Parent Involvement Strategies in Urban Middle & High Schools

The goal of this project is to prepare a protocol for documenting parent involvement strategies being used by urban districts and schools that serve large proportions of economically disadvantaged and minority students in the Northeast and Islands region. Increasing parental involvement is consistent with requirements of No Child Left Behind, yet remains a challenge, especially during three transitions when parent involvement often drops: first, as youth graduate from elementary to middle school; second, as students proceed from middle to high school; and, finally, as they advance from the first two years of high school to the final grades, where continued success is critical for graduation. Through interviews and a search of public records in nine districts, information on policies, practices, and program is being collected to inform decision makers about what strategies are being used and contribute to shared learning within the region.