Parent Involvement Evaluation Toolkit

5/21/2018 Parent Involvement Evaluation Toolkit

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Parent Involvement Evaluation Toolkit

Florida Regions III & IV Evaluation Working Group

Version 1.0

September 30, 2006


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Arroyo Research ServicesPage 2 of 42

Version 1.0: Final Versions Available at http://www.nclbeval.org

Table of Contents

Table of Contents..................................................................................................2Overview...............................................................................................................3

Indicators of Quality Parental Involvement Programs ...........................................3Instrument and Indicator Matrix...........................................................................14Parent Survey .....................................................................................................25Teacher Survey...................................................................................................29Teacher Focus Group Protocol...........................................................................35No Child Left Behind, SEC. 1118. Parental Involvement. ...................................37Contributors ........................................................................................................42


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Overview

This document is designed to assist district and school level educators meet theevaluation requirements of Section 1118, Parental Involvement in Title 1 of theNo Child Left Behind (NCLB) act. It is a work in progress developed by the

Evaluation Working Group sponsored by the Regions III and IV RegionalTechnical Assistance Center at the University of South Florida. The workinggroup is composed of district level evaluators, Title I program administrators andothers knowledgeable in the fields of measurement and evaluation. Specificcontributors are identified in Appendix A: Acknowledgements and Contributors.

The purpose of the Evaluation Workgroup is to tackle a variety of evaluationissues and challenges that are important to districts and schools. The first suchchallenge was to develop guidelines and evaluation activities that address districtand school level requirements under Section 1118, Parental Involvement. Theseguidelines are not prescriptive and do not presume to guarantee favorable results

under state or federal compliance reviews, even though the suggested activitieshave been carefully reviewed in light of the literal requirements of Section 1118.Rather, they are indicators of quality parental involvement programs. Thisdocument shares effective evaluation strategies already in use and suggestsnovel ways to gather information that will result in better parental involvementprograms and eventually improved student achievement school performance.

Indicators of Quality Parental Involvement Programs

The Indicators of Quality Parental Involvement Programs are organizedaccording to the evaluation requirements of Section 1118, specifically conductingan annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvementpolicy in improving the academic quality of Title I schools in the district. Thecontent of the parental involvement policy is evident in the document itselfhowever, determining its effectiveness is an entirely different matter that requireswell thought out evaluation strategies.

Attention is first devoted to subpart (e) Building Capacity for Involvement anditems (1), (2), (3), (4) and (14) which specify what districts and schools must doin order to be in compliance with the requirements. The format for guidance isone of posing questions that:

State what the law requires in language directly from Section 1118. This isimportant so that the user gets a verbatim reference from the law withoutbeing filtered through any other perspective

Suggest what the law means in the context of Florida schools and schooldistricts. These are interpretations framed by the Evaluation Work Group

Give examples of how schools and districts could meet the minimumrequirements of the law


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Give examples of how schools and districts could go beyond the minimumrequirements toward developing high quality parental involvementprograms and

Provide some examples of evaluation strategies that could be used topresent documentation of compliance or gather data for program

improvement.

Specific requirements in the law are presented in bold face type. Organizingquestions are presented in italics. Guidance for Section 1118 begins on thefollowing page.

Parental Involvement Indicator (e)(1)

What does the law require?

Each school and local educational agency assisted under this part shall provide

assistance to parents of children served by the school or local educationalagency, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the States academiccontent standards and State student academic achievement standards, Stateand local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how tomonitor a childs progress and work with educators to improve the achievementof their children

What does this mean in Florida?

This provision means that each district and school that receives Title I funds mustprovide assistance to parents in understanding the Sunshine State Standards

(SSS), Floridas academic achievement standards (FCAT Levels), the FCAT andwhatever local assessments apply to all children in the district. Schools anddistricts are required to help parents monitor student progress and to work witheducators to improve student achievement.

What are some examples of how schools and districts could meet the minimumrequirements of this provision?

Print materials, web-based resources, student handbooks and newslettersare provided to assist parents in understanding the Sunshine StateStandards, Florida student academic achievement standards, and State

and local academic assessments.

Information on assessment and academic standards are provided throughmultiple formats, such as meetings, workshops and the use of multimedia.

Parents are given state or district produced reports that offer anexplanation of achievement test scores.


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There are opportunities for parent conferences, during which report cardsand assessments are discussed and ways that parents can work with theirchilds teacher to improve achievement.

