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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“There has been notable progress in Hispanic educational achievement, and it is due to the efforts of these Bright Spots in Hispanic Education, programs and organizations working throughout the country to help Hispanic students reach their full potential,” said Alejandra Ceja, Executive Director of the White House Initiative.

To learn more about the Initiative and to view the Bright Spots in Hispanic Education national online catalog visit www.ed.gov/HispanicInitiative.

For Katherine Del Monte, the director of the Project and publisher of Lectura Books, the national recognition “is a testament to all the parents who attended the weekly program, the dedicated teachers who taught the program over years, and the district leaders who provided support for staff. It speaks loudly and clearly about the investment that everyone makes day in and day out to improve the lives of children and families in our school systems across America. Everyone involved with the Project deserves this wonderful accolade.”

The whole aim of The Latino Family Literacy Project is to prepare teachers for successful parent involvement with Spanish-speaking parents in their schools. As Del Monte notes, schools “need to provide a foundation for family literacy that compliments Hispanic parents and helps teachers understand the acculturation process.”

That means helping teachers understand how socioeconomic influences affect education, how to meet parents at their knowledge level, and how to work with diverse language and literacy skills in one classroom of parents and their children. At the end of the Project’s workshops, teachers leave with a renewed understanding of parent involvement and with a stronger sense of cultural competency as an organic component of engagement with Hispanic families. They are also equipped with a specific step-by-step curriculum for use with Spanish-speaking parents. For these reasons and the tremendous outcomes, The Latino Family Literacy Project is a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education in the United States.

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