3.01 Each public school district, in collaboration with parents, shall establish a parental involvement plan that establishes the district's expectations for parental involvement, and that includes programs and practices that enhance parental involvement and reflect the specific needs of students and their families. 3.01.1 Collaboration with parents may be accomplished through the coalition of parents and representatives of agencies, institutions, businesses and industries. 3.01.2 Annually by October 1, the public school district's parental involvement plan shall be: 3.01.2.1 Developed, or reviewed and updated by the public school district; 3.01.2.2 Posted to the website of the public school district; and 3.01.2.3 Filed with the Department's electronic filing process in electronic format, specifically in Microsoft Word (.doc or.docx), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), or Rich Text (.rtf) format. 3.01.2.4 Provided in a parent-friendly summary as a supplement to the student handbook. 3.01.2.4.1 The parent shall sign a form acknowledging receipt of the summary and return the signed form to the school where the student is enrolled. 3.02 Each public school, in collaboration with parents, shall establish a parental involvement plan that reflects the specific academic improvement needs of the school, and that includes programs and practices that enhance parental involvement and address the specific parent involvement needs of students and their families. 3.02.1 Collaboration with parents may be accomplished through the coalition of parents and representatives of agencies, institutions, businesses and industries required for development and implementation of the school-level. 3.02.2 The parental involvement plan shall be incorporated into the public school's improvement plan. 3.02.3 Annually by October 1, the public school's parental involvement plan shall be developed, or reviewed and updated by the public school. 3.02.4 Annually by October 1, the public school shall post to the website of the public school or public school district: 3.02.4.1 The public school's parental involvement plan; 3.02.4.2 A parent-friendly explanation of the public school's and public school district's parental involvement plans; 3.02.4.3 The informational packet required by Section 5.01.1; and 3.02.4.4 Contact information for the parent facilitator designated by the public school under Section 5.08 of these Rules. 3.03 A public school's parental involvement plan shall: 3.03.1 Involve parents of students at all grade levels in a variety of roles, including without limitation: 3.03.1.1 Involvement in the education of their children; 3.03.1.2 Volunteer activities; 3.03.1.3 Learning activities that support classroom instruction; 3.03.1.4 Participation in school decisions; 3.03.1.5 Collaboration with the community; 3.03.1.6 Development of school goals and priorities; and 3.03.1.7 Evaluating the effectiveness of the school-level improvement plan; 3.03.2 Be comprehensive and coordinated in nature; 3.03.3 Recognize that communication between home and school should be regular, two-way, and meaningful; 3.03.4 Promote and support responsible parenting; 3.03.5 Acknowledge that parents play an integral role in assisting student learning; 3.03.6 Welcome parents into the school and seek parental support and assistance; 3.03.7 Recognize that a parent is a full partner in the decisions that affect his or her child and family; 3.03.8 Recognize that community resources strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning; and 3.03.9 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.