There are opportunities for communication and interaction between

parents and school staff concerning academic standards and strategies tofacilitate student learning, based on student needs.

What are some examples of how schools and districts could go beyond theminimum requirements of this provision toward developing high quality

programs?

Training/workshops are provided at different locations and times to assistparents in understanding the Sunshine State Standards, Florida studentacademic achievement standards, and State and local academicassessments.

There are frequent (at least one each grading period) opportunities forregularly scheduled interaction between parent and school concerning achilds achievement through phone, and/or face-to-face formats.

There are regularly scheduled opportunities for parents to be involved insupplemental learning experiences with their children, such as familyliteracy night and Parents as Teachers.

What are some possible tools and activities that evaluators could use todocument compliance and beyond?

Interviews Focus groups Documentation, such as checklists, samples, distribution dates Survey instruments for teachers and/or parents



Each school and local educational agency assisted under this part shall providematerials and training to help parents work with their children to improve theirchildrens achievement, such as, literacy training and using technology, as

appropriate, to foster parental involvement.


This provision means that each district and school that receives Title I funds mustmake a concerted effort to help parents improve their childrens achievement.This means providing parents with materials and training opportunities focused


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on raising student achievement. Some examples are literacy training and usingtechnology.


A description of available textual materials and technology (software andhardware) used for helping parents support their childrens academicdevelopment. The description represents a range of developmental levels,content areas and formats. Materials reflect the home languages of thepopulation served, to the extent practicable. Instructions for use areincluded

A record of contact time (school personnel with parents) devoted totraining parents to use materials or to work with their children on academicachievement.


programs?

Frequently scheduled activities exist that parents and children attendtogether where parents learn how to facilitate their childrens literacydevelopment. These activities include opportunities for parents to practicelearned strategies with their children and evidence of parent work withchildren returned worksheets, questionnaires, products.

The effectiveness of parent training through ongoing assessment of parentand/ or childrens knowledge, understanding, proficiency, attitudes, orbeliefs is measured.


Parent Surveyso Evaluation of trainingo Awareness of availability of materials/resources/trainingo Use of materialso

Attendance at trainingo What have parents learned/gained?o What changes have children evidenced?o Possible items might include:

Teacher Surveyso Level of parent involvemento Awareness of availability of materials/resources


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o Changes in children

Documents/checklistso Description of materials/technologyo Training scheduleo

Sign-in sheetso Agendaso Marketing materialso Parent contact record

Parent interviews (if parent is not literate)

Parent focus groups to determine if materials and training meet their needs

Sample products/publicationso Training materialso Training videoso Softwareo Other materials

Testimonials (as open-ended question on survey or through incidentalcommunication)



Each school and local educational agency assisted under this part shall educateteachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, with the assistanceof parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reachout to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implementand coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.


There are at least two major tasks stated in this subpart, both of which aredirected toward educating school staff, including teachers, principals, counselors,teacher aides, etc: (1) about the value of parents influence on childrensacademic success and (2) how to reach out and work with parents as equalpartners in the educational process. Accordingly, these two major parts will bedealt with separately.

Educating School Staff About the Value of Parental Contributions

This is one of several responsibilities of district staff whose job functions are paidfor by or aligned with Title I. In this context educate is taken to mean provideinformation about the value and utility of things that parents do or can do to


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contribute to student achievement, academic improvement, attendance,graduation, or positive attitude toward school and learning. The recipients of thiseducational activity are school personnel, including teachers, principals,counselors, teacher aides, etc. Clearly, parents are to be involved in thiseducational process as co-presenters, exemplars, research assistants, etc. The

content of this educational activity could be research articles that highlight thecontribution of parents towards student achievement, examples of positive thingsthat parents can do to further student achievement, anecdotes about things thatparents in the district have done to make a difference in the academic success oftheir own or other students.


A district publication put together with the assistance of parents thatfeatures research articles about the positive contributions of parents,

examples of things that parents can do to support student achievement,academic improvement, attendance, graduation, or positive attitudetoward school and learning. It could also include anecdotes aboutsuccessful parental involvement or parent education activities in thedistrict, etc.


programs?

A PowerPoint presentation put together with the assistance of parents

containing information about the positive contributions of parents thatcould be shown at staff meetings.

Live presentations by teams of district staff and parents which feature thepositive contributions of parents toward student achievement.


