The framework, developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood, and Early Childhood Funder Collaborative, provides a shared understanding and guidance on example strategies, policies, programs, and practices to increase family engagement in early childhood programs, schools, and after school programs at the state and local levels.

(f) Not later than September 1, 1998, each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies and procedures to encourage parent-teacher communication. These policies and procedures may include monthly newsletters, required regular contact with all parents, flexible parent-teacher conferences, drop-in hours for parents, home visits and the use of technology such as homework hot lines to allow parents to check on their children’s assignments and students to get assistance if needed. For the school year commencing July 1, 2010, and each school year thereafter, such policies and procedures shall require the district to conduct two flexible parent-teacher conferences for each school year.

(d) The school governance council shall have the following responsibilities: (1) Analyzing school achievement data and school needs relative to the improvement plan for the school prepared pursuant to this section; (2) reviewing the fiscal objectives of the draft budget for the school and providing advice to the principal of the school before such school’s budget is submitted to the superintendent of schools for the district; (3) participating in the hiring process for the school principal or other administrators of the school by conducting interviews of candidates and reporting on such interviews to the superintendent of schools for the school district and the local and regional board of education; (4) assisting the principal of the school in making programmatic and operational changes for improving the school’s achievement, including program changes, adjusting school hours and days of operation, and enrollment goals for the school; (5) working with the school administration to develop and approve a school compact for parents, legal guardians and students that includes an outline of the criteria and responsibilities for enrollment and school membership consistent with the school’s goals and academic focus, and the ways that parents and school personnel can build a partnership to improve student learning; (6) developing and approving a written parent involvement policy that outlines the role of parents and legal guardians in the school; (7) utilizing records relating to information about parents and guardians of students maintained by the local or regional board of education for the sole purpose of the election described in subsection (b) of this section. Such information shall be confidential and shall only be disclosed as provided in this subdivision and shall not be further disclosed; and (8) if the council determines it necessary and subject to the provisions of subsection (i) of this section recommending reconstitution of the school in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) of this section.

(b) The State Board of Education shall develop a program to encourage local and regional boards of education to develop and implement plans to involve parents of students in the educational process in that district and to increase community involvement in the schools. The local programs shall include, but not be limited to, providing regular contact with all parents, including opportunities for parents to meet with their children’s instructors for the purpose of reviewing the curriculum of their child’s program, and developing strategies for parents to actively assist in the educational process. Such local programs shall also include the development of written materials designed to familiarize parents with their child’s curriculum and to detail specific activities parents and students may undertake together to enrich the child’s education experience and development. The State Board of Education shall develop such program on or before July 1, 1998, and shall immediately distribute the materials explaining the program to all local and regional boards of education.

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop a five-year implementation plan with appropriate goals and strategies to achieve resource equity and equality of opportunity, increase student achievement, reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation, improve effective instruction and encourage greater parental and community involvement in all public schools of the state. The implementation plan shall: (1) Include methods for significantly reducing over a five-year period any disparities among school districts in terms of resources, staff, programs and curriculum, student achievement and community involvement that negatively impact student learning, (2) provide for monitoring by the Department of Education of the progress made in reducing such disparities, and (3) include proposals for minority staff recruitment, including but not limited to, alternative certification, mentoring programs, involvement of the community-technical colleges and efforts by regional educational service centers.