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Government Agencies, Projects and Web Sites
Bilingual/LEP Website for Parents Navigating the Education System
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, http://www.YesICan.gov, is a bilingual website for parents and those working with parents. It helps parents navigate the education system from early childhood through college, including facts--and myths--about college costs and 20 questions to ask high school guidance counselors. Meet Pablo the Eagle and access Spanish translations of favorite bedtime stories.
Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
The goal of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is to break down existing barriers and empower faith-based and community groups, enlisting them in support of the Department's mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans.
This web site provides:
background about the Faith-Based and Community Initiative, information about grants from the U.S. Department of Education, announcements about upcoming conferences and workshops, grant writing tips, and partnership ideas.
From after-school programs to weekend computer labs, from early reading to family literacy, there are many opportunities for faith-based and community organizations to help ensure that no child is left behind.
For more information, go to their website at http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/index.html.
Early Reading First
Early Reading First aims to transform existing early childhood education programs into centers of excellence that provide high-quality, early education to young children, especially those from low-income families. The overall purpose of this U.S. Department of Education competitive grant program is to prepare young children to enter kindergarten with the necessary language, cognition, and early reading skills to prevent reading difficulties and ensure school success. Visit the U.S. Department of Education Early Reading First Web page at ( http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/earlyreading/ ).
English Language Acquisition (OELA)
The Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (formerly the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs) provides national leadership in providing high quality education for the nation’s population of English language learners (ELLs). OELA’s mission is to include various elements of school reform in programs designed to assist the language minority agenda. These include an emphasis on high academic standards, school accountability, professional development, family literacy, early reading and partnerships between parents and communities. To learn more about OELA, go to ( http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/index.html ).
Even Start
Even Start is an education program for the Nation's low-income families that is designed to improve the academic achievement of young children, especially in the area of reading. Even Start is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through formula grants to States that, in turn, make competitive discretionary grants to local education agencies and community-based organizations. For more information about the Even Start program, go to ( http://ed.gov/offices/OESE/SASA/evenstprogresp.html ).
Head Start
Head Start, begun in 1965, serves low-income children and their families through quality child development programs in urban and rural communities across the nation. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains an extensive website at ( http://www.headstartinfo.org ) that includes program and service information, performance standards and research, publications and information resources.
Migrant Education (OME)
The Office of Migrant Education (OME) administers grant programs that provide academic and supportive services to the children of migrant families. The programs are designed to help migrant children, who are uniquely affected by the combined effects of poverty, language and cultural barriers, and the migratory lifestyle, to meet the same challenging academic content and student academic standards that are expected of all children. To learn more about the OME, go to ( http://ed.gov/offices/OESE/OME ).
No Child Left Behind Database
Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) has created a No Child Left Behind database that shows each state's status across 40 indicators. The database uses a color-coded system that shows at a glance how far along every state is in meeting goals and requirements. The database can identify progress as well as problem areas. State indicators change frequently, so visit often to see what's new in your state. For more information, go to the website at http://nclb.ecs.org/nclb/.
Partnership for Family Involvement in Education (PFIE)
The Partnership for Family Involvement in Education (PFIE) represents thousands of partners joined together in a growing grassroots movement to support student learning according to high standards. Organized into four groups: Family-School Partners, Employers for Learning, Community Organizations, and Religious Groups, PFIE is a U.S. Department of Education initiative with a mission to increase opportunities for families to be more involved in their children's learning at school and at home and strengthen schools and improve student achievement levels. PFIE produces resources in English and Spanish that are available on their website at ( http://www.pfie.ed.gov ).
Partnership for Reading
The Partnership for Reading is a national reading research dissemination project authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The Partnership's mission is to make scientifically-based research more accessible to educators, parents, policymakers and others. One of its goals is …"To assist families in providing home environments that support children's learning to read…" Look for publications for parents at ( http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading ).
Reading First
Reading First is an ambitious national initiative to help every young child, K-grade 3, in every state become a successful reader. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, this effort is based on high expectations for what can and should happen for all students: that instructional decisions be guided by the best available research. Visit the U.S. Department of Education Reading First web page at ( http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/readingfirst/ ).
State Contact Lists
This website provides current, up to date lists of important government contacts, including Title I Coordinators and Even Start SEA contacts.