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Educating School Staff About How to Reach Out to And Work With Parents

In this context educate is taken to mean provide information about how to reachout, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners in theeducational process. The recipients of this educational activity are school

personnel, including teachers, principals, counselors, teacher aides, etc. Clearly,parents are to be involved in this educational process as partners in planning anddesigning training modules, co-presenters, exemplars, etc. The content of thiseducational activity could be research based training modules that highlighteffective outreach programs, models of parent participation in school decision-making processes, samples of communication tools, etc., that build ties betweenparents and the school.


An ongoing staff development program that includes research basedtraining modules emphasizing strategies to reach out to, communicatewith, and work with parents such as, developing school-parent compacts,parent-teacher conferencing, planning the annual meeting, etc.

Comprehensive staff development to enhance communication skillsbetween district/school staff and parents that includes:

o Providing parent access to staffo Opportunities for parents to volunteero Opportunities for parents to participate in classo

Varying venues/modes for communicating student progress toparents


programs?


Documentation: e.g. staff development calendar, attendance sheets,

training evaluations, district staff development in-service point records,study group agendas, action research reports Sample products and publications: e.g. PowerPoint presentations of staff

development, Interviews Focus groups


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Each school and local educational agency assisted under this part shall, to the

extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvementprograms and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, EvenStart, Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, Parents asTeachers and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities,such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in morefully participating in the education of their children.


Direct coordination exists among programs that provide supplemental services,especially preschool services, to children in Title I schools. Parental involvement

activities offered through programs are made available to all parents withsimilarly situated children.


School and district staff identify all programs that exist in their jurisdiction,including:

o Head Starto Reading Firsto

Early Reading Firsto Even Starto Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)o Parents as Teacherso Public preschoolo Other (specify) _________________________________________

All of the programs identified above are represented in a school wideschedule of activities for parents, issue invitations to the appropriategroups for the same activity, and share a common source of coordinationat the district or school level.


Checklist as framed above that affirms representation and coordination ofall existing programs.

Schedule of activities Invitation/marketing materials


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Training evaluations from parents Teacher/staff surveys, which might include items such as the following:



Each school and local educational agency assisted under this part shall ensurethat information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and otheractivities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to theextent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.


School and district staff must be sensitive to the educational and languagebackground characteristics of parents. This sensitivity is to be evidenced ininformation provided to parents about program availability, meetings and relatedactivities.


Meeting notices are in multiple languages. Translators are available at parent programs. Non-English speaking parents are involved in activities.

Compacts, district and school policies are in multiple languages. Information (such as report card explanations, school performance reports,etc.) that is disseminated at parent meetings and activities are in multiplelanguages.

Parental information is at an appropriate readability level (no educationaljargon).


programs?

Communication occurs through multiple formats according to the needs ofparents. Parents report understanding of school communications and documents.


Documentation


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o Meeting noticeso Notice of availability of translatoro Sign-in sheetso Compacts/policieso Other information translatedo

Sample phone call scripts, newsletters, etc

Parent surveys, teacher surveys, interviews and/or focus groups (forbeyond the minimumparent understanding).



Each school and local educational agency assisted under this part shall providesuch other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under thissection as parents may request.


School and district staff must provide opportunities for parents to make requestsfor support and assistance. This requirement is tempered in the sense that suchrequests, in order to be honored, must be reasonable in light of existing

resources and policy.


There are written procedures for parental requests for support andassistance that include specific staff to contact, whatever forms there maybe for such requests and a timeline for submitting requests and receiving aresponse.

What are some examples of how schools and districts could go beyond the

minimum requirements of this provision toward developing high qualityprograms?

Requests for assistance are addressed in parental surveys. Parents have access to suggestion boxes or other forms of providing

requests for assistance. The school plan indicates how parental requests have actually been

incorporated.


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Interviews or focus groups with parents which include such questions as:o

Have you made a request for support or assistance beyond what isreadily available?o What was the procedure for making such a request?o What was the response?o How would you make a request if you had one?

Interviews with principal or district staff which ask to see a request from aparent and how the request was handled.o How do you encourage parents to make requests for assistance?o Which aspects of this years plan are a result of parental requests?

Documentation of procedures and parent requests that have been met

Parent and/or teacher surveys or interviews to determine if requests havebeen met


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Instrument and Indicator Matrix

The following matrix identifies sources of information that could inform the specific evaluation indicators listed on the left. Althoughthe toolkit presently includes only parent surveys, teacher surveys, and parent and teacher interview protocols, the working groupidentified additional information sources that might be considered by parent involvement committees or others evaluating parentinvolvement policies.

