Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act: The United States Congress guarantees the right of parents and community groups to organize parental and community involvement in public schools. This right cannot be limited or modified by a school district or state. In accordance with federal law, Section 1118 of Title I of the Improving America's School Act of 1994, and renewed under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, Project Appleseed implements model approaches to improving parental involvement in an organized and ongoing manner.

The Missouri State Board of Education's Model Policy on Parent/Family Involvement. The Missouri State Board of Education has adopted policies that call for the development of parent leadership in all school districts. The policies promote the inclusion of parents as full partners in decision-making and encourage the use of available community resources to strengthen and promote school programs, family practices, and the achievement of students.

The Missouri School Improvement Program Integrated Standards and Indicators ( .pdf ) (MSIP) 7.5, 7.6, and 8.2 (Fourth Cycle) mandate that school districts must involve parents in meaningful and effective ways and the district cooperates with other local agencies to assess the needs for community education. Among other things the school district must also involve representatives of the entire community in the comprehensive school improvement planning process and continuously evaluate and update plans as necessary.

The First Amendment: Among other freedoms it guarantees that free speech, peaceful protest at appropriate times, and political expression are acceptable within schools and within limits.

The Fourteenth Amendment: The "Equal Protection Clause" in this Amendment forbids school districts from treating people differently. In essence, this is a fairness compact that says schools must provide equal opportunities and equal treatment.