(1) The general assembly hereby finds that:

• (a) Although education reform efforts are ongoing at both the state and local levels, Colorado continues to experience an unacceptably high dropout rate, inequalities in the academic achievement levels of students from different racial and socioeconomic groups, and low rates of enrollment and persistence in postsecondary education;

• (b) To accomplish the goals of reducing the dropout rate, reducing the gaps in academic achievement and growth among student groups, and increasing the number of students who continue into higher education following high school graduation or completion, the state must look to additional strategies for improving public education;

• (c) Studies show that, when parents are involved as partners with their children's schools, students achieve higher levels of academic performance, students demonstrate better attendance and homework completion, and students are less likely to dropout of school;

• (d) Students from diverse cultural backgrounds tend to perform better academically when their parents and the professionals at their schools collaborate to bridge the gap between the culture at home and that at the school; and

• (e) Secondary students whose parents are involved with their schools make better transitions into postsecondary education, maintain the quality of their academic work, and are more like to develop realistic plans for their futures.

(2) The general assembly therefore finds that it is in the best interests of the state to create a state advisory council for parent involvement in education that will review best practices and recommend to policy makers and educators strategies to increase parent involvement in public education, thereby helping to improve the quality of public education and raise the level of students' academic achievement throughout the state.

As used in this part 3, unless the context otherwise requires:

• (1) "Charter school" means a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title or a charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title.

• (2) "Close the achievement and growth gap" means to lessen the variance in academic achievement and growth among student groups, as reflected in state assessment scores, in the scores achieved on the curriculum-based, achievement college entrance exam, and in calculations of students' longitudinal academic growth, by improving the academic achievement and growth of students in those groups that are underperforming.

• (3) "Council" means the Colorado state advisory council for parent involvement in education created in section 22-7-303.

• (4) "Department" means the department of education created and existing pursuant to section 24-1-115, C.R.S.

• (5) "National Standard for family-school partnerships" means the following research-based Standard for family-school partnerships recognized nationally by parent teacher associations:

• (a) Families are active participants in the life of the school and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in the classroom;

• (b) Families and school staff engage in regular, meaningful communication about student learning;

• (c) Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students' learning and healthy development both at home and at school and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to provide said support effectively;

• (d) Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success;

• (e) Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs; and

• (f) Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

(6) "Parent" means a child's biological parent, adoptive parent, or legal guardian or another adult person recognized by the child's school as the child's primary caregiver.

(7) "Parent education program" means a program to teach parents strategies and skills for working with their children and the staff of the schools and institutions of higher education in which their children are enrolled.

(8) "Parent involvement grant program" means the parent involvement in education grant program created in section 22-7-305.

(9) "School-based parent information resource center" means a center that provides to parents information on education opportunities for their children, training for parents and families on education issues, and other support services that may be available to parents, such as mental health services, social services, and housing referrals.

(10) "State board" means the state board of education created and existing pursuant to section 1 of article IX of the state constitution.

(11) "Student populations that are significantly represented in the state" means student populations that each constitute at least ten percent of the total population of students in the state, which student populations may include, but need not be limited to, the student populations described in section 22-11-301 (3).

(1) There is hereby created within the department of education the Colorado state advisory council for parent involvement in education. The council shall consist of members appointed as provided in this section and shall have the powers and duties specified in this part 3. The council shall exercise its powers and perform its duties and functions under the department, the commissioner of education, and the state board of education as if the same were transferred to the department by a type 2 transfer as defined in the "Administrative Organization Act of 1968", article 1 of title 24, C.R.S.

(2) The council shall consist of the following members:

• (a) The following members appointed by the state board:

• (I) One person from each congressional district who is a parent of a child enrolled in a publicly funded preschool program, in any of grades kindergarten through twelve, or in a state-supported institution of higher education. Four of the members appointed pursuant to this subsection (2)(a)(I) must be members of a school accountability committee or a school district accountability committee. In making the appointments pursuant to this subsection (2)(a)(I), the state board shall consider the student populations that are significantly represented in the state.

• (II) A representative from each of two state-based nonprofit organizations that specialize in promoting the involvement of parents of traditionally underserved populations;

• (III) A representative from a nonprofit organization that specializes in promoting the involvement of parents of students with disabilities;

• (IV) A representative from a nonprofit organization that partners with funding providers, state agencies, and service providers to assist organizations in providing services to improve the health and well-being of families and children;

• (V) A representative of a statewide organization of parents and teachers;

• (VI) Repealed.

• (VII) A representative of a statewide organization that represents school executives;

• (VIII) A representative of a statewide organization that represents members of school district boards of education;

• (IX) A representative of a statewide organization that represents teachers;

• (X) A representative of a statewide organization that represents charter schools;

• (XI) A representative of a statewide organization that represents career and college guidance counselors; and

• (XII) Repealed.