# Indicator ParentInterviews ParentSurveys ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey

Documents(checklists,attendancesheets,emails)

Sampleproducts andpublications

Testmon

D1 The district develops,jointly with parents, awritten parentinvolvement policy,updates it periodicallywith input fromparents anddistributes policy toparents

P P P P P P P P P

D2 The district helpsschools in planningand implementingparent involvementactivities to improvestudent academicachievement andschool performance

P P P P P P

D3 The district promotesfamily literacy andparenting skills

P P P P P P P P P

D4 The district decides,with parents, howTitle I funds will beused for parentinvolvement activities

P P P P P P


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# Indicator ParentInterviews

ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

D5 Each school anddistrict receivingassistance under TitleI, Part A must ensureeffective involvementof parents andsupport a partnershipamong the school,the parents, and thecommunity toimprove studentacademicachievement throughtraining, information,and coordinationactivities. The districthelps build schoolsand parents capacityfor strong parentinvolvement:

P P P P P P P P


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

D5a District assistsparents inunderstanding theStates academiccontent standards,student academic

achievementstandards andacademicassessments,including how tomonitor theirstudents academicprogress, and how towork with school staffto improve theachievement ofstudents, includingwritten materials andtraining for staff.

P P P P P P P P P

D5b District providesmaterials and trainingto help parents workwith their children toimprove theirchildrensachievement, such asliteracy training andusing technology, tofoster parentinvolvement.

P P P P P P P


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

D5c District educatesschool personnel,with the assistance ofparents, in the valueand utility ofcontributions of

parents, how toreach, communicateand work withparents.

P P P P P P P P P

D5d District coordinatesand integrates parentinvolvementprograms andactivities with otherorganizations such asHead Start, Parentsas Teachers, etc.

P P P

D5e District ensures thatinformation related toschool and parentprograms, meetingsand other activities issent to parents in a

format and languagethat parents canunderstand.

P P P P P P

D5f District providesreasonable supportfor parentinvolvement activitiesas parents mayrequest.

P P P P P P


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

D6 District coordinatesparent involvementstrategies with otherprograms, such asHead Start, Parentsas Teachers, etc.

P P P P

D7 District must setaside 1% of the Title Iallocation for parentinvolvement,distributes 95% ofthis set aside toschools receivingTitle I funds.

P P P

D8 District conducts,with the involvementof parents, an annualevaluation of thecontent andeffectiveness of theparent involvementpolicy in improvingthe academic qualityof the schools

1

P P P P P P

D8a District usesevaluation to identifybarriers to greaterparticipation byparents of diversebackgrounds

P P P

D8b District usesevaluation findings todesign more effectivestrategies for greaterparent involvement

P P P P P

1 This evaluation requires documentation of content of the parent involvement policy and its effectiveness in terms of improvements inacademic quality of the school. This is a big undertakingperhaps impossible, in the real world.


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

D9 District informsparents and parentorganizations of theexistence andpurpose of the FloridaParent Information

and Resource Center

P P P P P

S1 The school jointlydevelops with, anddistributes to, parentsof participatingchildren a writtenparental involvementpolicy, agreed on bysuch parents, thatdescribes the meansfor carrying out thestated requirements.Parents are notified ofthe policy in anunderstandable anduniform format in alanguage the parentscan understand. Thepolicy is madeavailable to the localcommunity andupdated periodicallyto meet the changingneeds of parents andthe school.

P P P P P

S2 The school convenesan annual meeting, ata convenient time, toexplain therequirements of thewritten parentinvolvement policy.

P P P P P


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

S3 Meetings are offeredto parents at varyingtimes, e.g. morningand evening.

P P P P

S4 Parents are providedwith timelyinformation aboutparent involvementprograms.

P P P P

S5 Parents are providedwith a description andexplanation of theschools curriculum.

P P P P

S6 Parents are providedwith a description andexplanation of (a) theforms of academicassessment used tomeasure studentprogress, and (b) anexplanation of theproficiency levelsstudents are expectedto meet.

P P P

S7 If requested byparents, schoolsprovide regularmeetings for parentsto offer suggestionsand to participate indecisions relating tothe education of theirchildren.

P P P


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

S8 School jointlydevelops, withparents, a school-parent compact thatoutlines how parents,school staff and

students will shareresponsibility forimproved studentacademicachievement:

P P P P P P

S8a The compactdescribes theschoolsresponsibility toprovide high-qualitycurriculum andinstruction, andparentsresponsibility forsupporting theirchildrens learning.

