(a) Local educational agency policy

(1) In general

A local educational agency may receive funds under this part only if such agency implements programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in programs assisted under this part consistent with the provisions of this section. Such activities shall be planned and implemented with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

(2) Written policy

Each local educational agency that receives funds under this part shall develop jointly with, agree upon with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parent involvement policy that is incorporated into the local educational agency's plan developed under section 6312 of this title, establishes the expectations for parent involvement, and describes how the local educational agency will-

(A) involve parents in the joint development of the plan under section 6312
of this title, and the process of school review and improvement under section 6317 of this title;

(B) provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parent involvement;

(C) build the schools' and parents' capacity for strong parent involvement as described in subsection (e) of this section;

(D) coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies under this part with parental involvement strategies under other programs, such as Head Start, Even Start, the Parents as Teachers Program, the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, and State-run preschool programs;

(E) conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy developed under this section--

(i) to determine the effectiveness of the policy in increasing the participation of parents; and

(ii) to identify barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by this section, giving particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background; and

(F) use the findings of the evaluations described in subparagraph (E) in designing strategies for school improvement and revising, if necessary, the parental involvement policies described in this subsection and subsection (b)(1) of this section.

(3) Reservation

(A) Each local educational agency shall reserve not less than 1 percent of such agency's allocation under this part to carry out this section, including family literacy and parenting skills, except that this paragraph shall not apply if 1 percent of such agency's allocation under this part (other than funds allocated under section 6302(e) of this title) for the fiscal year for which the determination is made is $5,000 or less.

(B) Parents of children receiving services under this part shall be involved in the decisions regarding how funds reserved under subparagraph (A) are allotted for parental involvement activities.

(1) In general

Each school served under this part shall jointly develop with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parental involvement policy, agreed upon by such parents, that shall describe the means for carrying out the requirements of subsections (c) through (f) of this section. Such policy shall be updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.

(2) Special rule

If the school has a parental involvement policy that applies to all parents, such school may amend that policy, if necessary, to meet the requirements of this subsection.

(3) Amendment

If the local educational agency has a school district-level parental involvement policy that applies to all parents, such agency may amend that policy, if necessary, to meet the requirements of this subsection.

(4) Parental comments

If the plan under section 6312 of this title is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the local educational agency shall submit any parent comments with such plan when such local educational agency submits the plan to the State.

Each school served under this part shall--

(1) convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school's participation under this part and to explain this part, its requirements, and their right to be involved;

(2) offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement;

(3) involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the school parental involvement policy and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan under section 6314(b) of this title, except that if a school has in place a process for involving parents in the joint planning and design of its programs, the school may use that process, if such process includes an adequate representation of parents of participating children;

(4) provide parents of participating children--

(A) timely information about programs under this part;

(B) school performance profiles required under section 6317(a)(3) of this title and their child's individual student assessment results, including an interpretation of such results, as required under section 6311(b)(3)(H) of this title;

(C) a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet;

(D) opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions, share experiences with other parents, and participate as appropriate in decisions relating to the education of their children if such parents so desire; and

(E) timely responses to parents' suggestions under subparagraph (D); and

(5) if the schoolwide program plan under section 6314(b)(2) of this title is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency.

As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy developed under subsection (b) of this section, each school served under this part shall jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State's high standards. Such compact shall--

(1) describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under this part to meet the State's student performance standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children's learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and television watching; volunteering in their child's classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time; and

(2) address the importance of communication between teachers and parents on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum--

(A) parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child's achievement;

(B) frequent reports to parents on their children's progress; and

(C) reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class, and observation of classroom activities.

To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student achievement, each school and local educational agency--

(1) shall provide assistance to participating parents in such areas as understanding the National Education Goals, the State's content standards and State student performance standards, the provisions of section 6311(b)(8) of this title, State and local assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve the performance of their children as well as information on how parents can participate in decisions relating to the education of their children;

(2) shall provide materials and training, such as--

(A) coordinating necessary literacy training from other sources to help parents work with their children to improve their children's achievement;

(B) training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children's achievement;

(3) shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between home and school;

(4) shall coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool programs and other programs, to the extent feasible and appropriate;

(5) shall develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parent involvement activities, including providing information about opportunities for organizations and businesses to work with parents and schools, and encouraging the formation of partnerships between elementary, middle, and secondary schools and local businesses that include a role for parents;

(6) shall conduct other activities, as appropriate and feasible, such as parent resource centers and providing opportunities for parents to learn about child development and child rearing issues beginning at the birth of a child, that are designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their children;

(7) shall ensure, to the extent possible, that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the homes of participating children in the language used in such homes;

(8) may involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training in improving instruction and services to the children of such parents;

(9) may provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this part if the local educational agency has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for such activities;

(10) may pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions;

(11) may train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;

(12) may arrange meetings at a variety of times, such as in the mornings and evenings, in order to maximize the opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities;

(13) may arrange for teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, to conduct in-home conferences with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school;

(14) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement, such as Even Start; and

(15) shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request.

In carrying out the parental involvement requirements of this part, local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency or with disabilities, including providing information and school profiles in a language and form such parents understand.

(g) Parental information and resource centers

In States where parental information and resource centers have been established pursuant to section 5911 of this title (to provide training, information, and support to parents and individuals who work with parents), local educational agencies and schools receiving assistance under this part shall assist parents and parent organizations by informing such parents and organizations of the existence and purpose of such centers, providing such parents and organizations with a description of the services and programs provided by such centers, advising parents on how to use such centers, and helping parents to contact such centers.