• (XIII) A person with expertise in early childhood care and education;

• (b) One or more representatives from the department of education, appointed by the commissioner of education, with expertise in the following areas:

• (I) Strategies to close the achievement and growth gap;

• (II) The program for the education of migrant children described in article 23 of this title;

• (III) The English language proficiency program described in article 24 of this title;

• (IV) Federal title I programs;

• (V) The education of exceptional children, as defined in section 22-20-103 (12); and

• (VI) The family literacy education grant program created in section 22-2-124;

• (c) Two persons appointed by the executive director of the department of higher education; and

• (d) A representative of the department of human services appointed by the executive director of said department.

(3) (a) A person may not be appointed to fill more than one of the member positions required in subsection (2) of this section in a single term. Each appointing authority shall make its initial appointments on or before October 1, 2009. Each member of the council shall serve at the pleasure of the member's appointing authority. The appropriate appointing authority shall fill any vacancies arising during a member's term on the council.

• (b) The state board, in appointing members to the council, shall, to the extent practicable, select persons who will reflect the gender balance and ethnic and racial diversity of the state and will provide representation from throughout the state.

(4) The council members appointed pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section shall serve three-year terms; except that, of the persons initially appointed, the state board shall select four who shall serve initial terms of one year and four who shall serve initial terms of two years.

(5) The state board shall call the first meeting of the council to be held no later than November 15, 2009. At its first meeting, and annually thereafter, the council shall select from among its members a person to serve as chair of the council. The council shall meet upon call of the chair as often as necessary to accomplish its duties as specified in this part 3. (6) The council members shall serve without compensation but may receive reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties pursuant to this part 3, including but not limited to expenses incurred in providing a regional training program pursuant to section 22-7-304 (3).

(1) The council shall inform, at a minimum, the early childhood councils, public schools, school districts, the state charter school institute, the department, the state board, the department of higher education, the Colorado commission on higher education, and the governing boards for the state institutions of higher education concerning best practices and strategies, aligned with the national Standard for family-school partnerships, for increasing parent involvement in public education and promoting family and school partnerships, including but not limited to best practices and strategies in the following areas:

• (a) Creating and implementing programs to effectively involve parents in improving their children's education and levels of academic achievement. To identify these best practices and strategies, the council shall review the programs implemented in other states and the results of state and national research conducted in this area.

• (b) Involving parents in programs to raise academic achievement, increase high school graduation rates, decrease student dropout rates, and close the achievement and growth gap;

• (c) Involving parents in response to intervention programs in public schools and school districts;

• (d) Involving parents in programs to raise academic achievement, improve the persistence rate, and improve the on-time graduation rate of students enrolled in institutions of higher education;

• (e) Increasing parent involvement in education-related committees at the local and state levels;

• (f) Designing and implementing parent education programs and centers and parent leadership training programs;

• (g) Creating and implementing family-to-school liaison positions; and

• (h) Establishing and implementing school-based parent information resource centers.

(2) The council shall recommend to the state board and to the Colorado commission on higher education plans for statewide parent involvement initiatives, which may include, but need not be limited to:

• (a) Requiring each school district and the state charter school institute, as part of the accreditation process, to increase the level of parent involvement in education; and

• (b) Initiatives to increase admissions to institutions of higher education and the degree-completion rate and to reduce the need for remediation.

(3) (a) The council shall provide training and other resources designed to help the school district accountability committees and school accountability committees increase the level of parent engagement with the public schools and with school districts, including increasing the number of parents serving on school district accountability committees and school accountability committees.

• (b) The council shall work with the department to provide regional training programs for school district accountability committees and school accountability committees. At a minimum, the training programs must address parent leadership and increasing parent engagement with school district accountability committees and school accountability committees, including best practices for parent engagement with school district accountability committees and school accountability committees.

• (c) The council shall work with the department to provide regional training programs for school districts and charter schools concerning best practices and skills for district and school personnel in working with parents.

(4) The council, in consultation with the department of education and the department of higher education, shall identify key indicators of successful parent engagement in education and use the indicators to develop recommendations for methods by which the department of education and the department of higher education may measure and monitor the level of parent engagement with elementary and secondary public schools and with institutions of higher education in Colorado.

(5) On or before December 31, 2013, and on or before December 31 each year thereafter, the council shall report to the state board, the Colorado commission on higher education, and the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, the council's progress in promoting parent engagement in the state and in fulfilling the duties specified in this section.

(1) (a) There is hereby created in the department the parent involvement in education grant program to provide moneys to assist public schools in creating and implementing programs to support greater parent involvement in the schools. The council shall assist the department in implementing the parent involvement grant program as provided in this section and shall provide advice to recipient schools to assist them in creating and implementing programs to ensure that the programs reflect the best practices identified by the council pursuant to section 22-7-304. ...

• (c) The programs that a recipient school may fund with grant moneys received through the parent involvement grant program shall include, but need not be limited to, programs to establish:

• (I) Family-to-school liaison positions;

• (II) Parent leadership training opportunities;

• (III) Centers to provide parent education programs; and

• (IV) School-based parent information resource centers.

"Encourage local school systems to establish parent involvement advisory groups to advise their local boards of education on parent involvement concerns, practices, and research."

Framework for parental engagement