Parent Liaison Certification Program
In connection with San Diego State University’s College of Extended Studies (CES) and the CSU commission on the Extended University the California PARENT Center is developing a certification program for paraprofessionals in public schools working as parent liaisons. For more information contact Jeana Preston at 619-594-4756 or 877-972-7368 (877-9PARENT).

Good Source of Information about Parent Involvement, Evaluation, Logic Models and more- Don’t forget to check out the Harvard Family Research Project web site and on-line publications. We found numerous interesting and valuable publications such as the “Reaching Results Briefs”: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/pubsbytitle.html#rr “These short reports are designed to frame and contribute to the public debate on evaluation, accountability, and organizational learning. The active links take you to these titles and more:

Learning From Logic Models: An Example of a Family/School Partnership Program
1999. Julia Coffman. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/learning.html

Aiming for Accountability: Lessons Learned From Eight States
1998. Diane Schilder. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/aiming.html

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community.

We invite you to visit our website at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute newsletter, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. If you know others who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly, please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children.

Read prior issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an E-mail with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists.

Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center
California State PTA, Chicano Federation of San Diego, Homey's Youth Foundation (HIPPY), June Burnett Institute of the San Diego State University Foundation, Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Urban League, Union of Pan Asian Communities.


June 15, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - June 15, 2004

FEATURES:

The California PARENT Center Will Hold The Fourth Parent Involvement Conference – June 24-25 in Orange County

The California PARENT Center, in consultation with The California Department of Education, is pleased to announce its next LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE On School, Family and Community Partnerships. Conferences are designed to assist all who work with parents in Title I Schools in California. The content and format of the sessions is aligned with Dr. Joyce Epstein’s Model for School, Family and Community Partnerships. Participants will learn effective parent involvement practices based on the most current research. Some of the content areas include: (1) Setting up an effective action team to plan partnership activities that meet NCLB Act parent involvement requirements, (2) Identifying strengths of your culturally diverse school community to build parent leadership, (3) Creating a welcoming school environment, (4) Building successful partnership strategies at elementary, middle and high school levels to increase student achievement; and (5) How to find funds to support partnership and literacy activities. The next conference is scheduled at the Orange County Office of Education on June 24-25 in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information about registration, upcoming dates, and information on how conference participation can be funded, visit our website at http://parent.sdsu.edu. Registration is open to anyone in California. Future conferences, soon to be announced, will be scheduled in each of the State Superintendent’s 11 regions.

California PARENT Center Receives Grant to Develop Parent Liaison Certification Program
San Diego State University’s College of Extended Studies (CES) has received a $32,545 grant from the CSU Commission on the Extended University to develop a certification program for paraprofessionals in public schools working as parent liaisons. The College and the June Burnett Institute will work together to implement this new certificate program. It is designed to serve those currently, or seeking to be, employed as parent liaisons in pre-K-12 schools. “Our goal is to boost student achievement by working strategically to prepare parent liaisons to establish effective family-school partnerships at Title I and other schools,” says Jeana Preston, Program Director. For more information call 619-594-4756 or 619-594-5152.

New publication: The Picky Parent Guide
The Picky Parent Guide offers: dozens of customized, practical ways to improve your child's school performance; complete, unbiased research-based introduction to seven universal Great School Quality Factors that any parent can learn to recognize; surprising, often touching stories of school choice success, demystification of teaching methods and educational lingo, and much more! To learn more about the Picky Parent Guide, visit its website at www.pickyparent.com or call 888-PICKY88.

New publication: Operating Strong Supplemental Educational Services Programs

The Office of Innovation and Improvement has just released the second book in the Innovations in Education series: Creating Strong Supplemental Educational Services Programs. This book follows the first in the series: Creating Strong District School Choice Programs. Both books are available online or in hard copy, free from ED Pubs, under order numbers EU 0107P and EU 0108P, respectively. (May 25)

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community.

We invite you to visit our website at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute News, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. If you know others who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly, please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our website at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy! If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an e-mail with "Remove" in the subject heading of the e-mail to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.

Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center


May 12, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
May 12, 2004

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.
The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center based in San Diego, CA. Originally established with funding from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Center is now self-supporting. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

FEATURES:

California Department of Education Updates Web Site, AYP Information and API Information

In addition to posting a new web site with a new URL, the California Department of Education has updated information connected to AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) and API (Annual Performance Index). The new web site address is http://www.cde.ca.gov/index.asp. The link to the Adequate Yearly Progress Web address is: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ay/. Links to many other pages are also on this link, including the link to the Academic Performance Index (API): http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/index.asp web pages (shown below) ASAP. A useful explanation (for parents) of what goes into the API may be found at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/documents/simschl03b.pdf. This explanation is also useful for staff.

