Kennedy On The Keeping Parents And Communities Engaged Act
Press Release
KENNEDY ON THE KEEPING PARENTS AND COMMUNITES ENGAGED ACT
Today, April 13, 2007, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged (PACE) Act. By authorizing more than $260 million dollars of funding for each fiscal year from 2008 to 2012, this bill will provide schools with the means to become centers of their communities, better engage students and help them succeed.
The Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged Act amends Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) to expand parent and family involvement in schools, engage community partners in meeting the comprehensive needs of students, and address high dropout rates among at-risk children.
Senator Kennedy said, "Educators recognize - on the basis of social science and common experience - that parents' effective involvement is a critical element in children's academic and social development. Effective parental engagement, as well as community-based, integrated student services, often make the difference between the academic success and failure of students in school."
(As prepared for delivery)
Mr. President, I'm pleased today to introduce the Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged or Keeping PACE Act, to foster greater involvement of parents in their children's education, engage community partners in supporting the comprehensive learning needs of students in school, as well as to address our nation's high dropout rate.
It's clear that engaged parents can make a positive difference in students' achievement. Parents are their children's first teachers, and they have immense influence over their children's attitudes, focus, priorities and goals. Well-informed parents are more likely to be involved, to ask questions, to suggest constructive changes and to make a difference in their child's education. They deserve to know what their children are learning and being tested on, what their children's grades and assessment scores mean, and how assessment data may be used for improvement. Informed and engaged parents can help turn around struggling schools
We crafted the No Child Left Behind Act to recognize parents as full partners in their children's education. The Act includes essential requirements to develop parent involvement policies and programs, develop and release school report cards, and to establish a team of parents and community representatives to construct a plan to improve schools if they are identified as struggling. We should build on these important reforms. But in the upcoming reauthorization of the law, we must also explore new and innovative strategies to engage parents and communities in helping kids succeed in school.
Better coordination among parents, schools, and the community can also help create a network that enables and empowers students to take advantage of every opportunity to learn. That's particularly important for students needing the greatest help and attention in their learning and those who need more challenging schoolwork to keep them engaged and progressing, as well as students at risk of dropping out of school. Today, more than one million students who enter the ninth grade fail to receive a high school diploma four years later and approximately 7,000 students drop out of school every day. We've made great advances in recent years to improve the education of every student, but it remains clear that more must be done to respond to this challenge.
We must support and strengthen our elementary and secondary schools and do more to attend to the learning and non-academic needs of our most at-risk students, which make such a difference in how well they master their subjects. That means support for community programs to meet children's social, intellectual, emotional, and physical needs. It means making parent involvement a top priority, and offering support to schools to involve parents and families more effectively in their children's education, including postsecondary education planning.
The Keeping PACE Act will address these fundamental issues. This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to encourage and support parent, family, and community involvement in schools, to provide needed supports and services to children, and to ensure that schools are centers of communities.
Educators recognizeon the basis of abundant research and common experiencethat parental involvement is a critical element in children's academic and social development. Unfortunately, as noted in a recent report by Appleseed, too often, schools and districts continue to face challenges that impede efforts to effectively advance parental involvement. My bill enables States to award grants to local education agencies to assist schools in hiring and maintaining Parent and Community Outreach Coordinators. These coordinators will build critical partnerships among families, schools, and the community. They'll work with school principals, teachers, and staff to encourage parents to become more involved in their child's education and give them the tools necessary to become successful advocates for their children.
Last year, a Massachusetts pilot initiative placed 17 full-time Family and Community Outreach Coordinators in Boston Public Schools. The Coordinators were responsible for supporting families, teachers, and the community in a common effort to help students excel academically and socially.
Their efforts have worked. The Family and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Condon School in Boston, Massachusetts, has offered workshops for parents on middle school transition and math curriculum; coordinated parent participation on the School Climate Committeean anti-bullying initiative at the school; helped teachers and parents make connections for parent-teacher conferences; and brought in over 200 parents to participate in the fall open house, where some teachers reported having contact with over 80% of their students' families. The Coordinator has also leveraged donations to the school through the generosity of local businesses.