5.01 To encourage communication with parents, each public school shall: 5.01.1 Prepare an informational packet to be distributed annually to the parent of each child in the school, appropriate for the age and grade of the child, describing in a parent-friendly manner: 5.01.1.1 The school's parental involvement program; 5.01.1.2 The recommended role of the parent, student, teacher, and school; 5.01.1.3 Ways for the parent to become involved in the school and his or her child's education; 5.01.1.4 A survey for the parent regarding his or her interests concerning volunteering at the school; 5.01.1.5 Activities planned throughout the school year to encourage parental involvement; and 5.01.1.6 A system to allow the parents and teachers to communicate in a regular, two-way, and meaningful manner with the child's teacher and the school principal; and 5.01.2 Schedule no fewer than two (2) parent-teacher conferences per school year. 5.01.2.1 The school may plan and engage in other activities determined by the school to be beneficial to encourage communication with parents. 5.02 To promote and support responsible parenting, each public school shall, as funds are available: 5.02.1 Purchase parenting books, magazines, and other informative material regarding responsible parenting through the school library, advertise the current selection, and give parents an opportunity to borrow the materials for review; 5.02.2 Create parent centers; and 5.02.3 Plan and engage in other activities determined by the school to be beneficial to promoting and supporting responsible parenting. 5.03 To help parents in assisting students, each public school shall: 5.03.1 Schedule regular parent involvement meetings at which parents are given a report on the state of the school and an overview of: 5.03.1.1 What students will be learning; 5.03.1.2 How students will be assessed; 5.03.1.3 What a parent should expect for his or her child's education; and 5.03.1.4 How a parent can assist and make a difference in his or her child's education; 5.03.2 Provide instruction to a parent on how to incorporate developmentally appropriate learning activities in the home environment, including without limitation: 5.03.2.1 Role play and demonstration by trained volunteers; 5.03.2.2 The use of and access to Department website tools for parents; 5.03.2.3 Assistance with nutritional meal planning and preparation; and 5.03.2.4 Other strategies or curricula developed or acquired by the school district for at-home parental instruction approved by the Department; and 5.03.3 Engage in other activities determined by the school to help a parent assist in his or her child's learning. 5.04 To welcome parents into the school, each public school shall: 5.04.1 Not have any school policies or procedures that would discourage a parent from visiting the school or from visiting a child's classrooms; 5.04.2 Encourage school staff to use the volunteer surveys to compile a volunteer resource book listing the interests and availability of volunteers so that school staff may: 5.04.2.1 Determine how frequently a volunteer would like to participate, including the option of just one (1) time per year; 5.04.2.2 Include options for those who are available to help at home; and 5.04.2.3 Help match school needs with volunteer interests; and 5.04.3 Engage in other activities determined by the school to welcome parents and families into the school. 5.05 To encourage a parent to participate as a full partner in the decisions that affect his or her child and family, each public school shall: 5.05.1 Include in the school's policy handbook the school's process for resolving parental concerns, including how to define a problem, whom to approach first, and how to develop solutions; 5.05.2 Sponsor seminars to inform the parents of students in grades nine (9) through twelve (12) about how to be involved in the decisions affecting course selection, career planning, and preparation for postsecondary opportunities; and 5.05.3 Engage in other activities that the school determines will encourage a parent to participate as a full partner in the decisions that affect his or her child and family. 5.06 Each public school shall investigate and, where feasible, utilize community resources in the instructional program of the school. 5.07 To take advantage of community resources, each public school shall: 5.07.1 Consider recruiting alumni from the school to create an alumni advisory commission to provide advice and guidance for school improvement; 5.07.2 Enable the formation of a Parent Teacher Association or organization that will foster parental and community involvement within the school; 5.07.2.1 Leaders of this organization shall be utilized in appropriate decisions affecting the children and families; and 5.07.3 Engage in other activities that the school determines will use community resources to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning. 5.08 The principal of each public school shall designate one (1) licensed staff member who is willing to serve as a parent facilitator to: 5.08.1 Help organize meaningful training for staff and parents; 5.08.2 Promote and encourage a welcoming atmosphere to foster parental involvement in the school; and 5.08.3 Undertake efforts to ensure that parental participation is recognized as an asset to the school. 5.08.4 The certified staff member serving as a parental facilitator shall receive supplemental pay for the assigned duties as required by law.

(a) The Human Services Workers in the Schools Program is established as a collaborative effort among the Division of Children and Family Services, the Arkansas Workforce Development Board, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, and local school districts. The Human Services Workers in the Schools Program is designed to help children and families by:

• (1) Promoting safety of children and strengthening of families;
• (2) Supporting the community's capacity to produce children who are healthy, children who are in supportive, nurturing, and healthy families, and children who succeed in school; and
• (3) Promoting the Division of Children and Family Services' family preservation philosophy and family-centered practice. (b) Upon approval of the board, the Division of Children and Family Services shall enter into contracts with local school districts to provide funding for the maximum number of human services workers. (c) A human services worker shall have a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in social work or a related field and shall provide the following services according to skills and training:
• (1) Crisis intervention;
• (2) School conferences and in-service training;
• (3) Home visits;
• (4) Transportation for family and student group counseling;
• (5) Parent training and activities;
• (6) Supportive service referrals;
• (7) Individualized coping and conflict management skills; and
• (8) Assessment of family and student needs. (d)
• (1) Funding for human services workers shall be targeted to schools with eighty percent (80%) or more of their children eligible for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program under the National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1751 et seq.

(4)

• (A) Promote and support responsible parenting.
• (B) To promote and support responsible parenting, the school shall, as funds are available:
  • (i) Purchase parenting books, magazines, and other informative material regarding responsible parenting through the school library, advertise the current selection, and give parents an opportunity to borrow the materials for review;
  • (ii) Create parent centers; and
  • (iii) Plan and engage in other activities determined by the school to be beneficial to promoting and supporting responsible parenting;

(7) (A) The purpose of the penalty set forth in this subsection is to impress upon the parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis the importance of school or adult education attendance, and the penalty is not to be used primarily as a source of revenue. (B)

• (i) When assessing penalties, the court shall be aware of any available programs designed to improve the parent-child relationship or parenting skills.

(C) (i) (b) School districts shall expend funds allocated under this subdivision (b)(4) for the programs or purposes on the State Board of Education's list of approved programs and purposes for which funds allocated under this subdivision (b)(4) may be expended, including without limitation: (5) Parent education.