New California PARENT Center Training Opportunities

The California PARENT Center in consultation with The California Department of Education is pleased to announce two new Conferences on School, Family and Community Partnerships. Due to requests for additional training opportunities, the California PARENT Center has scheduled two new training conferences for June 2004. The next conferences are scheduled for:
- June 3-4 – SDSU, Aztec Center, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182
- June 24-25 – Orange County Office of Education, 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-9050

Registration information and downloadable forms are available on the California PARENT Center Web Site: http://parent.sdsu.edu/services/conferences/. Registrants need to mail or fax registration forms to the PARENT Center office by the specified due dates to obtain the lowest conference rates. The conferences connect the theory and research of internationally renowned Dr. Joyce Epstein with concrete examples of what school teams can do to rapidly plan and implement parent outreach, information and educational programs that can make a difference in boosting academic performance of students. Though designed for all schools, training conferences are especially recommended for Title I schools in “Program Improvement” status. For more information about these conferences, please visit our website at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/services/conferences/2ndConference/details.htm

Reports from Recent Conferences

The two April conferences were held on April 14 -15 and April 21-22. They involved 75 parent leaders, teachers principals, school support staff and individuals from organizations. The first day provided a research-based framework for parent involvement. It focused on research findings about what distinguishes an exemplary parent involvement program from others. The second day focused on applied techniques, strategies and practical resources that can assure parent involvement makes a different in student achievement.

Highlights included a presentation by Dr. Esther Sui-Chu Ho (Family Influence on 15 Year-Old Students: A Comparative Study of the Pacific Rim from the PISA 2000 database involving 43 countries), and a presentation by Dr. Joyce Epstein that included information on the National Network of Partnership Schools and the Six Types of Parent Involvement. More information on Dr. Epstein may be found at this link: http://www.ssta.sk.ca/partnership/types/types.htm. California PARENT Center trainers at both conferences included: Jeana Preston, Beatrice Fernandez, Melissa Whipple, Maria Moore-Flagg, Rene Crawford and Patricia Vacio and Ellen Yaffa. Guests at the first two conferences came from many areas of California, the United States and Hong Kong. Many guests were quite knowledgeable of parent involvement programs and contributed excellent feedback to our training team.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


April 9, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - April 9, 2004
Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center:
California State PTA, Chicano Federation of San Diego, Homey's Youth Foundation (HIPPY), June Burnett Institute of the San Diego State University Foundation, Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Urban League, Union of Pan Asian Communities

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

FEATURES:

Leadership Development Conferences - April 14-15 and April 21-22 - San Diego California
California PARENT Center in collaboration with The National Network of Partnership Schools, The California Association of Compensatory Education, The California State PTA, The Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center and in consultation with The California Department of Education is pleased to sponsor a series of Statewide Leadership Development Conferences on School, Family and Community Partnerships.

The first Leadership Development Conference is scheduled for April 14-15, 2004 in San Diego, California. There is still availability for this conference. Participants may fax their registration forms to our office before the conference or register on-site on the morning of the conference. The deadline for the second conference, on April 21-22 is April 12th. On-site registrations will also be accepted for this conference.

For more information about these conferences, please visit our website at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/services/conferences/details.htm

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


March 10, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News SPECIAL EDITION- March 10, 2004
Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center to present a series of LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES On School, Family and Community Partnerships:
National Network of Partnership Schools, California Association of Compensatory Education, California State PTA, and the Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center.

in consultation with:
The California Department of Education.

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
The California PARENT Center, in consultation with The California Department of Education, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of a series of LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES On School, Family and Community Partnerships. These 2-day conferences, which will be scheduled statewide in each of the State Superintendent's 11 regions, are designed to assist all who work with parents in Title 1 Schools in California. Teams of: administrators, teacher leaders. counselors, Title 1 resource staff, parent liaisons, paraprofessionals, District/County Office of Education Title 1 and Bilingual education Directors, Office school site council members and parent leaders from PTAs and other parent organizations are welcome to attend. District Advisory Council Members and District/Council PTA members are also invited.

The content and format of these sessions is aligned with Dr. Joyce Epstein's research-based Six Types Model for School, Family and Community Partnerships. Participants will learn effective parent involvement practices based on the most current research that meets professional and technical standards. Some of the numerous content areas include:
1. Setting up an effective action team to plan partnership activities that meet the NCLB Act parent involvement requirements,
2. Identifying strengths of your culturally diverse school community to build parent leadership,
3. Creating a welcoming school environment and building successful partnership strategies at elementary, middle and high school levels to increase student achievement.
4. How to find funds to support partnership and literacy activities.

The first Conferences are scheduled in Region 9 (San Diego, Orange and Imperial Counties) on April 14-15 and again on April 21-22 in San Diego. For more information about registering for these informative conferences, a schedule of upcoming dates, detailed information about our collaborating partners, and information on how conference participation can be funded, please visit our website at http://parent.sdsu.edu/, conferences and trainings.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an e-mail with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


February 18, 2004 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - February 18, 2004
Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center:
California State PTA, Chicano Federation of San Diego, Homey's Youth Foundation (HIPPY), June Burnett Institute of the San Diego State University Foundation, Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Urban League, Union of Pan Asian Communities

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

FEATURES:

The cornerstone for compliance with federal law, as detailed in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), is increased accountability for student achievement. To be in complete compliance with the NCLB requirements, The California Department of Education (CDE) must be able to track individual student enrollment history and achievement data over time. In concert with the California School Information Services (CSIS), each K-12 student enrolled in a public school program or in a Charter School will be assigned a unique, student identifier that will remain with the student throughout his or her academic 'career'. To enable California to meet the federal requirements, Senate Bill 1453 (SB1453) was enacted in September 2002. Please click here for more information.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell recently delivered his 2004 State of Education address, calling the state of California promising, but identifying three main areas of priority to make K-12 education stronger. The three areas of focus he identified are: improving high schools, reducing bureaucratic burdens on schools, and increasing student achievement gains. Mr. O'Connell also sets forth a number of goals for improving high schools. To read Mr. O'Connell's remarks in their entirety, please click here.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an e-mail with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


December 30, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - December 30, 2003
Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center:
California State PTA, Chicano Federation of San Diego, Homey's Youth Foundation (HIPPY), Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Urban League, Union of Pan Asian Communities.
November 24, 2003

CCSSO Releases Report on NCLB Goals for Highly Qualified Teachers.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) emphasizes accountability for results and mandates that all teachers will meet the "highly qualified teacher" status by the year 2005-2006. Updated information about this teacher certification is contained in the new report titled Meeting NCLB Goals for Highly Qualified Teachers: Estimates by State from Survey Data, released on November 5, 2003 by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Please click here for more information.

