Spring, 2010 Newsletter
PA PIRC is pleased to provide you with the Spring, 2010 issue of the PA PIRC quarterly newsletter. This newsletter is intended to provide useful information to parents, educators and administrators. This issue contains information about tips and useful information for parents, school educators, and community leaders about PSSA, parent involvement, school readiness, and education funding, dates of upcoming events and other pertinent information. Please share this newsletter with others.
Download the Spring issue (PDF format)
June 19, 2009 Parent Forum Video Now Online
In June 2009, PA PIRC and the Pennsylvania Department of Education brought together parents, practitioners and national experts in panel formats to discuss the nature of meaningful parent involvement.
Click here to view the videos of each panel discussion
Parent Involvement Month in Pennsylvania
PARENT INVOLVEMENT PROCLAMATION EVENT
On Tuesday, October 6, Governor Edward G. Rendell once again proclaimed October as “Parent Involvement Month” in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC) and its partners from across the Commonwealth gathered at the Capitol Rotunda to celebrate and acknowledge the many ways that family involvement supports children’s learning and academic achievement. The Pennsylvania House and Senate also introduced Resolutions that honor parent and family involvement.
Click here to watch the news clip and to read more.
Please Check Back!
Parents' Guide to Child Development and School Success
The Parents' Guide to Child Development and School Success is no longer available. The booklet is currently being revised by the PA PIRC. We expect the new guide to be available in time for the 2010-2011 school year. For ordering information contact the PA PIRC office at 717-763-1661 ext. 102 or via email: mweeks@csc.csiu.org
PA PIRC Brochure
We are pleased to report that PA PIRC has a descriptive brochure. The brochure describes the services provided to parents, schools and communities. One or more copies may be ordered by calling the PA PIRC office at 717-763-1661 ext. 102 or via email: mweeks@csc.csiu.org
Newest Publication from the Harvard Family Research Project
Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) has just released a new double issue of their periodical The Evaluation Exchange including a section highlighting PIRCs and their role as leaders in the family involvement field. The issue, titled "Building the Future of Family Involvement", examines the current state of and future directions for the family involvement field in research, policy, and practice. Featuring innovative initiatives, new evaluation approaches and findings, and interviews with field leaders, the issue is designed to spark conversation about where the field is today and where it needs to go in the future. Take a look at this publication as well as other resources from HFRP by going to Family Involvement and Publications and Resources.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind Flyer for Parents, School Staff and Community Representatives
The Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC) developed information about the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB) which includes its major principles, important elements, and roles and responsibilities for parents, school staff and community representatives. This flyer simply and succinctly outlines the requirements of NCLB as well as the responsibilities of schools and parents under the legislation. Read the text of the flyer and download the flyer.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Parent Involvement
The evidence is beyond dispute. When parents are actively involved in the education of their children, children do better in school and student achievement increases. A January, 2003 report from the National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement reveals that families make critical contributions to student achievement from pre-school through high school; when parents are involved at home, children do better and stay in school longer, and when a critical mass of parents is involved the whole school improves.
For the first time in history of federal education legislation, parent involvement is defined as the “participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring that parents (Title IX General Provisions, Part A Sec 9101):
- Play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning
- Are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education
- Are full partners in their child’s education
Reauthorization of No Child Left Behind
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act known as No Child Left Behind is beginning the reauthorization process. The links below list some of the calls for changes in the legislation:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
National Education Association’s (NEA)
Pennsylvania Association of Federal Program Coordinators (PAFPC)
Pregnant and new moms can get timely health information via FREE text messages from pregnancy through baby's first year.
From your cell phone, text BABY to 511411
(Envia BEBE al 511411 para Español) to sign up.
To learn more about how a baby's brain develops and what you can do to enrich a very young child's development check out the Brain Map.
The Brain Map was adapted in 2006 by ZERO TO THREE from BrainWonders, a collaborative project (1998-2001) between Boston University School of Medicine, Erikson Institute and ZERO TO THREE.
Looking for resources to help support military families? Two rich sources of information are:
The Zero to Three website section called Coming Together Around Military Families.
The official Department of Defense site for military families Military HOMEFRONT.