Since 1997, the Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN) has received funding from the United States Department of Education for the support of the Rhode Island Parent Information and Resource Center (RI PIRC).

We are pleased to announce that once again RIPIN has been awarded this funding -- $707,000 for the 2002-2003 fiscal year--the largest grant for this category in the country.

This new four-year funding will allow RI PIRC to maintain and expand existing roles (Parents as Teachers and the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, home visiting programs for children from birth to five) and to assume new roles in support of schools, students and parents in Rhode Island, particularly around the new federal legislation, No Child Left Behind.

No Child Left Behind

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This law represents his education reform plan and contains the most sweeping changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965.

It changes the federal government's role in education, from kindergarten through 12th grade, by requiring America's schools to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes.

The law contains four basic education reform principles: stronger accountability (liability, responsibility) for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.

Accountability

The first of NCLB's goals is to help ensure that all students will be able to meet high academic standards. How will we know when children are reaching the mark? Through the use of annual assessments (tests), based on a state's academic standards, in math and reading for grades 3 through 8.

One of the really interesting things about this requirement is that the reporting of the test results must be "disaggregated." Which means…? All assessment reporting must be broken down by a student's poverty level, race, ethnicity, disabilities, and English proficiency to ensure that no child - regardless of his or her background - is left behind.

According to NCLB, all of this data will be collected by the RI Department of Education (RI DOE) in a single, statewide review system.

This type of reporting will allow parents (and, of course, the educational community) to track the performance of not only their child and their child's school, but of every school in the nation. This new information will help parents make informed choices about their child's education -- how well is their child doing and how well is their school doing in meeting educational standards.

What if your child's school is not making adequate yearly progress toward meeting state standards?

Each state will define adequate yearly progress and develop annual measurement objectives. Built into NCLB are requirements for schools not meeting standards to receive assistance and, if still not showing significant improvement, corrective action. There is good news for those schools that meet or exceed standards. They will be eligible for "academic achievement awards."

RI PIRC's Role

The first goal of our new grant, Project School Connect, is to support schools in implementing successful and effective parental involvement policies, programs and activities that will lead to improvement in student achievement. Research shows that parental involvement is key for a child to be successful in school. RI PIRC staff have already attended trainings in Baltimore and Washington and are working with the RI Department of Education and the RI Teaching and Learning Center to create an implementation plan that will assist schools in fulfilling the mandates of NCLB.

This is the first in a series of articles that will explore what this new legislation means to Rhode Island parents and students.

For more information about NCLB, please contact Matthew Cox at 401-727-4144 x165, 800-464-3399 x165 (toll free in RI) or cox@ripin.org.