Are you looking for an all-inclusive web site to obtain doctor approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence?

KidsHealth is an excellent resource site that provides families with accurate up-to-date, practical health information they can easily use. Cleverly designed, KidsHealth has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents; each with its own cheerful, age appropriate content and tone. Users can browse through literally thousands of original, in depth features, articles, animations, games and resources in a very user friendly format. To link to KidsHealth's extensive reference shelf of health information; please click here.

Recent Changes in California Administration.

Along with California's new governor we have one continuing Superintendent of Public Instruction and one new Education Secretary. Jack O'Connell is the constitutionally elected Superintendent of Public Instruction who is responsible for the K-12 Educational System. The newly appointed Education Secretary, Richard Riordan, is responsible primarily for higher education. Click here to learn more about the people and groups who set education policies, establish regulations, and manage California's school operations.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


November 24, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News - November 24, 2003
Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center:
California State PTA, Chicano Federation of San Diego, Homey's Youth Foundation (HIPPY), Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Urban League, Union of Pan Asian Communities.
November 24, 2003

The California PARENT Center NEW Services and Products for 2004!

We are pleased to share with you the new directions of the California PARENT Center. Our federal grant will be ending in 2004. With the leadership of our new Center Program Director, Jeana Preston, we will begin our newly developed program of parent involvement services and trainings in January 2004. We will soon have brand new resource materials available on our Website (http://parent.sdsu.edu). The Center will selectively continue some services (like the E-News), while adding a variety of new fee-based trainings for parent leaders, parent groups and schools. Services will continue to emphasize building and maintaining successful family-school partnerships that support student achievement. Training services will focus on two major areas:

1) No Child Left Behind -- Helping schools meet the expanded parent involvement requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. All schools receiving Title 1 funds must provide teachers with training to work in partnership with parents and must also provide parents with training and materials to help them support their children's achievement. The California PARENT Center has parent and staff training modules specifically designed to meet NCLB parent involvement mandates. (Costs for training and materials are appropriate expenditures for Title 1 parent involvement funds.)

2) Training and Certification Classes for Parent Involvement Liaisons -- Preparing school-based parent liaisons to use effective, research-based strategies to build strong parent involvement programs. Classes are intended to train parent liaisons to do effective parent outreach to increase parent involvement, plan activities that help parents work with their children to increase achievement, and give parents positive discipline strategies. Participants who successfully complete course work will earn a Parent Liaison Certificate. (Cost of certification classes is an appropriate expenditure for Title 1 parent involvement funds.)

Keep watching the Center's web site (http://parent.sdsu.edu) for more detailed information about the NEW trainings, materials and Parent Liaison Certification classes. If you want us to send the information directly to you, please contact Beth Sondak at <bsondak@projects.sdsu.edu> or 619-594-4756.

California Report on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) - The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has accountability as its key component. Each state is required to develop and implement a statewide accountability system that will ensure that all schools and districts make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as defined by NCLB. All students in all schools in California will be required to perform at or above the proficient level in English-Language Arts and Mathematics by 2014.

California Academic Performance Index (API) Growth Report - This link will take you to recent press releases and related documents that explain the 2003-2004 API Growth in California. It also provides the time line for future reports along with the state guidelines for schools and districts that wish to make corrections to their reports. Click here to link to the API page on the California Department of Education's website.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


September 16, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
Organizations Collaborating in the California PARENT Center:
California State PTA, Chicano Federation of San Diego, Homey's Youth Foundation (HIPPY), Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Urban League, Union of Pan Asian Communities.
September 16, 2003

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The E-News Monthly is distributed by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

FEATURES:

Education News Parents Can Use - "No Child Left Behind: Helping Your Child Succeed in School"
The 2003-2004 season premiere of Education News Parents Can Use on September 16 will mark the beginning of the second full school year under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the new options and information it makes available to families. As the school year begins, the new law's accountability, reporting, and choice provisions are giving parents new tools to help their children succeed in school. This edition of Education News will feature interviews and discussions with Department officials, educators and parents to explain the many new types of information available on individual schools and district performance -- such as the law's testing and accountability requirements, school report cards, teacher quality expectations, and public school choice and supplemental educational services options for parents whose students attend underperforming or persistently unsafe schools. Throughout, the show will highlight schools and communities that are effectively using the new provisions to improve education and ensure that no child is left behind. To read more about this upcoming broadcast, please use this link to travel to the U.S. Department of Education web site.

No Child Left Behind - Information On Supplemental Educational Services
The No Child Left Behind component of the Department of Education web site has made important information available regarding supplemental education services. Two documents, "Title I, Section 1116(e): Supplemental Educational Services Guidance" and "Questions and Answers on Choice and Supplemental Educational Services" are now available from the site. The first is available for download in Microsoft Word (.doc) format, and the second is available as a web page. To learn more about these resources, please use this link to travel to the No Child Left Behind web site.