Student Achievement and School Accountability (SASA)
Student Achievement and School Accountability (SASA) Office supports systemic efforts to improve academic achievement in schools that serve low-income communities. This is accomplished primarily through the administration of programs under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, providing over $10.7 billion in FY 2002 to improve teaching and learning in the schools throughout the nation. The Office promotes accountability for improving student achievement by ensuring that States implement rigorous systems of standards, assessments, and accountability that motivate educators to assume responsibility for getting each and every student to achieve at high levels. To learn about SASA and Title I programs, go to the web site ( http://ed.gov/offices/OESE/SASA ).
Supplemental Educational Services Quality (SESQ) Center's Website, Tutors for Kids
Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, low-income children in public schools “in need of improvement” can receive free tutoring, also called supplemental educational services (SES). The SESQ Center helps families take advantage of this opportunity by working to increase the number of eligible children, receiving free tutoring; expand the number of quality tutoring services offered; and improve district, state, and national coordination of the program.
Tutorsforkids.org, a service of the SESQ Center, provides information and tools to help all stakeholders ensure that eligible children get the extra academic help they need.
For more information, go to Tutors for Kids website.The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Website
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 website is a dynamic resource collection of information about the new education law, provided by the U.S. Department of Education. This website ( http://www.nclb.gov ) is updated frequently and contains news and topical resources pertinent to the implementation of the new education law.
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Parent Page
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Parent Page is designed by the U.S. Department of Education just for parents and those who work with parents. Go to ( http://www.nclb.gov/parents ) for useful information and downloadable resources designed to help parents help their children learn and to become informed education consumers.
The Office of Special Education Programs
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) web page ( http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP ) lists information, research, resources, funding sources and publications, and products. The Office, part of the U.S. Department of Education, is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to states and local districts.
U.S. Charter Schools
Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. The length of time for which charters are granted varies, but most are granted for 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school's contract. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor-- usually a state or local school board-- to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract. The basic concept of charter schools is that they exercise increased autonomy in return for this accountability. They are accountable for both academic results and fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them, and the public that funds them. For more information, go to their website at http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/usc_docs/index.htm.
U.S. Department of Education
This website ( http://www.ed.gov/ ) is a prime portal for U.S. Department of Education information. Through this URL, you can access timely announcements from the U.S. Department of Education, including Departmental news, resources, funding opportunities, research and other aspects of federal support for education. You can also link to the No Child Left Behind page.
USDE Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII)
The Office of Innovation and Improvement leads the movement for greater parental options and information in education. The Office houses discretionary grant programs, including the Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) and coordinates the public school choice and supplemental education services provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Parent Organizations
Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO)
The Black Alliance for Educational Options, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national, non-profit membership organization, whose mission is to actively support parental choice to empower families and increase quality educational options for black children. BAEO announced its formation Aug. 24, 2000. BAEO supports a mix of educational options, including Supplementary Education Programs, Innovations in Traditional Public Schools, Home-Schooling, Public-Private Partnerships, Tuition Tax Credits, Privately Financed Scholarships, Vouchers and Charter Schools. For more information, contact its headquarters at 202-544-9870 or its website at http://www.baeo.org.
Family Involvement Network of Educators
The Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) is a national network of over 4,000 people who are interested in promoting strong partnerships between children's educators, their families, and their communities. FINE's membership is composed of faculty in higher education, school professionals, directors and trainers of community-based and national organizations, parent leaders, and graduate students.
Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation (GEO)
The GEO Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) 3 research and educational institution, was founded under the leadership of President Kevin Teasley in June 1998. It embraces all quality educational options that enable parents to help their children learn and schools to succeed. Through extensive community outreach, educational awareness programs, promotion of options that empower families and the creation of new options, the GEO Foundation strives to make educational choice a reality for all families, regardless of ethnicity or income. It supports all quality means of educating children including public, private, charter, religious, and home. GEO Foundation's staff work to help parents obtain the right to choose the educational option that is best for their child as well as to develop community understanding of school choice. Its philosophy is that by presenting parents with a menu of educational options including public, private, charter and home, it will strengthen all schools, creating excellent education for all children. GEO Foundation specializes in building community awareness, grassroots leadership and support for educational options. Addressing the needs of the entire country is nearly impossible for any single organization, and the best way to assist the national movement is to create positive examples at the local level. To this end, the GEO Foundation is promoting the national cause for market-based education reforms by perfecting its work at the local level in Indiana and Colorado. For more information, contact the Indianapolis headquarters at 317-524-3770 or online at http://www.geofoundation.org.
Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO)
The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO) was founded in the summer of 2001 when a group of ten Latinos from differing professional, political, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds met for the purpose of discussing the large educational achievement gap of Latino children. It's mission is to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children by empowering families through parental choice in education. Its purpose is to be a national voice for the right of Hispanic families to access all educational options and to be an agent for equity and quality in education. It is a 501-c-3, not-for-profit organization. Currently the Board of Trustees is made up of 8 people from diverse professional, political, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds. The organization is based in Washington, D.C. Hispanic CREO is forming local chapters beginning with Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas. For more information, phone its headquarters at 1-877-888-2736 or visit online at http://www.hcreo.org.
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE)
The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE) is a coalition of major education, community, public service, and advocacy organizations working to create meaningful family-school partnerships in every school in America. NCPIE promotes the involvement of parents and families in their children's education, and fosters relationships among home, school, and community to enhance the education of all our nation's young people. Every month, NCPIE posts information on its website ( http://www.ncpie.org ) about NCLB that is important for parents to understand.
National PTA
The National PTA ( http://www.pta.org ) is the largest volunteer organization in the country and is dedicated to providing a voice for all children and a relevant resource for parents in public education. Their website includes a wealth of information and parent materials, published in English and in Spanish.
School Information Partnership
The School Information Partnership is a public-private collaboration designed to empower parents, educators and policymakers to use the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) data to make informed decisions and improve school results. Standard & Poor's created the website which includes a suite of interactive analytical tools from Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services and the National Center for Educational Accountability's Just for the Kids. For schools, districts and states across the nation, the website will display available data required to be publicly reported under NCLB. This initiative is funded by The Broad Foundation and U.S. Department of Education.
Find this site at www.schoolresults.org and consider linking your website to this one.
Professional Associations
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) represents more than 1 million teachers and other education professionals. The AFT Parent Page ( http://www.aft.org/parentpage/index.html ) contains extensive information on academic standards, class size, communicating with school staff, homework, reading and topics, along with additional web resources for parents.
Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
The Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home-based parent involvement, school readiness program. It helps parents prepare their three-, four-, and five-year-old children for success in school and beyond. The two basic tenets of HIPPY are that all children can learn, and all parents want what's best for their children. Building on the basic bond between parents and children, the HIPPY program also strengthens the ties of families with their schools and communities. Parents, schools, and communities are unified around the common goal of helping children learn. Learn more about HIPPY through their web page at ( http://www.hippyusa.org ).
Magnet Schools of America
Magnet Schools of America welcomes individuals, schools and/or school districts to join us as we unite to:
* Promote goals of desegregation, equity, and excellence through the expansion and improvement of magnet schools
* Encourage the passage of legislation at both the state and national levels that will promote the development and improvement of magnet schools
* Explore and establish linkages with other professional groups with similar interests
* Promote networking among magnet schools
Additionally, Magnet Schools of America seeks to:
* Encourage America's businesses to become actively involved in magnet schools to support them both conceptually and financially
* Provide information for parents and community members on the benefits of magnet schools as SCHOOLS OF CHOICE
* Act as a national clearinghouse for information dissemination on magnet schools.
For more information, go to their website at http://www.magnet.edu.
National Association of State Title I Directors (NASTID)
The National Association of State Title I Directors (NASTID) supports state coordinators, directors, and managers of Title I programs. Title I is the largest federal elementary and secondary education aid program, that helps educators improve teaching and learning in economically disadvantaged communities. NASTID's website ( http://www.titlei.org/ ) contains resources for both parents and professionals.
National Education Association (NEA)
The National Education Association (NEA) is the nation's oldest and largest organization committed to public education, educators and students. Their website ( http://www.nea.org/parents ) highlights current research on parent involvement and provides a state-by-state of good news about public schools as well as educational challenges each state faces.
National Network of Partnership Schools
The National Network of Partnership Schools ( http://scov.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/p2000.html ) founded by Joyce L. Epstein, brings together schools, districts and states that are committed to developing and maintaining comprehensive programs of school-family-community partnerships. The Network provides a framework and technical assistance to members schools and publishes research findings and best practices in family involvement.
Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. (PATNC)
The Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. (PATNC) develops Parents as Teachers curricula, trains early childhood professionals, and certifies parent educators to work with parents to provide them with parenting support and information on their developing child. Participation is open to parents from all economic backgrounds, in both urban and rural settings. For more information, contact their web page at ( http://www.PATNC.org ).
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