Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

Educational Partnerships and Family Involvement July 22, 2004

Jul 26, 2004

Educational Partnerships and Family Involvement
July 22, 2004

NEWS

Paige Hails Teachers at First-Ever National No Child Left Behind
Research-to-Practice Summit. U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige
welcomed
more than 150 teachers from every grade level, academic discipline and
nearly every state in the nation to the first-ever National
Research-to-Practice Teacher Summit.
www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/07/07202004.html


Teachers Hear Best Practices at Regional U.S. Department of Education
Workshop.
No Child Left Behind workshop helps teachers exchange best practices,
improve student achievement.
www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/07/07082004.html


Paige Hails 2004 Presidential Scholars. Remarks by Secretary Paige at
the
Presidential Scholars Medallion Ceremony.
www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2004/06/06212004.html


WHAT WORKS

What Works Clearinghouse Reports Released. Evidence of Effectiveness
Provided for Middle School Math Curricula and Peer-Assisted Learning
Interventions. www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/07/07012004.html


Innovative Education Practices Highlighted in New Booklet. Eight of
the
nation's highest-achieving charter schools are featured in the U.S.
Department of Education's new booklet Innovations in Education:
Successful
Charter Schools, which highlights promising practices in education,
Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced.
www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/06/06152004.html

"The Achiever" Newsletter. Read the latest on No Child Left Behind in
The
Achiever newsletter, published by the Office of Intergovernmental and
Interagency Affairs. www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/achiever/index.html


FUNDING
Maryland Receives $3.8 Million Grant to Develop High-Quality Charter
Schools. Charter school grants support states' efforts to plan, design
charter schools. www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/06/06222004.html


Ten Facts about K-12 Education Funding.
www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/10facts/10facts.pdf


TIPS FOR PARENTS

Your child may be eligible for free tutoring and other supplemental
academic
enrichment services. These services are called "supplemental
educational
services" in No Child Left Behind. This brochure explains what
supplemental
educational services are and where you can go for more information.

What Are Supplemental Educational Services?
The term "supplemental educational services" refers to extra help in
academic subjects, such as reading, language arts and mathematics,
provided
free-of-charge to certain students. These services are provided outside
the
regular school day-before or after school, on weekends or in the
summer.

Who Can Get These Services?
Generally, students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
and are
enrolled in Title I schools that have been placed on the state's "in
need of
improvement" list for two or more years are eligible to receive free
supplemental educational services.

How Will I Know If My Child Is Eligible?
Your school district will notify you if your child is eligible for
supplemental educational services. If you think your child may be
eligible,
but you have not been notified, check with your school principal, the
Title
I director in your school district, or a local community partner. See
the
last section of this brochure for contact information.

How Do I Find a Good Supplemental Educational Services Program for My
Child?
Your school district will give you a list of state-approved providers
offering supplemental educational services in your area. You must
choose
from this list. Different kinds of organizations may be on the list,
including: private educational providers; public schools; charter
schools;
private schools; school districts; community organizations (like boys'
and
girls' clubs); and faith-based organizations, such as churches,
synagogues
or mosques. Many providers will offer hands-on tutoring by trained
instructors. Others may offer computer-based instruction that your
child
can access through a computer in a school or community center. You can
ask
the school district to help you choose the best provider for your
child.

What Happens After I've Chosen a Provider of Supplemental Educational
Services?
You will meet with the provider and your school district staff to
discuss
and agree upon specific goals for your child; to set up a schedule for
services; and to decide how your child's progress will be measured.
Your
school district will pay for the supplemental educational services. If
you
have questions, do not hesitate to contact your school principal or the
Title I director in your child's school district.

Where Can I Get More Information?
To learn about supplemental educational services in your area, you may
contact
* Your local school district. Your school principal,
other
staff in your school or your district Title I director will be able to
help
you. The district phone number is usually listed in the blue pages of
the
local telephone directory; or
* Your local Parent Information and Resource Center,
which can
be found at www.pirc-info.net/pircs.asp

or
* The U.S. Department of Education, toll-free at
1-888-814-6252.

Finally, be sure to attend parent-teacher conferences, parent
organization
meetings and other events at your child's school. You can get a lot of
information, ideas and help from teachers as well as from other
parents.
*Taken from the newly released Extra Help for Student Success.
Call
toll-free 1-877-433-7827 to order a copy of the brochure while supplies
last, or visit
www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/suppservices/services.pdf
.
FOR MORE INFORMATION

To contact the Educational Partnerships and Family Involvement Unit,
Office
of Intergovernmental Affairs, call (202) 401-0056. To be added or
removed
from the distribution list, visit
www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/partnership.html
or e-mail
Linda.Cuffey@ed.gov .