New Learning & Teaching Section Available On California PARENT Center Web Site
This page contains learning and teaching resources aimed at strengthening literacy skills in a number of subject areas. The links include books and other learning resources distributed by exhibiters at various conferences in California such as the Title I Directors' conference and the Achieving Schools conference. Our intent is to provide a convenient list of links to "no-cost or low cost" current materials and methods that might help parents support the work of classroom teachers. However, we have also included some of the more expensive instructional materials and methods that seem to be very interesting or complete. To view these resources, please use this link to travel to the Learning & Teaching section of the California PARENT Center web site.

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community. We invite you to visit our web site at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute News newsletter, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly? Please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children. Any questions, comments or information are welcomed. Thank you for your support and interest in our organization and its work. We look forward to hearing from you.

Since many email programs cannot read HTML script properly, the E-News has been sent in both Text (.txt) and HTML (.html) formats. If you would prefer to view the newsletter as an HTML document, you will find it attached to this message.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


August 28, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

2003 STAR Results Show Fifth Straight Year Of Gains In Student Achievement In California
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell recently announced that overall statewide results for the 2003 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program show that California's schoolchildren have demonstrated steady improvement for the fifth straight year. Results from the California Standards Tests (CSTs) reveal significant increases in the percentage of students demonstrating "proficiency" or above in English-language arts in all grades except for eighth. The greatest increase occurred in grade nine, where 10 percent more students scored at "proficient" or "advanced" this year than in 2001. Solid gains also occurred in the percentage of students achieving proficient and advanced scores in mathematics in grades two through seven. The greatest increase was in grade two where 53 percent of the students scored proficient or advanced in 2003 -- 13 percent more than in 2001. To read more on this story, please use this link.

Suddenly Single Mom, A Practical Guide To Self-Sufficient Survival
This book, by T.J. Terry, is used by individual Single Mothers and by various groups, such as: Single Parent/Displaced Homemaker programs, Coalition Against Domestic Violence agencies, HRS, Social Services, Welfare agencies, Head Start Programs, Child Support agencies, Family/Youth/Child services, Private Industry Councils, college programs in Women's Studies, National Urban League programs, United Way agencies, YWCA programs, Hospital Social Work departments, Christian and Judaic organizations, Vocational Education and Community Colleges, Job and Employment Training and JTPA, Equity Groups, Equal Employment Opportunity agencies, Economic Development and Community Affairs, Turning Point, New Horizons, Choices, Social Workers and also by the mothers, sisters and friends of Single Mothers. For more information on this publication, please use this link.

Education Information By State
The No Child Left Behind web site has posted education information for all states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States. This information includes the names and contact information for state governors, state educational agencies and state education committee leaders. To view this information, please use this link.

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community. We invite you to visit our web site at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute News newsletter, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly? Please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children. Any questions, comments or information are welcomed. Thank you for your support and interest in our organization and its work. We look forward to hearing from you.

Since many email programs cannot read HTML script properly, the E-News has been sent in both Text (.txt) and HTML (.html) formats. If you would prefer to view the newsletter as an HTML document, you will find it attached to this message.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


July 15, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

MegaSkills Pre School Minibook
The Preschool Minibook is the newest addition to the MegaSkills line of Minibook guides. MegaSkills Minibooks gives teachers and parents practical, tested activities to do with children in order to build basic skills that are a constant resource for them. The activities strengthen the various ways that children learn to read, write, do mathematics, and think creatively; and are endorsed by teachers and parents from across the nation. To learn more about the Minibooks, use the following link, which will take you to the CPC Web site where a link to the MegaSkills Web site can be found.

Historic Partnership to Improve Educational Achievement for Hispanic Americans
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans and some of the nation's leading Hispanic organizations, corporate leaders and national private entities have formed Partners in Hispanic Education, dedicated to improving education for Hispanics in the United States. The goal of this effort is to empower the Hispanic American community by equipping families with educational tools and informational resources afforded under NCLB in order to assist them in becoming stronger advocates for their children's education from early childhood to college completion. To accomplish these goals, partnership participants have committed to host education programs in six pilot cities over the next several months. Each will involve a series of events including town hall meetings; educational workshops for parents, students, educators and business and community leaders; and a seminar on student financial aid and scholarships. The first event is scheduled for Oct. 18 in San Diego, Calif. Additional pilot cities include Miami, El Paso, Texas/Las Cruces, N.M.; Tucson, Ariz.; Detroit; and the Bronx, N.Y. To learn more about this partnership, use the following link, which will take you to the CPC Web site where a link to the U.S. Department of Education Web site can be found.


June 18, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

RMC Research Corporation
RMC Research Corporation is a company based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire that supports clients who serve learners, schools, families, and communities. On their web site, you can find useful information on: Family Education, Expert Panels, Special Education State Improvement Plans and Grants, Coordinating Title I Schoolwide Programs and IDEA, Title I Schoolwide Programs, Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative, and Parental Information and Resource Centers. To visit their web site, click here.


May 20, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

Parent Publications From The Sonoma County Office Of Education
The Sonoma County Office of Education has four terrific parent resources available for download. Available are: Math at Home: Helping Your Children Learn and Enjoy Mathematics (available in English and Spanish), How to Help Your Children Use Technology for Learning, Family Reading: Helping Your Children Become Readers by Reading Together (available in English and Spanish), and What Parents Need to Know about Drug Prevention (available in English and Spanish). These resources are available in Adobe portable document format. click here.

