New PA PIRC Brochure

We are pleased to report that PA PIRC has a new 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. 101.

 

 

PA ONE BOOK 2008

One Book, Every Young Child has chosen the children’s book “Up, Down, and Around” authored by Katherine Ayers and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott as the PA One Book for 2008. The book is a picture book appropriate for children ages 3 to 6 years.  Katherine Ayers will be traveling throughout Pennsylvania this spring making appearances at local libraries to read and promote One Book, Every Young Child in the state. This year is the third year for the project in Pennsylvania. A new book is chosen every year in an effort to provide children and families with quality literature for young children.  Opportunities to participate in the reading of the book by the author are a wonderful way to expose children to literature. A schedule of appearances and events can be found at the One Book web site:  www.paonebook.org along with parent activities and resources.  The Parent Activities provide a venue for families to extend activities around the story and find another way to experience literacy.

 

Winter 2007 Newsletter (English and Spanish)

PA PIRC is pleased to provide you with the Winter issue of the PA PIRC quarterly newsletter. This newsletter is intended to provide useful information to parents, educators and administrators. Each issue will contain information about early childhood education, No Child Left Behind, Family-School-Community Partnerships, dates of upcoming events and other pertinent information. Please share this newsletter with others.

• Download the English version of the Winter newsletter (PDF format)
• Download the Spanish version of the Winter newsletter (PDF format)

 

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.

 

 

Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center Receives Funding

Finding information on how to help your child succeed in school just got easier in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC), a statewide effort benefiting pre-school and school-age children and their parents, has been approved for funding from the U.S. Department of Education. Read the entire announcement.

 

 

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)