WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has introduced the bipartisan Family Engagement in Education Act (S. 622), aimed at helping schools and families work together to support learning and raise student achievement.  The legislation seeks to promote and strengthen meaningful family engagement policies and programs at the national, state, and local levels to ensure that all students are on track to be career and college-ready.

Research demonstrates that family engagement in a child’s education increases student achievement, improves attendance, and reduces dropout rates.  A study by Anne Seitsinger and Steven Brand at the University of Rhode Island’s Center for School Improvement and Educational Policy found that students whose parents support their education through learning activities at home and discuss the importance of education perform better in school.  And the importance of family engagement begins even before a child enters school.  For example, Scholastic’s recent Kids and Family Reading Report found that among children ages 6-11, 60 percent of frequent readers—those who read 5-7 days per week for fun—were read to aloud by a parent 5-7 times per week before they entered kindergarten.

Reed is joined by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in introducing the legislation.  Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA) has introduced the House companion to this bipartisan bill.

“The Family Engagement in Education Act represents the broad consensus among educators and education policy experts that we must do a better job of engaging families in all aspects of our children’s education.  Parents are our first teachers, and they continue to have a critical impact on child development long after formal schooling begins.  This legislation will help parents and teachers to work together more effectively as a team, because we know that learning doesn’t and shouldn’t stop when a student leaves the classroom at the end of the day,” said Reed.  “Increasing resources to strengthen parental involvement is a smart and effective strategy to improve the school community and our economy, which depends on a well-educated workforce.”

“It’s no secret that students strive harder and perform better when families are actively engaged in their education,” Senator Coons said.  “We can create a brighter future for our youth by ensuring that educators, community organizations, and family members have the resources they need to work together effectively.  This legislation will help more families become and remain a driving force in their children’s academic success.”

“Getting parents and other family members engaged in a child’s education can sometimes mean the difference between passing and failing,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “This legislation will provide local school districts with new tools and resources to ensure that parents and teachers are able to work together, while also sending a message to kids that we are all invested in their success.  I thank Senator Reed for his leadership on this issue.”

The Family Engagement in Education Act would empower parents by doubling school district resources dedicated to family engagement activities from one to two percent of the district’s Title I allocation from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  It will also improve the quality of family engagement practices at the school level by requiring school districts to develop and implement standards-based policies and practices for family-school partnerships.  In addition, the bill will build state and local capacity for effective family engagement in education by setting aside at least 0.3 percent of the state Title I allocation for statewide family engagement in education activities, such as establishing statewide family engagement centers to continue and enhance the work that has been supported through local Parent Information Resource Centers. 

For states with Title I-A allocations above $60 million, grants will be provided to at least one local family engagement in education center to provide innovative programming and services, such as leadership training and family literacy.  At the national level, the legislation will require the Secretary of Education to convene practitioners, researchers, and other experts in the field of family engagement in education to develop recommended metrics for measuring the quality and outcomes of family engagement in a child’s education.

The Family Engagement in Education Act builds on successful efforts by Reed in the last reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, to incorporate provisions throughout the law to strengthen and boost parental involvement.  This bill also echoes some of the goals of Reed’s CORE Act, which seeks to address inequities that undermine learning and help students bridge the achievement gap, in part by strengthening access to effective family and community engagement programs.

This bill was developed with input from the National Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group, which includes organizations such as the National PTA, United Way Worldwide, the Harvard Family Research Project, and the National Council of La Raza, and is endorsed by hundreds of local, state, and national organizations.

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