Supplemental Services Available Under No Child Left Behind
On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed his education plan, No Child Left Behind, into law. The law united both political parties behind the principle that schools must be held accountable for their results and that every child must learn. As part of that law, when a disadvantaged child is attending a low performing school, federal funds can be used to provide supplemental services for that child. No Child Left Behind requires your school district to offer a list of state-approved service providers in your area. They already may have a list of services, including tutoring, extra classes, and other help for your child. A list of state contacts and a supplemental services brochure are available. click here.

Parental Information Resource Centers (PIRCs) In California
There are now three Parental Information Resource Centers funded by the US Department of Education in California: The California PARENT Center at the June Burnett Institute, the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Council and the Sun Street Center. In addition, there are over 50 PIRCs located across the United States. The California PARENT Center has made contact information for the California and U.S. PIRCs available on its web site.


April 15, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

U.S. Department of Education: Questions Parents Ask About Schools
Would you like to know more about how you can help your child succeed in school? This publication answers questions frequently asked by parents of elementary and middle-school-aged children who-like you-want to help their children learn and succeed. It suggests effective ways you can support your child's education. As a parent or caregiver, you play an important role in your child's academic achievement. By taking steps to get involved in your child's education, you can bridge the gap between home and school to ensure your child's success in learning and in life. To view this document in both English and Spanish, please use this link.

Education Department, State Educational Technology Directors Unveil No Child Left Behind Toolkit.

On April 9, 2003, the Department of Education and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released The National Leadership Institute Toolkit: States Helping States Implement NCLB, a new toolkit designed to help states implement the technology requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The toolkit is a result of discussions from the SETDA National Leadership Institute, a national summit held in December 2002 where state leaders worked hand-in-hand with research experts and Department of Education staff to explore implementation strategies related to the technology elements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The toolkit includes resources and best practices on topics including 1) scientifically based research; 2) technology literacy assessment; 3) common data elements; 4) effective teaching using technology; and 5) the national education technology plan. The topics were identified as the areas of greatest concern by state educational technology directors. For more information and a link to the toolkit, please click here.


March 18, 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

2002 Base Academic Performance Reported For California Public School
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell has released the 2002 Base Academic Performance Index (API) that highlights California's continued commitment to ensure the state's six million school children are receiving an education based on world-class standards. This year's changes are the most far-reaching since the inception in 1999 of the API, the foundation of the California school accountability system. The 2002 Base API is the culmination of a long-term effort to use California's comprehensive and rigorous standards as the benchmark for learning. click here for full report.

YesICan.gov, A One-Stop Center For Bilingual Information on Education

On October 12, 2001, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13230 to establish the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. The Commission is charged with strengthening the nation's capacity to provide high quality education while increasing opportunities for Hispanic American participation in federal education programs. Also established by this order is the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. The only office of its kind, the Initiative provides support to the Commission and advises the Secretary of Education Rod Paige in carrying out his responsibilities under this order. The Initiative serves as a resource for information relating to the closing of the educational achievement gap of Hispanic Americans. please click here. to visit the website.


February 26 , 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

"Parents Empowering Parents: 2nd Annual Parent Symposium" May 1, 2003 in Sacramento, California - A pre-conference symposium to the California State PTA Convention. Dr. Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University will be serving as keynote speaker. Additionally many of the conference's components will be available in both English and Spanish. The symposium is being sponsored by: the California State PTA, the California PARENT Center, the Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center Family Involvement Network, the Northern California Comprehensive Assistance Center, the California Department of Education Title I Policy and Partnerships Office, the California Department of Education Statewide System for School Support, the California Department of Education Migrant Education Office, and the Sterlington Consulting Group Incorporated. For more information on this symposium, and to download the registration form, please click here.

Education News Parents Can Use: A Television Series About Ways To Ensure Children's Educational Successeeting

September 2002 marked the beginning of the first full school year under the No Child Left Behind Act and signifies the start of a historic, new era in education. To help parents understand the new law and all the important changes it will bring, the U.S. Department of Education launched a new monthly television series entitled Education News Parents Can Use. For more information on this series, please click here.

Education World: A Web Site By Educators, For Educators

Education World's goal is to make it easy for educators to integrate the Internet into the classroom. With 98 percent of the nation's public schools connected to the Internet, the need for a complete online educational guide is evident. Education World is designed to be that resource for educators. The founders and executive management of Education World, each with a background in education, designed the site to be a FREE resource for educators. In order to keep the site free for all visitors Education World is funded by corporate sponsors and advertisers. To visit the web site, please click here.


January 21 , 2003 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The E-News Monthly is provided by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

FEATURES:

Announcing "Parents Empowering Parents: 2nd Annual Parent Symposium
The California State PTA in partnership with the California PARENT Center, The Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center Family Involvement Network, The Northern California Comprehensive Assistance Center, The California Department of Education Title I Policy and Partnerships Office, The California Department of Education Statewide System for School Support, The California Department of Education Migrant Education Office, and the Sterlington Consulting Group Incorporated invite you to attend and participate in the 2nd Annual Parent Symposium, taking place on May 1, 2003 in Sacramento, California. We are excited to announce that Dr. Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University will be serving as keynote speaker. Additionally many of the conference's components will be available in both English and Spanish.
Click here for more information.
Click here to download the registration form. Requires Acrobat Reader

New Guide Available From Family Support America (FSA)
We are proud to present a wonderful guide called "Making Room at the Table: Fostering Family Involvement in The Planning and Governance of Formal Support Systems." The guide was produced jointly by the STATES initiative of the Family Resource Coalition of America (now Family Support America) and the Institute for Family-Centered Care. The guide is located in the "Publications and Products Section." This website is full of great information - FSA also produces an excellent program Self-Assessment Toolkit for the Family Support Field.