P P P

S8b The compactaddresses the

importance ofcommunicationbetween teachers andparents throughconferences andreports to parents onchildrens progress.

P P P


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

S8c The compactaddresses howparents havereasonable access tostaff, are providedfrequent reports on

their childrensprogress, and haveopportunities tovolunteer andobserve classroomactivities.

P P P

S9 The school helps tobuild parentscapacity for strongparent involvement:

P P P P P

S9a School assistsparents inunderstanding theStates academiccontent standards,student academicachievementstandards and

academicassessments,including how tomonitor theirstudents academicprogress, and how towork with school staffto improve theachievement ofstudents, includingwritten materials andtraining for staff.

2

P P P P P

2Aligns with D5a


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

S9b School providesmaterials and trainingto help parents workwith their children toimprove theirchildrens

achievement, such asliteracy training andusing technology, tofoster parentinvolvement.

3

P P P P P

S9c School educatespersonnel, with theassistance of parents,in the value and utilityof contributions ofparents, how toreach, communicateand work withparents.

P P P P P P

S9d School coordinatesand integrates parentinvolvementprograms and

activities with otherorganizations such asHead Start, ParentsAs Teachers, etc.

P P P P P

3S9b aligns with D5b, S9c with D5c, S9d with D5d, S9e with D5e, and S9f with D5f.


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ParentSurveys

ParentFocusGroup

TeacherInterviews

TeacherFocusGroup

SchoolStaffSurvey



Testmon

S9e School ensures thatinformation related toschool and parentprograms, meetingsand other activities is

sent to parents in aformat and languagethat parents canunderstand.

P P P P

S9f School providesreasonable supportfor parentinvolvement activitiesas parents mayrequest.

P P P P P P

S10 The School informsparents about theFlorida ParentInformation andResource Center.

P P P P


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Parent Survey

The parent survey is intended to be used toward the end of the school year to measurea school parent involvement program over the course of the year and to facilitate an

evaluation of the parent involvement program that could inform planning for the followingyear. The Evaluation Working Group expects that surveys will be adapted for thespecific needs of any individual school. In particular, schools choosing to use the surveyshould consider customizing the list of information sources to match those that areavailable in your school. Additionally, Section 6 contains items that either cover areasthat are not strictly required under NCLB, or areas that could be documented throughmeans other than a survey. Schools may wish to modify or delete the section,depending on their specific needs.

This survey is designed to help our school parent involvement team find out how well weare working with parents so that we can improve our parent involvement program.

Please answer each question honestly. We appreciate your feedback!

Section 1Awareness of Standards and Testing

Answer each question in the following sections by selectingYes, No, orDo not Know.All questions refer to the currentschool year.

Yes No Do notKnow

Did you receive information from your school or districtabout:

What the school teaches your child? Y N DK

The Sunshine State Standards? Y N DK

State tests, such as the FCAT, DIBELS or Stanford-10? Y N DK

How your child scored on the state tests? Y N DK

What a score on the state tests means Y N DK

The information used to determine whether your childmoves to the next grade or repeats the same grade?

Y N DK

How to keep track of your childs progress? Y N DK

How you can work with teachers to help your childsucceed?

Y N DK

Did you receive information about monitoring your childsprogress?

Y N DK

Did you receive information about working with teachers toimprove your childs achievement?

Y N DK

Did you go to an open house or a meeting where the goals and activities of the Title I program were discussed ?

Y N DK


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Section 2 Helping Your Child With School


Yes No Do NotKnow

Did you receive materials tohelp you work with your child todo better in school?

Y N DK

Did someone show you how to use these materials? Y N DK

Did you go to one or moremeetings (trainings, events, etc.)on this topic?

Y N DK

Did you help your child with their homeworkat least once aweek?

Y N DK

Where did you get information about standards, testing, and helping your child succeed inschool? (Mark all that apply)

____ Conference with a teacher____ A Title I Meeting____ Title I Brochure____ Parent Compact____ Other meeting at school____ Meeting at the district offices____ School web site____ District web site____ Florida Department of Education (DOE) web site____ Web sites not run by the school system____ Mailed by the school system____ Books, magazines, or videos purchased in stores____ Local newspaper

____ Local television____ School district television station____ Religious organization (for example, a church, synagogue, or related organization)____ Parent center____ Friends, relatives, or other parents____ Other (please describe below)

________________________________________________________________________

____ I have received no information about this topic

Section 3 Parents As Partners


Yes No Do notKnow

Did you feel that teachers, principals, and other school staffwilling to communicate with you?