The success of the coordinators led the Boston School Committee to approve its budget for the next school year with the addition of fourteen more full-time Family and Community Outreach Coordinators. All together this means that almost 22% of Boston Public Schools will have a coordinator by September 2007-2008.
The director of the Harvard Family Research Project notes that many years of research confirm that "[n]ow is the time [for] action. The question we must ask is, in addition to quality schools, what non-school learning resources should we invest in and scale up to improve educational outcomes, narrow achievement gaps, and equip our children with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the complex and global 21st century."
The bill answers that question and responds directly to these needs by creating new grants for community-based organizations to work in partnership with schools to bring essential comprehensive and integrated services to children in need. These support services may include health care, counseling, social services, enrichment, mentorship, and tutoring - services that can often spell the difference between a dropout and a graduate.
Rather than giving teachers, counselors, and principals more to do as they address the non-classroom needs of students, every school should have a resource they can turn to for help with identifying student needs and leveraging community services to help all students succeed. We know that comprehensive, integrated supportive services increase graduation rates and improve student achievement. In one national report: 82% of tracked students improved their attendance in school; 86% of tracked students had fewer behavior incidents; 89% of tracked students had fewer suspensions. In addition, 98% of tracked students stayed in school and 85% of eligible seniors graduated. Students who are identified as needing these services, but do not receive them are more likely to drop out of school.
The Lucy Stone School in Boston, Massachusetts demonstrates the effectiveness of student supports on learning. The once failing school took action and focused on improving core learning skills, a broad array of enrichment activities and health and social supports. Lucy Stone is making strong progress. Students in Grades 3 and 4 are passing the literacy MCAS at rates well above the Boston Public School average percentages, and are approaching State averages. Grade 4 math MCAS passing rates are approaching Boston and State averages as well.
In other communities, diverse community partners have played an important role in providing accelerated learning and mentoring opportunities that have made all the difference for students.
For example, a comprehensive evaluation of nine schools in New England found that classroom participation in community service outdoor learning projects increased student engagement and retention of science knowledge. And the "Being Enthusiastic about Math and Science" (BEAMS) enrichment program at the Jefferson National Lab in Virginia, which serves 1,800 inner-city students and their teachers, has resulted in increased achievement and attendance rates, and a better understanding of academic subjects, careers and applications among participating students.
The National Commission on Service Learning found that mentorships and internships with caring adults in a workplace resulted in higher grade point averages and better attendance than for students who spend less time with adult mentors.
There is one particular organization that has a demonstrated track record in helping leverage the integrated services and supports that students need to succeed in school. Communities in Schools (CIS) is the nation's largest dropout prevention organization, and has a nearly 30-year track record of helping connect students, families and schools with supportive services to help them graduate and prepare for life. With affiliates operating in 27 states and the District of Columbia, Communities in Schools helps about 2 million students every year.
Community involvement means real help for children in need, and the evidence shows.
For instance:
In Georgia, CIS currently supports graduation coaches directly serving approximately 37,000 high school students who are at risk of dropping out.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, CIS stepped in to provide morning classes and afternoon activities for students whose parents had lost their social support systems after they were forced to relocate to Houston, Texas.
There are also countless individual stories of community-based integrated services making a difference. In Texas, CIS helped fourteen-year-old Yeana Carbajal, who born with cerebral palsy, to obtain proper medical attention and social services enabling her to return to school after hip surgery when her doctors had told her that would be impossible. Yeana is now back in school and thriving academically and socially.
Another student, who at 14 became the primary caregiver of a mother who eventually died with AIDS, overcame homelessness and became the first in her family to graduate high school. A turning point for her came when she participated in a career exploration program coordinated through the community-based program office at her school. She discovered her special talents in the culinary arts, and is now an honor student at Johnson and Wales University.
