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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Frank Burns |
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House passes Burns bill to encourage parental involvement
HARRISBURG, March 15 – The state House today passed legislation (H.B. 705) introduced by state Rep. Frank Burns that would require all school districts in Pennsylvania to establish parent involvement programs, policies and committees.
"Students who have parents actively involved in their education have better test scores, better grades and improved long-term academic achievement," said Burns, D-Cambria/Somerset. "Parental involvement is also positively associated with higher attendance rates and lower suspension rates."
Currently, there are no state laws requiring school districts to have a parental involvement program or policy. However, the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to adopt parent involvement programs and policies, and to integrate such programming into school activities.
Burns said his legislation would have local school boards identify and provide resources and materials to parents that could be used at home to help improve academic achievement. The bill would require school districts to set up a districtwide system of communicating with parents, and for allowing parents to communicate with the school district, including making recommendations to the school board.
The bill also calls for each school district to develop a formal parental involvement policy that would state the goals and objectives for parent involvement in the district's schools, identify strategies to meet those goals, and explain the resources available through the parent involvement program. The legislation would also require school districts to create a committee of parents to advise the school board on the parental involvement program and policy.
Finally, school boards would be required to publish their parental involvement policy on the school district Web site and submit the information to the state Department of Education.
School districts that already have operating parental involvement programs would be allowed to continue those programs under H.B. 705.
The legislation now goes to the Senate for consideration.
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