Overview addresses providing resource centers, parent support programs, or other services to provide parents/families with access to needed resources.

Framework addresses providing resource centers, parent support programs, or other services to provide parents/families with access to needed resources.

A school district may utilize up to two days allowed by law for teachers’ institutes to conduct parental institutes for the parents and guardians of children attending the district. No district may utilize teachers’ institute days as parental institute days without the consent of the district’s inservice advisory committee created under Section 3-11. If a district does not have an inservice advisory committee, parental institute days must be approved by the district’s teaching staff. Parental institutes shall be designed by the school district upon consultation with the district’s teaching staff, administrators, and parents’ organizations. The district may provide appropriate personnel, including district staff, to conduct, attend, or participate in all or any portion of the institutes. Parental institutes shall provide information on such topics as the district shall deem necessary to achieve the following purposes:

• (1) Enhance parental involvement in the education of the district’s students;
• (2) Improve parental communication and involvement with the district;
• (3) Enhance parental knowledge of child development, district programs, school conditions, and societal problems threatening students; and
• (4) Improve parental skill development.

Districts shall use every means available to inform parents and guardians about parental institutes and to encourage attendance at and active participation in such events. Parental institutes may be held during that period of the day which is not part of the regular school day and may be held on Saturdays. Days scheduled for parental institutes may be scheduled separately for different grade levels and different attendance centers of the district. Districts may establish reasonable fees, not to exceed the cost of holding parental institutes, for attendance and shall waive any fees so established for any parents or guardians who may be unable to afford such fees. Nothing shall preclude districts from applying for or accepting private funds to conduct parental institutes.

Site provides information on legal or advocacy services for parents and families of children with disabilities, as well as information on parent training/information centers.