What Is the Parental Involvement Pledge?
|
|
|
What Is the Parental Involvement Pledge?
The Parental Involvement Pledge has two components. It provides an opportunity for parents to formalize their commitment to working with their child's school through a written agreement they can complete and take to their parent leader, school secretary, teacher, or principal. The Pledge also provides a survey of parent volunteer interests. The survey identifies 37 areas in which parents can volunteer in school, outside the classroom and at home. The Pledge is based on the Six Types of Parental Involvement developed by Dr. Joyce Epstien at John's Hopkins University.How Do You Use It?
The Pledge is a tool to share with staff and parent organizations as a way of recruiting volunteers and appropriately connecting them with specific needs and activities.When Do You Use It?
Title I of No Child Left Behind requires that a Pledge or other learning compact be used during parent-teacher conferences. Use it also when you want to encourage parents to volunteer or when you want teachers to invite and encourage parental involvement on National Parental Involvement Day, the third Thursday in November or Public School Volunteer Week which is the third week of April.
Why Do You Use It?
U.S. Department of Education research (Prospects Study 1993) demonstrates that schools that use learning compacts like the Parental Involvement Pledge have higher student achievement than those that don't use them. The Pledge provides a concrete way to help parents volunteer because it allows them to choose very specific activities. It is easier to get a commitment and follow-through if it is clear exactly what is being asked and what is expected.Who Do You Involve?
When parents are involved, their children do better in school, and they go to better schools. Why is this true? Because when parents are welcome in the school and are consulted about decisions affecting their children, an atmosphere of trust and collaboration develops between school and home. When this happens, our children will perform at a higher level, and the school will become more effective. The school is a critically important community institution, since the quality of education shapes not only our children's individual future, but a
lso the future of your community and society.Your support of public schools is important; involvement and action by several parents in a group can influence school policy-makers and result in decisions and choices than can benefit many children. Use the Pledge with parents, parent groups, and staff as a tool and encouragement for parental involvement.
- The Parental Involvement Pledge.pdf, branded with your school's name, for distribution to every student and family. (Title I Learning Compact!)
- Web page for the Parental Involvement Pledge Online, branded with your school's name, for accessibility anywhere!
- The Parental Involvement Report Card.pdf - a self diagnostic tool for distribution to every parent, grandparent, and caring adult.
- Parent Organizing Database 1.0.1 software runs on any Windows computer, and is easy enough for everyone to learn. Features List.pdf
- Parental Involvement Certificates for Schools and Individual Volunteers.
Also Included:
Masterfiles are in Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf files). Toolboxes are delivered by e-mail.
- Family Wellness Compact. Fitness and Nutrition Parental Involvement Pledge!
- PowerPoint Central! The Best Parental Involvement Training Resources In America
- How To Run A Successful Pledge Campaign
- Project Appleseed's Newsletter Appleseed Today
- Regular e-mail updates on Project Appleseed and parental involvement best practices.