Y N DK

Did your childs school value your suggestions for your childslearning?

Y N DK


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Were parent meetings offered at different times of the day? Y N DK

Would you like to know more about: Y N DK

The state standards and testing? Y N DK

The Title I program? Y N DK

How to work with your child at home? Y N DK

How to work with your childs teachers? Y N DK

How to get involved with the school? Y N DK

How to get resources for parents? Y N DK

Thank you for your input!


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Section 6 Parent Input

Looking back at this school year

Respond to each statement in this section by marking theletter code indicating whether you Strongly Disagree,Disagree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Agree, or Strongly

Agree.MarkDKunderDo Not Know, if you do not have enoughinformation to respond to the statement. S

trong

lyDisagree

Disagr

ee

NeitherAgreenor

Disar

ee

Agree

Strong

lyAgree

DoNotKnow

Parents in my schoolare given multiple opportunities torequest specific support for parental involvement activities.

SD D N A SA DK

I provided additional support for parental involvement activitiesat the request of my students parents.

SD D N A SA DK

What did you do to make sure that parents could understand materials youcreated and sent to them?


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Parent Focus Group Questions

The following questions are designed to guide a parent focus group towardaddressing key areas of NCLB parent involvement policies in more depth than is

possible in parent surveys. Schools and districts will likely craft their own focusgroup protocols, but the Evaluation Working Group identified the following areasof questioning as most likely to provide useful information for informing an overallevaluation of parent involvement policies. The indicators in brackets tie back tothe Indicator and Instrument Matrix.

Has your childs school or district engaged you in developing a parentalinvolvement policy? If so, how? Have you been made aware of the policy onceit is complete? How were you notified? [D1]

Does your child school involve you in deciding how Title I funds are used toinvolve parents? How is this done? [D4]

Does your childs school offer training and/or information on how to help yourchild succeed in school? How so specifically? [D6]

How does your childs school help you understand state tests and what theymean for your childs education? [D5a]

How does you childs school provide you with training and/or materials to helpyour child improve their school work/education [5b]

How often have you attended district-sponsored family literacy and parentingactivities? How did you find out about these activities? [D3]

How are you involved in developing the parental involvement policy for yourchilds school? How so? [S1]

How does your school give you information about parent involvementprograms? Is the information useful and clear? [S4]

Were you given an explanation and description of the schools curriculum? [S5]

How were you involved with the school in developing a school-parent compacton how parents and the school will share responsibility for studentachievement? [S8]

How has the school staff tried to help you get involved in you childs education?[S9]


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Has the school been responsive to your requests for support in gettinginvolved with your childs school? How so? [S9e]

How does the school usually keep you informed about whats going on withyour child and how to get involved with your childs education? Is most of the

communication done by phone, in person, email, regular mail? [general]

What are the biggest problems in terms of getting more involved with yourchilds education at school? [general]

What has the school done that is most helpful in terms of making it easierfor you to understand how your child is doing in school? [general]

What has the school done that is most helpful in terms of making it easierfor your to get more involved in your childs schoolwork both in school andat home? [general]

What would you like to see your childs school do in order to make iteasier for you to understand how your child is doing and to get moreinvolved in your childs education? [general]

What is the most confusing or difficult part of understanding how your childis doing in school? [general]

What is most frustrating in terms of dealing with your childs school?[genera]

What do you like best about dealing with your childs school? [general]


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Teacher Focus Group Protocol

Group facilitator_______________________________

Date_________________

Number of participants_________

District(s)_____________________________

School(s)_________________________________________________________

Grades taught byparticipants__________________________________________

Introductory script:This focus group session is intended to obtain information onyour schools parental involvement activities as they relate to federal No ChildLeft Behind requirements. Our aim is to use the data contained in your responsesto help the district and individual schools improve their parental involvementactivities in order to ensure that these schools comply with federal law andengage parents in their childs schooling to the most beneficial extent possible.

Your answers are anonymous and your honest responses will be a great help forevaluators in determining the current status of your schools parentalengagement strategies and how to improvement. Thank you for your

participation!

