Programs To Encourage Parental Involvement - Joint Programs, Services, And Powers (Counties, School Districts, And Higher Education) - CA Education

Section § 11500

This section highlights the importance of parental involvement in children's education to improve academic achievements, especially in urban areas where students lag behind. It acknowledges that while school funding has increased, improvement is slow, and emphasizes the need for effective parent involvement programs, which are also encouraged by federal and state policies. Such programs are most successful when they include specific components, which are considered essential under both federal guidelines and the state’s local control funding formula.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Despite a substantial increase in school funding over the last five years, a significant percentage of the school-aged population, particularly in large urban areas, is learning well below the statewide average and is making only marginal progress at best.

(b) Parental involvement and support in the education of children is an integral part of improving academic achievement. Educational research has established that properly constructed parent involvement programs can play an important and effective role in the participation of parents in their children’s schools and in raising pupil achievement levels.

(c) The federal government has recognized the critical role of parents in the educational process and requires parental and family engagement programs as a condition of eligibility for funds under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.).

(d) The state board has also adopted a policy urging the creation of parent involvement programs in all schools.

(e) The local control funding formula legislation adopts parental involvement as one of its key components.

(f) Research and experience have demonstrated that these programs succeed only when certain components are made part of the program.

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(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 669, Sec. 1. (AB 1661) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Section § 11501

This section explains that the goal of the legislature is to ensure parent and family engagement programs are well-planned and carried out. It also emphasizes using past experiences and research to guide these programs, while allowing local areas the flexibility to customize programs to suit their community's needs.

It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to ensure that parent and family engagement programs are properly designed and implemented and to provide a focus and structure for these programs based on prior experience and research while maintaining sufficient local flexibility to design a program that best meets the needs of the local community.

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(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 669, Sec. 2. (AB 1661) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Section § 11502

This law is all about getting parents and family members more involved in their children's education, making sure they're equipped to support learning at home. It aims to help them by offering training about educational standards and giving them strategies to boost their kids' academic performance. The law also emphasizes the importance of two-way communication between schools and families, ensuring that everyone knows how to support learning. Additionally, it focuses on training educators to effectively communicate with parents and integrates these efforts with local school programs and plans.

It is the purpose and goal of this chapter to do all of the following:

(a) To engage parents and family members positively in their children’s education by providing assistance and training on topics such as state academic standards and assessments to develop knowledge and skills to use at home to support their children’s academic efforts at school and their children’s development as responsible future members of our society.

(b) To inform parents that they can directly affect the success of their children’s learning, by providing parents with techniques and strategies that they may utilize to improve their children’s academic success and to assist their children in learning at home.

(c) To build consistent and effective two-way communication between family members and the school so that parents and family members may know when and how to assist their children in support of classroom learning activities.

(d) To train teachers, school administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff to communicate effectively with parents as equal partners.

(e) To integrate and coordinate parent and family engagement activities with the local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to Section 47606.5, 52060, or 52066, as applicable, with other programs.

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(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 669, Sec. 3. (AB 1661) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Section § 11503

This law requires every school receiving federal funding to create a written plan to involve parents and families in their child's education. The plan must include ways for parents to help with planning and evaluating education programs, as well as developing agency and improvement plans. Schools should support activities that strengthen family engagement, provide training for staff on effective communication, and offer regular programs to teach parents how to support their child's learning at home. The program must outline specific yearly goals and periodically review progress, informing parents about the outcomes and updates.

The governing board of each school district and county office of education shall establish a written parent and family engagement program for each school in the district that receives funds under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.), as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114–95). That program shall contain at least the following elements:

(a) Procedures to ensure that parents and family members are consulted and participate in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of the program.

(b) Procedures to involve parents and family members in developing the Local Educational Agency Plan and school support and improvement plans under Section 6312 of Title 20 of the United States Code.

(c) Procedures to provide assistance and support necessary to build schools’ capacity to plan and implement effective parent and family engagement activities.

(d) Procedures to train teachers, school administrators, and other staff on outreach and effective communication with parents and family members as equal partners.

(e) Regular and periodic programs throughout the school year that provide for training, instruction, and information on all of the following:

(1) Parental and family member ability to directly affect the success of their children’s learning through the support they give their children at home and at school.

(2) Explanation of curriculum, state academic achievement standards, and state and local assessments.

(3) Home activities, strategies, and materials that can be used to assist and enhance the learning of children both at home and at school.

(4) Skills to assist parents and family members in understanding the development needs of their children and in understanding how to provide positive discipline for, and build healthy relationships with, their children.

(5) Developing consistent and effective communications between the school and the parents and family members concerning the progress of the children in school and concerning school programs.

(f) An annual statement identifying specific objectives of the program consistent with the requirements of this section.

(g) An annual review and assessment of the program’s progress in meeting those objectives. Parents shall be made aware of the existence of this review and assessment through regular school communications mechanisms and shall be given a copy upon the parent’s request.

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(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 669, Sec. 4. (AB 1661) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Section § 11504

This law requires every school district's governing board to create a parent involvement policy for each school that isn't covered by another specific law (Section 11503). The policy should align with certain purposes and goals regarding parent involvement.

The governing board of each school district shall adopt a policy on parent involvement, consistent with the purposes and goals set forth in Section 11502, for each school not governed by Section 11503.

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(Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1400, Sec. 1.)

Section § 11505

This law allows school districts to partner with nonprofit organizations or agencies to help create or run programs that get parents involved, as long as it doesn't break any federal laws.

To the extent permitted by federal law, a school district may contract with nonprofit organizations and agencies experienced in administering parent involvement programs to design or implement, or design and implement, a school’s parent involvement program.

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(Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1400, Sec. 1.)

Section § 11506

This law states that schools in California that get specific federal and state funding, like those under certain federal education acts and for school improvement, must follow this chapter's rules to receive these funds. Essentially, compliance is a must to keep receiving financial support.

Schools that receive federal funds under Chapter 1 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Augustus F. Hawkins-Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988 (P. L. 100-297), and receive funds for school improvement plans pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 52000) of Part 28 or economic impact aid pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 54020) of Chapter 1 of Part 29, may receive funds for school improvement plans pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 52000) of Part 28 or economic impact aid pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 54020) of Chapter 1 of Part 29 only if they comply with this chapter.

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(Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1400, Sec. 1.)