8:95 AP

8:95AP Community Relations
(Acrobat File)

Administrative Procedure - Parental Involvement

Building Principals shall advocate effective, comprehensive family involvement in education that will promote parents/guardians becoming active partners in education. Principals shall, at least once every year, provide a written report to the Superintendent on parental involvement programs and efforts in their buildings.

The following are examples of parental involvement programs for Principals to consider. New ideas for involving parents/guardians should be continuously investigated and incorporated.

1. Keep parents/guardians thoroughly informed about their child's school and education.

Develop and distribute a comprehensive student handbook
Distribute information to parents/guardians on their school visitation rights
Open houses
Parent/guardian-teacher conferences
Progress reporting and report cards
Newsletters

2. Encourage involvement in their child's school and education.

Support and encourage parents/guardians volunteer opportunities
Work with the PTA to promote parents/guardians volunteer opportunities
Develop and use outreach programs to community groups and organizations

3. Establish effective two-way communication between all parents/guardians, and the School Board and District personnel.

Monthly Principal coffees
Work with PTA leadership to ensure parental input
Train personnel to collaborate with families of diverse backgrounds, including backgrounds that might impede parental participation (e.g., illiteracy or language difficulty)

4. Seek the advice of parents/guardians on school governance issues and methods to fulfill the District's educational mission.

Work with PTA leadership to ensure parental input
Establish a school-community advisory committee to identify, consider, and discuss educational problems and issues
Tell parents/guardians how they can assist their children's learning
Inform parents/guardians how they can help children learn, including activities that are related to classroom activities
Provide programs on how to establish a home environment that supports learning and appropriate behavior
Implement a homework-hotline

Although not exhaustive, the following identifies State legislation mandating parental involvement:

1. Students Records

Parent/guardian has right of access to child's records (105 ILCS 10/5).
Parent/guardian has the right to challenge the content of child's records (105 ILCS 10/7).
Non-custodial parent has right to receive copies of school correspondence and reports (105 ILCS 5/10-21.8).

2. Notices

Schools must notify parents/guardians of their school visitation rights (820 ILCS 147/25).
District must notify parent/guardian of child's placement in limited English proficiency programs (105 ILCS 5/14C-4).
Non-custodial parent has right to receive notices of major school-sponsored events, including parent-teacher conferences (105 ILCS 5/10‑21.8).
School must notify parents/guardians within two hours of child's absence from school (105 ILCS 5/26‑3b).
District responsible for notifying parents/guardians of graduation requirements (23 Ill. Admin. Code §1.440i).
A student's suspension must be reported to the parents/guardians (105 ILCS 5/10-22.6).
A student's expulsion may occur only after the parents/guardians have been requested to appear at a meeting with the board or board's hearing officer (105 ILCS 5/10‑22.6).
District must post school report card on its Internet Web site and, upon request, send it to the parent(s)/guardian(s). If the District does not maintain a web site, the report card shall be sent to parents/guardians without request. The District shall send a written notice home to parents/guardians stating: (1) that the report card is available on the web site, (2) the web site address, (3) that a printed copy will be sent upon request, and (4) the telephone number to call to request a printed copy (105 ILCS 5/10-17a, as amended by P.A.92-604).

3. Parent-Teacher Advisory Committees

School board shall establish a parent-teacher advisory committee on student discipline (105 ILCS 5/10-20.14).

4. Curriculum Involvement

State law requires parents/guardians be notified, consulted, and kept involved with the education and placement of a child with disabilities (105 ILCS 5/14-1 et seq.).
If parent/guardian objects, student is not required to take sex education classes or course (105 ILCS 5/27-9.1, 5/27-9.2, and 110/3).
Parent/guardian has right to examine instructional materials to be used in sex education class (105 ILCS 5/27-9.1, 5/27-9.2, and 110/3).
School board shall determine the instructional program with involvement of parents/guardians (23 Ill. Admin. Code §1.410).
District must consult with parent/guardian on an individual remediation plan for students demonstrating a proficiency level comparable to the average pupil performance one grade or more below current placement (105 ILCS 5/2-3.64(b).
District must notify parents/guardians of graduation requirements (23 Ill. Admin. Code § 1.440i).
School boards may use parent/guardian volunteers as: (1) assistants under the immediate supervision of a certificated teacher (105 ILCS 5/10-22.34); (2) supervisors, chaperones, or sponsors for non-academic activities (105 ILCS 5/10‑22.34a); and (3) guest lecturers or resource persons under the immediate supervision of a certificated teacher (105 ILCS 5/10-22.34b).
Upon parent/guardian's request, student must be released for religious observance (105 ILCS 5/26-1(5).

5. Conferences and Hearings

State law requires parents/guardians be notified, consulted, and kept involved with the education and placement of a child with disabilities (105 ILCS 5/14-1 et seq.).
Parents/guardians have the right to an unpaid leave from work to attend educational or behavioral conferences (820 ILCS 147/1).
District may use 2 days for parent-teacher conferences or could add more days to the teacher work year subject to collective bargaining(105 ILCS 5/3-11).
Non-custodial parent to receive notices of parent-teacher conferences (105 ILCS 5/10-21.8).
A hearing with the parents/guardians must precede a student’s expulsion. (105 ILCS 5/10-22.6).

6. Report on Parental Involvement

Parental involvement shall be included in the school report card (105 ILCS 5/10-17a).

7. Training

Parents as teachers program (105 ILCS 225/5).

Opportunities For Involvement As Provided In Board Policies
Although not exhaustive, the following identifies Board policies providing opportunities for parental involvement:

Section 2 - School Board

Section 4 - Operational Services

Section 5 - Personnel

5:230 Maintaining Student Discipline

Section 6 - Instruction

Section 7 - Students

Section 8 - Community Relations

In addition, the District’s Continuous Improvement Team, the Learning Leadership Team and Building Leadership Teams provide opportunities for parental involvement.

Reviewed: December 13, 2004
Approved: January 24, 2005
Revisions:

Introduction
Contents
	Section 1
	Section 2
	Section 3
	Section 4
	Section 5
	Section 6
	Section 7
	Section 8

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