• |
Ask
to be involved in developing the SEA Title I plan. If the
SEA already has a plan, find out who represented the community
and parents in its development. |
• |
Disseminate
the plan to community members and parents. After it has been
disseminated, find out if it meets the needs and concerns
of the parents in your community. |
• |
Ask
the SEA to appoint local representatives to the state committee
of practitioners. Review the selection criteria. Get clarification
of the term 'representative'" and of the process
by which community members will be selected for the committee
of practitioners. |
• |
Organize
a statewide effort, in conjunction with representatives from
community service agencies and parents, to help the broader
community understand the state's curriculum content
standards, student performance standards, accountability
and assessment system, and student achievement requirements. |
• |
Ask
to see what criteria and what process the SEA will use to
review district parent involvement policies, to determine
whether LEA plans are adequate, and to enforce LEA parent
involvement requirements. Determine what recourse is available
should LEA noncompliance occur. |
• |
Ask
the LEA to consult with community-based leaders as it develops
its Title I plan. |
• |
Work
with parents and school leaders to develop model district-
and school-level parent involvement policies that can be
used as guides for LEA compliance with NCLB requirements. |
• |
Offer
to provide the following services to SEAs and LEAs either
on a voluntary or a contractual basis: |
| |
– |
Professional
development training for teachers in working effectively
with parents |
| |
– |
Training
in ways that schools and parents can work together more effectively |
| |
– |
Training
and skill-building activities for parents, e.g., how to negotiate
with schools when adopting parental involvement policies,
how to monitor compliance with policies, how to understand
and analyze achievement and report card data distributed
by SEAs and LEAs, and how to use the data to increase student
achievement. |
• |
Work
with LEA officials to outline and implement the role the
non-parent community can play in support of student achievement,
diversity training and skill building for educators and parents,
and stronger links between community services and the schools
most in need of support. |
• |
Work
with schools to provide translators, offer community language
ombudsman programs, break down bureaucratic language into
meaningful terms, and determine the most effective way to
reach out to parents and the community. |
• |
Ensure
that the plan addresses how SEAs and LEAs will design and
implement training for teachers and other school staff that
focuses on how best to work with parents care providers ,
and limited English proficient parents. |
• |
Be
sure to collaborate with and utilize the services and expertise
of your state parent information resource center (www.pirc-info.net). |
• |
Find
out and suggest what types of technical assistance will be
provided to schools that are having trouble implementing
parent involvement practices. |
• |
Find
out how the state will use education technology and innovative
approaches to foster parent involvement. |
• |
Ask
as many questions as you need to find out whether your district
and school are doing what they say they will do to involve
parents. |
• |
Find
out how Title 1 dollars are being used to support parent
involvement and also find out if there is other money available
to support parent involvement. |
