Assembly Bill A9983

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9983

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               May 2, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  RICHARDSON  -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a  parent
  awareness week in all school districts

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  hereby  finds  and
declares  that  a  child's  education  is a responsibility shared by the
school and family during the entire time the child spends in school; and
to support the goal of the schools to educate all students  effectively,
the  schools  and  parents  must  work  as  informed  partners; and that
although parents are diverse in culture, language, and needs,  they  are
an  integral  component  of a school's ability to provide for the educa-
tional success of their children; and that engaging parents is essential
to improve student achievement;  and  that  schools  should  foster  and
support active parental involvement and awareness.
  S  2. The education law is amended by adding a new article 100 to read
as follows:
                               ARTICLE 100
                          PARENT AWARENESS WEEK
SECTION 4950. PARENT AWARENESS WEEK; ESTABLISHED.
        4951. UNIFORM PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM.
  S 4950. PARENT AWARENESS WEEK; ESTABLISHED. 1.  DURING THE FIRST  FIVE
DAYS  OF  EACH  SCHOOL YEAR, EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND EACH SCHOOL WITHIN
ITS BOUNDARIES, IN COLLABORATION WITH PARENTS, SHALL ESTABLISH A  PARENT
AWARENESS  WEEK  INCLUDING  PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES THAT ENHANCE PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT AND REFLECT THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND  THEIR  FAMI-
LIES.    THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A UNIFORM PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM FOR ALL PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  IN  THE  STATE  WHICH  WILL
PROVIDE THE MINIMUM STANDARDS THAT EACH SCHOOL MUST MEET.
  2. THE PARENT AWARENESS WEEK IN EACH SCHOOL SHALL:
  A.  INVOLVE  PARENTS  OF  STUDENTS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS IN A VARIETY OF
ROLES;
  B. BE COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED IN NATURE;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD08576-01-5

A. 9983                             2

  C. (1) RECOGNIZE THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL SHOULD  BE
REGULAR, TWO-WAY, AND MEANINGFUL.
  (2)  TO  ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS THE SCHOOL SHALL PREPARE
AN INFORMATIONAL PACKET TO BE DISTRIBUTED ANNUALLY TO THE PARENT, APPRO-
PRIATE FOR THE AGE AND GRADE OF THE CHILD DESCRIBING:
  (I) THE SCHOOL'S PARENT AWARENESS WEEK;
  (II) THE RECOMMENDED ROLE OF THE PARENT, STUDENT, TEACHER, AND SCHOOL;
  (III) WAYS FOR THE PARENTS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL AND HIS OR
HER CHILD'S EDUCATION INCLUDING HOW AND WHERE THE  PARENT  COULD  VOLUN-
TEER;
  (IV)  ACTIVITIES  PLANNED  THROUGHOUT  THE  SCHOOL  YEAR  TO ENCOURAGE
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT;
  (V) A SYSTEM TO  ALLOW  THE  PARENTS  TO  COMMUNICATE  IN  A  REGULAR,
TWO-WAY,  AND  MEANINGFUL MANNER WITH THE CHILD'S TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL.
  (3) TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS, THE SCHOOL SHALL SCHEDULE
NO LESS THAN TWO PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES PER SCHOOL YEAR.
  (4) THE SCHOOL MAY PLAN AND ENGAGE IN OTHER ACTIVITIES  DETERMINED  BY
THE SCHOOL TO BE BENEFICIAL TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS;
  D. PROMOTE AND SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE PARENTING.
  E.  (1)  ACKNOWLEDGE  THAT  PARENTS PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN ASSISTING
STUDENT LEARNING.
  (2) TO HELP PARENTS IN ASSISTING STUDENTS, THE SCHOOL SHALL:
  (I) SCHEDULE REGULAR "PARENTS  MAKE  THE  DIFFERENCE"  EVENINGS  WHERE
PARENTS  ARE  GIVEN  A REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE SCHOOL AND AN OVERVIEW
OF:
  (A) WHAT STUDENTS WILL BE LEARNING;
  (B) HOW STUDENTS WILL BE ASSESSED;
  (C) WHAT PARENTS SHOULD EXPECT FOR THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION; AND
  (D) HOW PARENTS CAN ASSIST AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS OR HER CHILD'S
EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT; AND
  (II) ENGAGE IN OTHER ACTIVITIES  DETERMINED  BY  THE  SCHOOL  TO  HELP
PARENTS ASSIST IN HIS OR HER CHILD'S LEARNING;
  F. WELCOME PARENTS IN THE SCHOOL AND SEEK PARENTAL SUPPORT AND ASSIST-
ANCE.
  G. (1) RECOGNIZE THAT A PARENT IS A FULL PARTNER IN THE DECISIONS THAT
AFFECT HIS OR HER CHILD AND FAMILY.
  (2)  TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE AS FULL PARTNERS IN THE DECI-
SIONS THAT AFFECT HIS OR HER CHILD AND FAMILY, THE SCHOOL SHALL:
  (I) INCLUDE IN THE SCHOOL'S POLICY HANDBOOK THE SCHOOL'S  PROCESS  FOR
RESOLVING  PARENTAL  CONCERNS, INCLUDING HOW TO DEFINE THE PROBLEM, WHOM
TO APPROACH FIRST, AND HOW TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS;
  (II) SPONSOR SEMINARS TO INFORM THE PARENTS OF  HIGH  SCHOOL  STUDENTS
ABOUT  HOW  TO  BE INVOLVED IN THE DECISIONS AFFECTING COURSE SELECTION,
CAREER PLANNING, AND PREPARATION FOR POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES; AND
  (III) ENGAGE IN OTHER  ACTIVITIES  THAT  THE  SCHOOL  DETERMINES  WILL
ENCOURAGE  PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE AS FULL PARTNERS IN THE DECISIONS THAT
AFFECT HIS OR HER CHILD AND FAMILY;
  H. (1) RECOGNIZE THAT COMMUNITY RESOURCES STRENGTHEN SCHOOL  PROGRAMS,
FAMILY PRACTICES, AND STUDENT LEARNING;
  (2) TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES THE SCHOOL SHALL:
  (I)  CONSIDER  RECRUITING  ALUMNI  FROM THE SCHOOL TO CREATE AN ALUMNI
SUPPORT ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE ADVICE AND GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOL  IMPROVE-
MENT;