Potential Prompts for Teacher Focus Group Protocol

How does your school include parents in developing a written parentalinvolvement strategy? [S1]

How often is the parental involvement policy updated? [S1]

How is the school curriculum explained to parents? [S5]

Do your parents understand how their children are assessed and whattheir childs proficiency scores mean for their childs educationaladvancement? [S6]

How are parents involved in developing the schools school-parentcompact? [S8]


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How specifically does your school help build parents capacity forinvolvement in their childs education and in the activities of the school?[S9]

n regarding state academic standardsn academic assessmentsn

how to monitor student academic progressn how to work with the school to improve student achievement

Does your school leadership discuss the importance of parentalinvolvement in schools with you and other teachers? [S9c]

How well are parent involvement programs integrated with programs likeHead Start, Parents As Teachers, etc?

Are you able to respond to parent requests and help parents with theirquestions regarding involvement as much as youd like to? [S9e]

What type of help or direction do you get form the district in terms ofmaterials and strategies for engaging parents in your school? [general]

Who is more important in terms of engaging parents in your childseducation: your school leaders or district staff? How and why? [general]


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No Child Left Behind, SEC. 1118. Parental Involvement.

(a) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY POLICY-

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

(2) WRITTEN POLICY- Each local educational agency that receives funds underthis part shall develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to, parents ofparticipating children a written parent involvement policy. The policy shall beincorporated into the local educational agency's plan developed under section1112, establish the agency's expectations for parent involvement, and describe

how the agency will

(A) involve parents in the joint development of the plan under section 1112, andthe process of school review and improvement under section 1116(B) provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessaryto assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parentinvolvement activities to improve student academic achievement and schoolperformance(C) build the schools' and parents' capacity for strong parental involvement asdescribed in subsection (e)(G) coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies under this part with

parental involvement strategies under other programs, such as the Head Startprogram, Reading First program, Early Reading First program, Even Startprogram, Parents as Teachers program, and Home Instruction Program forPreschool Youngsters, and State-run preschool programs(E) conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the contentand effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academicquality of the schools served under this part, including identifying barriers togreater participation by parents in activities authorized by this section (withparticular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled,have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial orethnic minority background), and use the findings of such evaluation to design

strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, theparental involvement policies described in this section and(F) involve parents in the activities of the schools served under this part.

(3) RESERVATION-

(A) IN GENERAL- Each local educational agency shall reserve not less than 1percent of such agency's allocation under subpart 2 of this part to carry out this


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section, including promoting family literacy and parenting skills, except that thisparagraph shall not apply if 1 percent of such agency's allocation under subpart 2of this part for the fiscal year for which the determination is made is $5,000 orless.(B) PARENTAL INPUT- Parents of children receiving services under this part

shall be involved in the decisions regarding how funds reserved undersubparagraph (A) are allotted for parental involvement activities.

(C) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS- Not less than 95 percent of the funds reservedunder subparagraph (A) shall be distributed to schools served under this part.(b) SCHOOL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY-

(1) IN GENERAL- Each school served under this part shall jointly develop with,and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parental involvementpolicy, agreed on by such parents, that shall describe the means for carrying outthe requirements of subsections (c) through (f). Parents shall be notified of the

policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable,provided in a language the parents can understand. Such policy shall be madeavailable to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changingneeds of parents and the school.

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

(3) AMENDMENT- If the local educational agency involved has a school district-level parental involvement policy that applies to all parents, such agency may

amend that policy, if necessary, to meet the requirements of this subsection.(4) PARENTAL COMMENTS- If the plan under section 1112 is not satisfactory tothe parents of participating children, the local educational agency shall submitany parent comments with such plan when such local educational agencysubmits the plan to the State.

(c) POLICY INVOLVEMENT- Each school served under this part shall (1) convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents ofparticipating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parentsof their school's participation under this part and to explain the requirements ofthis part, and the right of the parents to be involved

(2) offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning orevening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation,child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement(3) involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning,review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning,review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and the jointdevelopment of the schoolwide program plan under section 1114(b)(2), except


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that if a school has in place a process for involving parents in the joint planningand design of the school's programs, the school may use that process, if suchprocess includes an adequate representation of parents of participating children

(4) provide parents of participating children

(A) timely information about programs under this part(B) a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the formsof academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiencylevels students are expected to meet and(C) if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulatesuggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to theeducation of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon aspracticably possible and(5) if the schoolwide program plan under section 1114(b)(2) is not satisfactory tothe parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the planwhen the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency.

