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House Education
Committee Passes Rhoades Measure
HARRISBURG -- The
House Education Committee has overwhelmingly passed an important measure
authored by Senator James J. Rhoades (R-29) that establishes parent involvement
programs, parent involvement policies and parent involvement committees in each
of Pennsylvania's school districts.
"As Chairman of
the Senate Education Committee, I have worked to address the concerns parents
have for their children in our schools today," said Rhoades. "Parental and
family involvement is one issue that has been on the forefront of many community
agendas across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
The federal No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 creates a new system of academic accountability
for all states and school districts. As part of its design, the new law places
a premium on parent involvement and encourages school districts to more actively
involve parents in the education of their children.
The senator
said that Senate Bill 143 provides guidance to school districts in this regard,
by directing school districts to create parent involvement programs, policies
and committees. In addition, the legislation would direct the Department of
Education to establish a clearinghouse of information related to strategies,
resources and materials that can be used as part of parent involvement programs
and policies.
Rhoades cited
research that confirms that family involvement is a powerful influence on a
child's achievement and performance in school. If every parent of a child aged
1 through 9 spent one hour reading or working on schoolwork with his or her
child five days a week, American parents would annually devote at least 8.7
billion hours to support their children's learning.
Statistics have
also shown that many schools that make parental involvement a priority also see
student outcomes improve. When families actively participate in a child's
education, a child typically earns higher grades, attends school on a regular
basis and generally demonstrates a more positive attitude then those student who
do not have family support.
"Family
involvement can have a significant effect on student achievement. We must
assess family's needs and set clear and measurable objectives based on parent
and community input," said Rhoades. "Together, we can build a program that
emphasizes parents getting involved in their child's education, and providing
our local schools with the resources necessary to achieve this goal."
The measures now go to the full
House of Representatives for consideration.
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