(A)  The State Department of Education shall develop a parental involvement program for use in elementary and secondary schools with grades four through eight. The purpose of the program is to improve parental participation in their child’s school progress, ensure a smooth transition between the various levels of schooling and phases of education, increase communication between the school, parent, and child, provide greater accountability between the parent, school, and child, and lessen the possibility on all levels that parents are only provided opportunity to react to problems involving their child after such problems occur. (B)  The parental involvement program should include such activities as regular visitation by parents to their child’s school, involving parents, teachers, and administrators in school training sessions on such issues as communication between the school, parent, and child, student discipline, importance of homework, the taking and understanding of standardized testing and test scores, and general literacy. (C)  Teachers shall maintain a record signed by the parent and teacher of parent conferences annually that identify the date, time, and response of parent/teacher conferences.

The Governor shall require state agencies that serve families and children to collaborate and establish networks with schools to heighten awareness of the importance of parental influence on the academic success of their children and to encourage and assist parents to become more involved in their children’s education.

The State Board of Education shall:

• (1)  require school and district long-range improvement plans required in Section 59-139-10 to include parental involvement goals, objectives, and an evaluation component;
• (2)  recognize districts and schools where parental involvement significantly increases beyond stated goals and objectives; and
• (3)  establish criteria for staff training on school initiatives and activities shown by research to increase parental involvement in their children’s education.

The State Superintendent of Education shall:

• (1) design parental involvement and best practices training programs in conjunction with higher education institutions and the pre-K through grade 12 education community, including parental program coordinators, which shall include:

• (a) practices that are responsive to racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity, and are appropriate to various grade-level needs;

• (b) establishment and maintenance of parent-friendly school settings;

• (c) awareness of community resources that strengthen families and assist students to succeed; and

• (d) other topics appropriate for fostering partnerships between parent and teacher;

• (2) work collaboratively with the Commission on Higher Education to incorporate parental involvement training into teacher preparation and principal preparation programs consistent with the training provided in subsection (1) of this section.

The State Superintendent of Education shall: (1)  promote parental involvement as a priority for all levels from pre-K through grade 12, with particular emphasis at the middle and high school levels where parental involvement is currently least visible; (2)  designate a Department of Education staff position whose specific role is to coordinate statewide initiatives to support school and district parental involvement; (3)  collect and disseminate to districts and schools practices shown by research to be effective in increasing parental involvement at all grade levels; (4)  provide parental involvement staff development training for district and school liaisons, as needed; (5)  provide technical assistance relating to parental involvement training to districts and schools; (6)  sponsor statewide conferences on best practices; (7)  identify, recommend, and implement ways to integrate programs and funding for maximum benefit to enhance parental involvement; (8)  enroll the Department of Education as a state member of national organizations which promote proven parental involvement frameworks, models, and practices and provide related services to state and local members; (9)  promote and encourage local school districts to join national parental involvement organizations; and (10)  monitor and evaluate parental involvement programs statewide by designing a statewide system which will determine program effectiveness and identify best practices and report evaluation findings and implications to the General Assembly, State Board of Education, and Education Oversight Committee.