Parental engagement is a well-documented contributor to student success. So much so, that the Texas legislature just added a requirement to the state accountability system that districts make public a self-evaluation of, among other factors, the level of community and parental involvement.
Here’s a carrot….the application deadline for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Family Engagement Grants is September 23, 2013. WKKF awards grants of up to $500,000 to organizations, including public schools, that are developing promising models of family engagement in low-income communities. Grants will be awarded for one to three years. WKKF defines family engagement as “a shared responsibility of families, schools and communities for student learning and achievement.” WKKF seeks to fund “on the ground” efforts, including those focused on program design and implementation, policy design and implementation, and service delivery. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal in October 2013. Selected grantees will be notified of grant awards in December 2013.