Revised framework details strategies to be implemented by school districts to engage families to support literacy development

(4) Each plan shall provide for an Innovation Initiative, designed to encourage innovative and comprehensive approaches based on strategies identified in the research literature to be effective. The Innovation Initiative must be utilized by school districts to implement innovative approaches designed to improve student learning and accelerate the performance of all students. Funds may be expended on strategies in one or more of the following four categories:

• (a) new approaches to what and how students learn by changing schooling in ways that provide a creative, flexible, and challenging education for all students, especially for those at risk. Performance-based outcomes which support a pedagogy of thinking and active approaches for learning must be supported;
• (b) applying different teaching methods permitting professional educators at every level to focus on educational success for all students and on critical thinking skills and providing the necessary support for educational successes are encouraged;
• (c) redefining how schools operate resulting in the decentralization of authority to the school site and allowing those closest to the students the flexibility to design the most appropriate education location and practice;
• (d) creating appropriate relationships between schools and other social service agencies by improving relationships between the school and community agencies (health, social, mental health), parents and the business community, and by establishing procedures that cooperatively focus the resources of the greater community upon barriers to success in school, particularly in the areas of early childhood and parenting programs, after-school programs, and adolescent services.

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.

Each local school board of trustees shall: (1)  consider joining national organizations which promote and provide technical assistance on various proven parental involvement frameworks and models; (2)  incorporate, where possible, proven parental involvement practices into existing policies and efforts; (3)  adopt policies that emphasize the importance, strive to increase and clearly define expectations for effective parental involvement practices in the district schools; (4)  provide for all faculty and staff, no later than the 2002-2003 school year, parental involvement orientation and training through staff development with an emphasis on unique school and district needs and after that, on an ongoing basis as indicated by results of evaluations of district and school parental involvement practices and as required by the State Board of Education; (5)  provide incentives and formal recognition for schools that significantly increase parental involvement as defined by the State Board of Education; (6)  require an annual briefing on district and school parental involvement programs including findings from state and local evaluations on the success of the district and schools’ efforts; and (7)  include parental involvement expectations as part of the superintendent’s evaluation.

local school districts encouraged to provide family literacy programs to engage the entire family in learning