Did you know?

The law now says that parents are to be “afforded substantial and meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.” Title I, Sec. 1001 (12)

Parents and community representatives need to be part of this critical planning process. This requirement gives them the opportunity to work with educators to (1) develop a plan that addresses how the SEA, LEA, and individual schools will promote the social, emotional, and academic growth of students, and (2) shape Title I services that include meaningful parental involvement policies and school practices that lead to increased student achievement.

There are over ten different roles used in NCLB to describe the ways that parents and/or community organization can become involved. They are:

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 “advice and recommendation”
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 “evaluation and review of [plans]”
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 “in consultation with” or “shall be consulted by” or “in meaningful consultation with” or "in systematic consultation with”...[usually followed by state or local school districts]
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 “opportunity to submit comments” or “challenge a decision”...[usually by the state or local school district]
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 “in participation with”
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 “school district shall work with”
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 “input being sought”
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 “in partnership with”

Often, NCLB requires that “representatives” of certain groups such as parents, community-based organizations, volunteer organizations, and service organizations among others be included in advisory, service or consultation capacity

While the various involvement and consultation roles provided for in NCLB are not specifically defined in the statute, PEN and NCPIE recommends that community members and parents take advantage of each and every opportunity that the law talks about their involvement, including limited literacy, limited English proficiency, and disabilities. It should strive to be in partnership with the school entities, and should be ongoing throughout the process of NCLB development and implementation.