A. 9983                             3

  (II)  ENGAGE  IN  OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT THE SCHOOL DETERMINES WILL USE
COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO STRENGTHEN SCHOOL PROGRAMS, FAMILY PRACTICES, AND
STUDENT LEARNING; AND
  I.  SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND REGULAR EVALUATION OF
THE PROGRAM TO INVOLVE PARENTS IN THE DECISIONS  AND  PRACTICES  OF  THE
SCHOOL  DISTRICT, USING TO THE DEGREE POSSIBLE, THE COMPONENTS LISTED IN
THIS SECTION.
  J. (1) THE SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL OF EACH SCHOOL IN  A  DISTRICT  SHALL
DESIGNATE  ONE  QUALIFIED  STAFF  MEMBER  THAT  IS WILLING TO SERVE AS A
PARENT FACILITATOR TO ORGANIZE MEANINGFUL TRAINING FOR STAFF AND PARENTS
PROMOTING AND ENCOURAGING A WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE TO PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
IN THE SCHOOL AND TO UNDERTAKE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT  PARENTAL  PARTIC-
IPATION IS RECOGNIZED AS AN ASSET TO THE SCHOOL.
  (2)  THE  QUALIFIED  STAFF  SERVING  AS  A  PARENTAL FACILITATOR SHALL
RECEIVE SUPPLEMENTAL PAY FOR THE ASSIGNED DUTIES AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
  S 4951.  UNIFORM PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL
DEVELOP  AND  IMPLEMENT A UNIFORM PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM THAT WILL
SET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS THAT EACH SCHOOL IN THE STATE  MUST  ADHERE
TO  WITH  REGARD  TO  THE  PROCESSES  FOR  HOW SCHOOLS REPORT AND NOTIFY
PARENTS OF STUDENTS' EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS, UNEXCUSED ABSENCES AND STAND-
ARDIZED TEST RESULTS.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.