Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Parent and Family Engagement

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#SmartParentsDoThis assists schools by meeting the requirements of the ESSA. 

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ESSA requires a local education agency (LEA) to craft a district written parent and family engagement policy. LEAs are obligated to “outreach to all parents and family members” and implement “programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents and family members.” All written policies are to provide support in “planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.”

Like the LEA parent and family engagement policy, schools are to develop a written school parent and family engagement policy as well.

 

#SmartParentsDoThis can be a part of the written LEA or school parent involvement policy as it offers activities for families to engage and interact with one another which will increase student achievement.

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#SmartParentsDoThis is an expert in the area of engaging parents and families in education and meets the ESSA requirement by offering effective parent and family involvement activities that improve student achievement. The #SmartParentsDoThis program can be used as a professional development training to give educators tools and experience in how to help families increase learning at home.  Teachers will gain confidence in building stronger school/parent relationships as they learn valuable lessons on what families can do at home to further their child’s learning.

 

Materials and Training

To ensure “effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement,” each LEA and school “shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology as appropriate to foster parental involvement.”

 

#SmartParentsDoThis program meets this ESSA requirement with handbooks which provide valuable information and activities specifically designed for families to use at home.  In addition, there are other materials such as bookmarks, refrigerator magnets, etc. that can be used to reinforce the parent training at home.

 

Evaluation Tools

ESSA requires the “use of the findings of such evaluation…to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parental involvement…

 

#SmartParentsDoThis program provides evaluation tools that schools utilize to better design effective parental and family engagement plans.  These evaluation tools are easy to use and provide educators with meaningful data.

 

Transition

ESSA addresses planning for the transition of students in early childhood education programs to local elementary school programs.

 

As a part of this process, SmartParentsDoThis can be used to support families during this transition by both hosting a family engagement program and by providing families with the various SmartParentsDoThis resources that assist families with valuable tips on preparing students for success.

 

Reservation of Funds

Each district shall “reserve at least 1 percent of its [Title I] allocation to assist schools to carry out [parent and family engagement] activities and strategies consistent with the LEA parent and family engagement policy.”

 

Many LEAs and schools are using the 1 percent set-aside to provide SmartParentsDoThis workshops, professional development and resources to families at no cost.

 

Link to Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the  Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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https://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/Elementary%20And%20Secondary%20Education%20Act%20Of%201965.pdf