Defining Parental Involvement and Building School Capacity and Leadership

Defining Parental Involvement
For the first time in the history of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) the law contains a definition of parental involvement. This definition should guide the development and implementation of parental programs in your school and school district, but should not limit additional parental involvement initiatives that may exceed the NCLB definition. The law defines parental involvement as 'the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities including:

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 Assisting their child's learning;
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 Being actively involved in their child's education at school;
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 Serving as full partners in their child's education and being included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and
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 The carrying out of other activities such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA Section 9101(32).

Building the Capacity for Parental Involvement
Section 1118 also requires that school districts work in cooperation with their Title I schools to build the capacity of parents and school staff for strong parental involvement, which in turn will improve academic achievement. This section recognizes that not all schools have the same experience, expertise, resources and training in building school-parent-community partnerships, and is designed to address those 'capacity' needs. Do not overlook the importance of this provision: it is a key requirement for those school districts and schools that do not have the school structure, teacher or principal expertise, leadership, or understanding in how to develop effective school-family connections and partnerships.