(d) SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMICACHIEVEMENT- As a component of the school-level parental involvement policydeveloped under subsection (b), each school served under this part shall jointlydevelop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parentcompact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will sharethe responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means bywhich the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help childrenachieve the State's high standards. Such compact shall (1) describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum andinstruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the

children served under this part to meet the State's student academicachievement standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsiblefor supporting their children's learning, such as monitoring attendance, homeworkcompletion, and television watching volunteering in their child's classroom andparticipating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of theirchildren and positive use of extracurricular time and(2) address the importance of communication between teachers and parents onan ongoing basis through, at a minimum (A) parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least annually, duringwhich the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individualchild's achievement

(B) frequent reports to parents on their children's progress and(C) reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in theirchild's class, and observation of classroom activities.

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


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

achievement of their children(2) shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their childrento improve their children's achievement, such as literacy training and usingtechnology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement(3) shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff,with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents,and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equalpartners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties betweenparents and the school(4) shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parentinvolvement programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early

Reading First, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for PreschoolYoungsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and otherprograms, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, thatencourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of theirchildren(5) shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs,meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in aformat and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand(6) may involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals,and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training(7) may provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this part if

the local educational agency has exhausted all other reasonably availablesources of funding for such training(8) may pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parentalinvolvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enableparents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions(9) may train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents(10) may arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-homeconferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly withparticipating children, with parents who are unable to attend such conferences atschool, in order to maximize parental involvement and participation(11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental

involvement(12) may establish a districtwide parent advisory council to provide advice on allmatters related to parental involvement in programs supported under this section(13) may develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations andbusinesses in parent involvement activities and(14) shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvementactivities under this section as parents may request.


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(f) ACCESSIBILITY In carrying out the parental involvement requirements ofthis part, local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shallprovide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited Englishproficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, includingproviding information and school reports required under section 1111 in a format

and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents understand.

(g) INFORMATION FROM PARENTAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCECENTERS- In a State where a parental information and resource center isestablished to provide training, information, and support to parents andindividuals who work with local parents, local educational agencies, and schoolsreceiving assistance under this part, each local educational agency or school thatreceives assistance under this part and is located in the State shall assist parentsand parental organizations by informing such parents and organizations of theexistence and purpose of such centers.

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


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Contributors

Many people contributed generously of their time, talents and resources to thisproject. Participants in the Evaluation Working Group and contributors to this

document include:

Bacen, Lisa. East Coast Technical Assistance Center.Black, Mary. Kissimmee Charter Academy.Brooks, Vicki. Orange County Public Schools.Buhr, Diane. Independent Consultant.Curry, Brian. Regions III & IV Regional Technical Assistance Center.Dailey, Kathleen. Polk County Public Schools.Darden, Frank. Regions III & IV Regional Technical Assistance Center.Eakins, Jeff. School District of Hillsborough County.Ferguson, Dave. Manatee County Schools.

Foster, Sharyn. Regions III & IV Regional Technical Assistance Center.Guffain, Carlos. East Coast Technical Assistance Center.Hannas, Gail. Brevard County Schools.Hensley, Trudy. Regions III & IV Regional Technical Assistance Center and

RMC Research.Janiak, Richard. Charlotte County Public Schools.Kirsch, Lonnie. Okeechobee County Schools.Kline, Marilyn. Regions III & IV Regional Technical Assistance Center.Knarzer, Mary Jo. Charlotte County Public Schools.Knestis, Kirk. Arroyo Research Services.Levitt, Jerome. Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Linder, Patricia. Regions III & IV Regional Technical Assistance Center.Lindsay, Alice. Florida and the Islands Comprehensive Center at ETS.Lindsay, Karyn. Florida and the Islands Comprehensive Center at ETS.Longa, Maria. Collier County Public Schools.McLeod, Julie. Pinellas County Public Schools.Mendoza, Ivette. Hernando County Schools.Miller, Don. Osceola County Public Schools.Mungillo, Sheila. Manatee County Public Schools.Ramirez-Talavera, Carmen. Manatee County Schools.Richardson, Gerry. Educational Enhancement Services.Scanga, David. Pasco County Schools.

Silverstein, Amy. School District of Hillsborough County.Smith, Sue Ellen. Desoto County Schools.Tomlinson, Bruce. Region II Regional Technical Assistance Center.Vandersall, Kirk. Regions III & IV Regional Technical Assistance Center and

Arroyo Research Services. Evaluation Working Group Facilitator.Wainer, Andrew. Arroyo Research Services.Young, Doris. Polk County Schools.

Parent Involvement Evaluation Toolkit

Documents

Transcript of Parent Involvement Evaluation Toolkit