In December of 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the latest update to federal education law and a bipartisan bill that aims to repair “the overuse of standardized tests and one-size-fits all mandates” and to empower “states and school districts to develop their own strategies for improvement.” One provision of ESSA which could potentially create powerful change for some underserved populations is that in 2017-18, states can award up to 3 percent of their Title I funds to districts for providing direct student services (Title 1 provides funding to schools with high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families). Direct Student Services (DSS) come in a diverse range of forms and applications, ranging from personalized tutoring to expanded technology access to broader advanced class offerings and credit-recovery programs for students who are struggling. According to Ed Excellence, based on 2017 estimates, the DSS funding from Title 1 “ranges from just over $1 million in Wyoming to over $54 million in California.”

Chiefs for Change is a non-profit network of state and district education leaders which campaigns for student and family centered education policies and reforms, such as increased parental choice. Chiefs for Change created a helpful policy brief on this provision of ESS. The brief shares that there are six basic steps for schools to take when they want to implement DSS using Title 1 funds: the state consults with school districts, the state develops a local application, the state awards competitive grants to districts, the districts choose the specific types of DSS they need to and will offer, the districts identify eligible providers, the families of eligible students choose DSS services, and the states and districts provide oversight. Education Post shares in an article that ESSA “gives states the ability to set meaningful, performance-based criteria for programs, ensure coordination, and leverage broader state initiatives.” States will have to prioritize schools that are in high need of intervention. Districts will choose whether to apply for the funds and how to spend them, with state guidance.

The fact that parents and families can choose the services that best aid their student is an empowering attribute of this program for families of struggling or underserved students. Their students will have access to increased personalized learning opportunities, career and technical education (CTE) courses, and AP courses, offered online, in-person, and through blended courses.

The Latino Family Literacy Project specializes in dealing with students from low income families. If you’re interested in implementing a student-parent program at your school, check out our website. We offer both in-person workshops and online training.

Socorro ISD has implemented The Latino Family Literacy Project at their school and has reaped great benefits from the program. Here is a testimonial video from them showing the success they had with the parent programs.

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Under Title I of the ESSA, federal funding is allocated to school districts around the country based on enrollment rates of children living below the poverty line and participating in free or reduced meal programs. As part of the statute, 1% of this funding is mandated towards promoting parent and family engagement through training school staff in engagement methods, developing programs aimed at the home, distributing best practices data on engagement activities with a particular aim toward disadvantaged families, and providing subgrants to schools that collaborate with organizations or businesses with a proven track record in positive family engagement in the community. In addition, by law, parents and/or guardians of low-income children are required to be given an opportunity to provide input as to how Title I funds are spent.

Title IV is another funding component of the ESSA dedicated to parent and family engagement by which federal grants are allocated to organizations throughout the state that are dedicated to establishing family engagement centers. These centers are designed for the purposes of developing engagement policies as well as assisting parents and family members to understand and participate in these policies geared toward eliminating existing barriers to successful, positive family engagement with students and promote achievement in student learning. These mandates are some of the most supportive and reassuring steps taken toward keeping the importance of parent and family engagement at the forefront of education.

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Parent Involvement and the New Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has important family and parent involvement provisions embedded in the reauthorization by Congress. As Michele Brooks, a former assistant superintendent of family engagement for Boston Public Schools, writes on the Harvard Family Research Project site this emphasis on family involvement opens a window of opportunity.

As Books reports, this change in the policy environment is key to the continued evolution of parent and family involvement in schools. For example, a joint draft on family engagement prepared by both the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Health and Human Services is now out for public comment.

DOE has also released a framework for creating and maintaining a partnership between schools and parents. Called Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships, this document lays out a framework that helps support the development of the parent-school partnership.

The framework spells out seven important outcomes for parents and families, which set families up for academic success. Parents will be seen as:

• Supporters of their children’s learning and development
• Encouragers of an achievement identity, a positive self image, and a “can do” spirit in their children
• Monitors of their children’s time, behavior, boundaries and resources
• Models of lifelong learning and enthusiasm for education
• Advocates/Activists for improved learning opportunities for their children and at their schools
• Decision-makers/choosers of educational options for their children, the school, and community
• Collaborators with school staff and members of the community on issues of school improvement and reform

Brooks also discusses how districts are responding by establishing leadership positions focused on parent involvement. At this point, she writes, “105 districts nationally have identified people in their district who work on family and parent engagement and participate in the District Leaders Network on Family and Community Engagement, which is sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership.”

The window of opportunity is wide open at the moment and it’s up to school district leaders, principals, teachers, and parents to keep that window open. Programs such as The Latino Family Literacy Project help keep that window open with its focus on sustained parent involvement and family reading. See what districts are saying about The Latino Family Literacy Project and its focus on Parental Involvement.

Parent Involvement and the New Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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