Translated Materials Available From The National PTA and Minnesota Public Schools

The National PTA has translated the quality indicators of the National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs into Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, Vietnamese, and Spanish. The PTA's translated materials can be found by clicking on PTA logo.

The Minnesota Public Schools have created a Family Feedback Survey for classroom teachers to use. It is available online in English, Spanish, Hmong, Lao, and Somali (with Vietnamese coming soon). The Minnesota Public School translated materials can be found by following this link. Click here for more information.


November 26 , 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
November 26, 2002

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The E-News Monthly is provided by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

FEATURES:

"California Requirements for High School Graduation"
The law in California now requires students to pass a high school exit exam. Click on the link to view the requirements for the exit exam, a helpful parent information document to better assit their children with the exit exam or to view it in a Power Point Presentation.

"Find Your School's API Rank"
Do you want to find out whether your school improved from 2001 to 2002 and whether it will be eligible for awards, should funding become available? GreatSchools.net offers important achievement data about your school, including its 2002 API growth results. Click here to visit this informative site.

"Evaluation of Home/School Partnership Program, an AB 33 Hayden/Hughes Program"
In September 2002, the June Burnett Institute for Children, Youth and Families released its Final Report covering the work and outcomes of the Home/School Partnership in relation to funding provided to the project by AB 33 beginning in 2000. Knowledgeable individuals at the State level have indicated that there are very few evaluations of AB 33 projects, due to the fact that the act did not provide any funds for evaluation. In addition to fulfilling our obligation to provide a report on the use of public funds, it is our hope that the information below might contribute to filling the knowledge void about the importance and relevance of AB 33 programs passed by Assemblypersons Hayden and Hughes. Click here to view the report.

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community. We invite you to visit our web site at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute News newsletter, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly? Please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children. Any questions, comments or information are welcomed. Thank you for your support and interest in our organization and its work. We look forward to hearing from you.

Since many email programs cannot read HTML script properly, the E-News has been sent in both Text (.txt) and HTML (.html) formats. If you would prefer to view the newsletter as an HTML document, you will find it attached to this message.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


October 24, 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
October 24, 2002

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The E-News Monthly is provided by the California PARENT Center, a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

FEATURES:

"2001-2002 API Growth" Results Now Available
The new Academic Performance Index (API) figures for California schools have been released by the California Department of Education. The API is the centerpiece of the statewide accountability system in California public education. The Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) of 1999 (Chapter 3, Statutes of 1999) requires that the California Department of Education (CDE) annually calculate APIs for California public schools, including charter schools, and publish school rankings based on these APIs. The PSAA also requires the establishment of a minimum five-percent annual API growth target for each school as well as an overall statewide API performance target for all schools. A school that meets API growth targets may be eligible for awards under the following programs: 1) The Governor's Performance Award Program; 2) The Certificated Staff Performance Incentive Act (Chapter 52, Statutes of 1999). More information can be found at the California Department of Education API home page here: http://parent.sdsu.edu/l-list/e-additonal/CDE-API.htm

Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement (SB 33) Grant Information Available
New Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program (SB 33) grant information has been posted by the California Department of Education. The purpose of the Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program (Senate Bill [SB] 33, 2002) is to strengthen communication between school staff and parents to improve students' academic achievement. Details on the new information posted can be found on the California Department of Education web site here: http://parent.sdsu.edu/l-list/e-additonal/CDE-NellSoto.htm.

Eleven New Learning Resources Have Been Added To The Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) Web Site
Eleven new learning resources have been added to FREE: Three booklets for parents and eight resources in the arts, health & safety, science, and social studies. FREE is the one-stop website designed to help teachers, parents, & students find teaching & learning resources from more than 40 federal organizations & agencies. The learning resources are described in detail on the FREE web site here: http://parent.sdsu.edu/l-list/e-additonal/USDE_FREE.htm

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community. We invite you to visit our web site at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute News newsletter, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly? Please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children. Any questions, comments or information are welcomed. Thank you for your support and interest in our organization and its work. We look forward to hearing from you.

Since many email programs cannot read HTML script properly, the E-News has been sent in both Text (.txt) and HTML (.html) formats. If you would prefer to view the newsletter as an HTML document, you will find it attached to this message.

Feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our web site at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


September 18, 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
A Project of the June Burnett Institute for Children, Youth and Families
September 18, 2002

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The California PARENT Center is a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

This month, the California PARENT Center would like to share information on four important topics: 1) a Training for Trainers provided by Sacramento ACT, 2) STAR (Stanford 9) test results, 3) No Child Left Behind and 4) calendar updates on the California PARENT Center's web site.

Since many email programs cannot read HTML script properly, the E-News has been sent in both Text (.txt) and HTML (.html) formats. If you would prefer to view the newsletter as an HTML document, you will find it attached to this message. Also, feel free to read previous issues of the California PARENT Center E-News, located on our website at http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/. Enjoy!