Finally, a growing body of educational research suggests that student achievement improves in environments where learning is a community value, and where schools have the ability to address a broad range of educational needs. Many school districts have gone even further to respond to this research, by establishing full-service community schools that directly involve parents, families, and the entire community in education.
The Keeping PACE Act also responds to this research by providing new avenues to establish and support full-service community schools. These efforts have wide-ranging positive impacts, including "better family functioning and parental involvement, healthy youth development and improved social behavior, improved academic achievement and learning outcomes, and enhanced community life." Two prominent researchers in the field further note, "In community schools [s]chools are transformed into much more than just a portfolio of programs and services. They become a powerful agent for change in the lives of young people and their families and improve the climate of the entire school."
This bill enables States to provide incentives to local education agencies that coordinate with mayors, community based organizations, for-profit organizations and other community partners to re-design and modernize their current school plans and facilities to better link students with community resources. School districts across the country are beginning to recognize the benefits of planning a school not only as an academic center for students, but also as a neighborhood center that serves the entire community. Designing schools from the onset to leverage integrated services to students helps meet multiple local needs such as educational, health, social service, and recreational needs.
It's time for America to make a real commitment, and give real opportunity and real fairness to address the comprehensive learning needs of children and families, guarantee a place for parents and families in schools, and provide real hope to our students most at-risk of dropping out. Engaging parents and communities in the success of students enrolled in our public schools is critical to the future and prosperity of our entire nation.
Mr. President, this bill is supported by fifteen organizations representing education communities. I ask unanimous consent that their letters of support be printed in the record.
The Keeping PACE Act:
Educators recognize - on the basis of social science and common experience - that parents' effective involvement is a critical element in children's academic and social development. Effective parental engagement, as well as community-based, integrated student services, often make the difference between the academic success and failure of students in school.
Our nation's dropout crisis is further exacerbated by a lack of coordinated and comprehensive services to engage and support students in their learning. Approximately 70 percent of students graduate from high school, and African-American and Hispanic students have a 55 percent chance or less of finishing high school with a regular diploma. Many communities offer a broad scope of services and support for children and youth, but fragmented delivery doesn't always ensure that services and community resources reach the students who need them the most.
The Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged Act amends Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) to expand parent and community involvement in schools, and to provide the integrated supports and comprehensive services children need to learn and stay in school.
Strengthens Parent Involvement in Schools
Authorizes $130 million to support Parent and Community Outreach Coordinators in Title I schools, to facilitate the participation of families and communities in the education of their children.
Builds partnerships and relationships between school staff, families, and community members, to increase parents' participation in the school environment and to develop and maintain activities focused on family engagement.
Ensures timely and consistent communication and engagement with parents, and especially limited English proficient and low-income families.
Supports a rigorous evaluation of family and community engagement in schools, based on criteria which include student achievement, student attendance rates, graduation rates, improvements in the school environment, and levels of participation in parent-school activities.
Connects Students to Comprehensive Supports and Community Resources
Authorizes $78 million to support community-based organizations (in partnership with schools) to deliver integrated student services designed to close the achievement gap and dramatically reduce the risk of students dropping out of school.
Provides for a needs assessment to identify comprehensive supports needed to promote the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of students to enhance their learning.
Delivers integrated services such as health and counseling; human services; dropout prevention; enrichment and accelerated learning; mentorships and tutoring; and other supports to better engage students in school and help them succeed.
Ensures an effective and cost-efficient delivery, connecting existing community resources with schools. Studies show that for every $100 of federal investment, community-based integrated services can help leverage an additional $82 of private funds.
Creates Schools as Centers of Communities
Authorizes $52 million in incentive grants to encourage the innovative use of schools as joint facilities to deliver, expand, and coordinate services for children and their communities.
Encourages the design and renovation of schools as Centers of Communities - in coordination with mayors, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and other community partners - to better address the comprehensive needs of students.
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