Report Title:

Parental involvement in education

WHEREAS, numerous studies show that parent participation in education is positively and significantly related to student achievement; and

WHEREAS, for example, according to "Family Involvement in Children's Education: Successful Local Approaches Idea Book," a publication sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, students whose parents are actively involved in their children's education have better grades, test scores, and long-term academic achievement; and

WHEREAS, the publication also emphasizes that students whose parents are more actively involved in their children's education attend school more regularly, complete more homework, and demonstrate more positive attitudes and behaviors than those students whose parents are less involved; and

WHEREAS, parents and teachers typically agree that increased parent involvement in education can make a significant difference in student performance; and

WHEREAS, while a majority of teachers and parents believe that increased parent involvement is needed, the degree and method of parent involvement can be a point of contention, as parent involvement in education is quite varied, and includes involvement in hiring, curriculum, and budget decisions in schools as well as issues such as student absenteeism, reading materials in the home, and excessive television watching; and

WHEREAS, if parents and families are to work with schools as partners in the education of their children, they must receive direction as to what is expected of them and how they can become involved in their children's education; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Education (DOE) is requested to develop a plan to encourage parents to become more actively involved in their children's education; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the plan include specifics regarding:

(2) An understanding of what parent involvement means; and

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the plan include the participation of School/Community-based Management, the Hawaii State Parent, Teacher, Student Association, and other community organizations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOE is requested to submit the plan with its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education and the President of the Hawaii State Parent, Teacher, Student Association.