Involvement Under No Child Left Behind

A recent study by the public interest law network Appleseed, based in the District, found many flaws in the way schools deal with parents under the No Child Left Behind law. The report, "It Takes a Parent," reached five conclusions.

1. Too many parents don't receive clear and timely information about their children and their schools. Parents told Appleseed that some test scores they received were incomprehensible. Often the data did not reach them until the new school year, hindering efforts to improve.

2. Poverty, limited English proficiency, varying cultural expectations and family mobility are among the biggest barriers to parent involvement . Many low-income and minority parents said they don't feel welcome at their children's schools. Some had difficulty with language; others had little time for school meetings.

3. Communication barriers often leave parents in the dark about their options under the law . Many parents said they did not know that they could transfer their children to higher-performing schools or get free after-school tutoring if their school did not meet standards.

4. Creative communication and engagement strategies can promote parent involvement. Information sent home with children often gets lost, parents said. Many preferred the automated telephone messages that more schools are using.

5. School districts that fail to maximize parent involvement could jeopardize their efforts to help students reach their potential . Many officials admitted they did not pay much attention to informing parents about the law. Some said they did not know exactly how they spent the money allotted by the federal government for involving parents.

-- Jay Mathews