"Best Practices and Techniques for Successful Parent-Teacher Home Visits," A Training for Trainers provided by Sacramento ACT (Area Congregations Together)

Learn about parent-teacher home visits from the people who created the first, successful program in California!

Who should attend: Parents, teachers, principals and aides. If your school received a State Grant under the "Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program" (SB 33); if you've heard about the great success of the Sacramento City Unified School District in their groundbreaking parent-teacher home visit program, the model program for AB 33; or if you've wanted to develop effective parent involvement strategies that venture "outside the box" and into the community, then this workshop is for you.

What will you learn: Practical ways to help you become a trainer and resource for your school site on "Parent-Teacher Home Visits"; The best practices and techniques from the Sacramento City Unified School District experience, plus how-to's from parent community leaders, teachers and principals from Sacramento ACT who created this innovative school/parent partnership.

Two locations and dates! Both workshops are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
San Juan Capistrano: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 at the Rancho Capistrano Conference Center (29251 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano 92675)
Ontario: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 at the Ontario Doubletree Hotel (222 N. Vineyard, Ontario 91764)

Registration is required! This workshop is free of cost. Space is limited. For more information, please contact the Sacramento City Unified School District's Parent Support Services Department at (916) 277-6980.

California STAR Program, Stanford 9 Test Results Are In

The 2002 California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program results for the state, counties, districts, and schools are available. Results are reported for the: 1) California Standards Tests, 2) Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition, Form T (Stanford 9), and 3) Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition (SABE/2). For more information on the test results, click here.

Partnership For Family Involvement In Education, "No Child Left Behind"

The Partnership for Family Involvement in Education was established in 1994. Because family participation in children's learning is often influenced by work schedules and time constraints, it is crucial that businesses, community and religious organizations, and especially families and schools support parent and employee involvement in education. To encourage such support, the Department of Education administers the Partnership and offers resources, ideas, funding, and conferences relevant to family involvement in education. For more information, click here.

Calendar Updates on the California PARENT Center's Web Site

The calendar has been updated to include conferences and other exciting events through November of 2002. During the upcoming weeks, the calendar will be further expanded to detail events through December of 2003. These events are a mixture of conferences and symposiums gleaned from the California Department of Education's web site, as well as items brought to our attention by collaborators and individuals involved in the community. We invite you to peruse the calendar and notify us of any conferences, symposiums or events in your area that you would like to see included. It is our hope to create a calendar that is as inclusive as possible. The calendar page can be found here.

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community. We invite you to visit our website at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute News newsletter, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly? Please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children. Any questions, comments or information are welcomed. Thank you for your support and interest in our organization and its work. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you


August 15, 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
A Project of the June Burnett Institute for Children, Youth and Families
August 15, 2002

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The California PARENT Center is a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation.

This month, the California PARENT Center would like to share information on three very important topics: 1) information on supplemental education services in relation to "No Child Left Behind;" 2) a list of research-based programs with contact information; and 3) the California Reading List Web Site. Since many email programs cannot read HTML script properly, the E-News has been sent in both Text (.txt) and HTML (.html) formats. If you would prefer to view the newsletter as an HTML document, you will find it attached to this message. Enjoy!

California Department of Education - Guide on Supplemental Education Services

The California Department of Education has made available a document that serves as a guide on supplemental services. Included are a glossary of terms and a step-by-step overview of supplemental services. The document is available in Word (.doc) and Portable Document (.pdf) format for your convenience. The following links will open the documents and allow you to download them onto your computer:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SASA/suppsvcsguid.pdf
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SASA/suppsvcsguid.doc

List of Research-Based Programs from McFarland and Associates

McFarland and Associates has created a list of researched-based model programs that might be of interest to you. Many of you are already using several of these programs or a variation of them in your programs. This list includes the name of the primary program developer along with their phone number, email address and web site if available. Feel free to review these programs and decide if you can adapt any of their researched-based programs for your use. The document is available in Portable Document (.pdf) format.

The California Reading List Web Site

This site has been developed to assist parents and students in selecting books written at a level of difficulty that corresponds with a child's ability to read. Drawn from California's recommended literature lists for students in kindergarten through grade twelve, the reading lists on this site have been specifically tailored to match the achievement level of each student who participated in the statewide assessment program during the previous spring. The following link will take you to the California Reading List Web Site: http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/star/readinglist.html.

The California PARENT Center always welcomes the exchange of information and input from the community. We invite you to visit our website at: http://parent.sdsu.edu/. If you would like to sign up to receive the June Burnett Institute News newsletter, please send a request, including your name and mailing address, to file:///E|/usr-ftp/robert/cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly? Please pass the word and help us promote parent involvement in the education of children. Any questions, comments or information are welcomed. Thank you for your support and interest in our organization and its work. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with "Remove" in the subject heading of the email to file:///E|/usr-ftp/robert/cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


July 16, 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
A Project of the June Burnett Institute for Children, Youth and Families

July 16, 2002

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The California PARENT Center is a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation. This month, the California PARENT Center would like to share information on two very important topics: the California Department of Education's Supplemental Education Resources and the California State Senate's Master Plan for Education.
More information on the topics, including links to their respective web sites, can be found here. Enjoy!

