HB 255

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to parental involvement and accountability
3	in the public schools; creating s. 1008.347, F.S.;
4	providing purpose to provide information and tools to
5	parents of prekindergarten through grade 12 students and
6	to set standards for parental accountability; specifying
7	causes for student underachievement; providing principles
8	on which parental involvement is based; providing
9	strategies to improve student achievement; requiring
10	shared information between teachers, schools, and parents;
11	requiring prekindergarten through grade 3 teachers to
12	assign a parental involvement grade on student report
13	cards; requiring the State Board of Education to adopt an
14	appeals process; providing for implementation; providing
15	an effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  Section 1008.347, Florida Statutes, is created
20	to read:
21	1008.347  Parental involvement and accountability in the
22	public schools.-
23	(1)  PURPOSE.-Although the school environment has a great
24	impact on a child's well-being and academic success, parents and
25	the home environment form the foundation of a child's present
26	and future life. Without proper parental involvement in all
27	aspects of a child's life, the child's prospects to be a well-
28	equipped and useful member of society are greatly diminished.
29	The purpose of this section is to provide information and tools
30	to parents of prekindergarten through grade 12 students to
31	enable them to have a positive impact on their child's
32	educational success and to set standards for parental
33	accountability.
34	(2)  CAUSES FOR STUDENT UNDERACHIEVEMENT.-The following
35	behaviors with respect to the relationship between a child's
36	home and school are identified as possible causes for a
37	student's underachievement:
38	(a)  A child is not physically prepared for the school day
39	due to inadequate rest or improper clothing, lack of necessary
40	school supplies, or frequent tardiness or absence.
41	(b)  A child is not mentally prepared for the school day
42	due to uncompleted homework or inadequate preparation for tests.
43	(c)  Communication between parents and the teacher is often
44	written rather than through personal contact and often occurs
45	only when a problem has arisen rather than on a consistent basis
46	throughout the school year.
47	(3)  PRINCIPLES.-
48	(a)  Parental involvement is most effective when it is
49	comprehensive, well planned, and continues throughout the school
50	year.
51	(b)  Parental involvement should be developmental with a
52	preventive rather than remedial approach and an integral part of
53	a strategy to improve student achievement.
54	(c)  Parents do not need to be formally educated to provide
55	support and assistance to improve the academic performance of
56	their child.
57	(d)  At-risk children have the most to gain from parental
58	involvement.
59	(4)  STRATEGIES.-Strategies that parents may employ to
60	support the learning of their children and improve student
61	achievement include, but are not limited to:
62	(a)  Attend parent-teacher conferences during which the
63	student's strengths and weaknesses are discussed and goals for
64	the student are collaboratively set.
65	(b)  Maintain correspondence with the child's teachers
66	through submission of signed forms and signed homework
67	assignment sheets and respond to formal requests for conference.
68	(c)  Establish a home environment that supports the child
69	as a student.
70	(d)  Contact the teacher if a problem or issue arises with
71	homework, a situation in the home that may disturb the student's
72	performance, or absences and makeup assignments.
73	(e)  Facilitate the student's performance in school by
74	monitoring homework completion and test preparation and helping
75	with curriculum-related activities.
76	(f)  Provide for the student's on-time attendance, prevent
77	frequent absences, and provide needed school supplies.
78	(5)  SHARED INFORMATION.-Teachers and schools shall develop
79	or utilize current information packets, forms, or videos for
80	sharing information with each parent with written
81	acknowledgement of receipt. The shared information may be
82	presented in the parent guide to successful student achievement
83	or in the checklist of parental actions that can strengthen
84	parental involvement in a child's educational progress, required
85	under s. 1002.23, and includes:
86	(a)  Expectations of parents with respect to school
87	attendance requirements.
88	(b)  Expectations of parents with respect to a child's
89	physical readiness for school, including provision for adequate
90	night-time sleep; necessary school supplies, which may be
91	obtained through various organizations if needed; meals, which
92	may be obtained through a school's free or reduced-priced meal
93	program if qualified; and immunizations and medical care.
94	(c)  Expectations of parents with respect to a child's
95	academic work, including time set aside for daily homework and
96	reading, nightly check of homework completion and preparation
97	for tests, early preparation of assigned school projects,
98	signature on required forms, and check of contents of school
99	backpack.
100	(6)  ACCOUNTABILITY.-To help parents establish a home
101	environment that supports the child as a student, each teacher
102	shall monitor and assess the quality of the involvement of the
103	parents of each student in his or her class. Each
104	prekindergarten through grade 3 student report card shall
105	include a section in which the teacher grades the parental
106	involvement as satisfactory, needs improvement, or
107	unsatisfactory on each of the following criteria:
108	(a)  Parental response to requests for conferences or
109	communication.
110	(b)  The student's completion of homework and preparation
111	for tests.
112	(c)  The student's physical preparation for school that has
113	an effect on mental preparation.
114	(d)  The frequency of the student's absence and tardiness.
115	(7)  APPEALS PROCESS.-A parent may appeal the report card
116	parental involvement grade assigned by the teacher under
117	subsection (6) through a process adopted by the State Board of
118	Education in rule in which the principal, the teacher, and the
119	parent meet to discuss how the report card grade was determined.
120	The meeting shall also provide information and feedback on the
121	steps needed to improve the parental involvement grade, thereby
122	improving the environment and elements that affect student
123	learning.
124	(8)  IMPLEMENTATION.-This section shall be implemented
125	beginning with the 2012-2013 school year.
126	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.