California Department of Education -- Supplemental Educational Services Request for Applications by Prospective Providers

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 provides for the selection of supplemental educational services by parents of eligible students who are in schools that have been in Title I Program Improvement for two or more years after identification.

Supplemental educational services are defined as tutoring or other supplemental academic enrichment activities that are provided beyond the regular school day. Services are to be of high quality, research-based, and designed to improve the academic achievement of participating students. An eligible student is a child who is (1) not meeting State Board of Education content standards in reading and math and (2) from a low-income family.

The following link will take you to the California Department of Education web site, where you will find much more in-depth information on this topic:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/iasa/titleone/pi/supservapp.html

California State Senate -- Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education-Kindergarten through University

The joint committee has been charged with developing a new education master plan for California's next generation of students that will build on our state's existing Master Plan for Higher Education, expanding that framework to include K-12 education and the many interfaces between K-12 and postsecondary education. In the months ahead, the committee will be addressing a broad range of issues, from those of teaching and learning, to enrollment, to funding and governance, across all systems of education.

The following link leads to an Adobe .pdf file:
http://www.sen.ca.gov/masterplan/020507FINAL_DRAFT_ONE_THE_PLAN.PDF

The following link will take you to Adobe's site where you have the option of downloading the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can open and read .pdf files:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html


June 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

The California PARENT Center E-News
A Project of the June Burnett Institute for Children, Youth and Families

June 25, 2002

Greetings and welcome to the California PARENT Center E-News Monthly.

The California PARENT Center is a statewide Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) based in San Diego, CA, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is a project of the June Burnett Institute for Children Youth and Families, administered by San Diego State University Foundation. This month, the California PARENT Center would like to share information on four very important topics: the CICC child development Discovery Tool™ and new publications from ERIC Clearinghouse on Education, Educators for Social Responsibility and RAND.

Center for the Improvement of Child Caring Discovery Tool™

The CICC Discovery Tool™ is a series of questions designed to help parents better understand the development of their young children during the first four years of life. It is also intended to help parents find out if a child has special needs that may require the attention of professionals, and to connect parents to additional services and information to help in raising their children. More information can be found at:

ERIC Publishes New Resource Guide On Violence Prevention

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education’s (ERIC/EECE’s) National Parent Information Network (NPIN) has recently published the Violence Prevention Resource Guide for Parents. The new Guide contains vital information about child development and violence prevention that will be welcomed by parents throughout the nation. The press release for the new guide can be viewed at: http://npin.org/ivpaguide/pressrelease.html and more information on the guide may be found at: http://npin.org/ivpaguide/index.html.

New Early Childhood Program/Guide Available From ESR

Educators for Social Responsibility has an early childhood program/guide called Adventures in Peacemaking: A Conflict Resolution Activity Guide for Early Childhood Educators that will prove to be very useful. More information on the program and publication can be found at: http://www.esrnational.org/.

RAND Publishes New Documents On Education

RAND has recently published many new documents on education. Topics include the challenges of school reform and state monitoring of school lunch programs. More information on specific RAND publications can be found at: http://www.rand.org/publications/.

If you do not wish to participate in this network, please send an email with “Remove” in the subject heading of the email to cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu. We will promptly remove your address from our lists. Thank you.


May 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

For the month of May 2002, the California PARENT Center would like to share information on three very important topics:

The Nell Soto/SB 33 CDE application, funding a parent/teacher involvement program
State graduation requirements
and The revised California state budget for May.

Each synopsis contains a link at the end that will take you to more information regarding that topic. Enjoy!

NELL SOTO PARENT/TEACHER INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM (SB 33)
This page contains links to the California Department of Education's downloadable web version of the Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program application. On May 17, 2002, the print version of this document was mailed to school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/fc/family/

STATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) is pleased to announce a new website that links visitors to information on state graduation requirements, which includes all US states that have their graduation requirements online. NCEO also provides state policy information on accommodations, alternate assessments, out-of-level testing, participation, reporting, and standards.
http://education.umn.edu/nceo/TopicAreas/Graduation/StatesGrad.htm

REVISED CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET FOR MAY
Since many people have expressed interest in staying abreast of news about the California state budget, the California PARENT Center has posted the May Revise in Adobe .pdf format.
You may find the full text of the May Revise at
http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/MayRevise02w.pdf


February 2002 Newsletter	The California PARENT Center E-News

This month we will be sharing a calendar of upcoming events taking place in California. The events are listed on the California PARENT Center website, http://parent.sdsu.edu/calendar/These events provide useful information to community-based and education-oriented organizations in California.

We are always updating the content of our website, and are seeking information on any conventions, conferences or trainings that will empower and inform California's parents, youths and families. We invite you to participate and share any information that you may have on these events with us, so that we may notify those seeking this information, through our website.

In addition, we have included a copy of "The Longitudinal Evaluation of School Change and Performance (LESCP) in Title I Schools." The evaluation can be found here: http://parent.sdsu.edu/e-list/pes.pdf. This document shows that parental involvement helps children succeed in school. The evaluation was drafted by Westat for the U.S. Department of Education and the California PARENT Center offers it as a resource for your use. The document is in Portable Document Format (.pdf), which can be opened by the Adobe Acrobat program. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, you may be downloaded from their website.

Feel free to submit any information that you would like to share to Robert Hegner, cpclist@projects.sdsu.edu, and thank you for making our E-News such a success. We appreciate your input and dedication to the community.

Thank you again and have a terrific month.