Parents Gain Voice In Education To Ensure Student Success

Ministry of Education

Parents Gain Voice In Education To Ensure Student Success

McGuinty Government Launches New Provincial Parent Involvement Policy

    TORONTO, Dec. 1  - The Ontario government's new Parent Involvement
Policy will soon make it easier for all parents to participate in their
child's education and future success, Minister of Education Gerard Kennedy
today announced.
    "Parents play a vital role in the development and education of their
children and in the success of schools," said Kennedy. "We know that good
schools are even better when they have engaged and involved parents - we're
setting the table for more parent participation to help reach our ambitious
goals for student achievement."
    Research shows increased parent involvement results in improved student
achievement, reduced absenteeism, better behaviour and more confidence in
children. The new provincial policy will reinforce parent involvement as a new
performance measure to be expected of the publicly funded education system.
    "Parents are the most important influence in a child's life outside of
school. We're making it easier for busy parents to get involved in their
child's education," said Kathleen Wynne, Parliamentary Assistant to the
Minister of Education. "At the same time, we believe that success in education
is a shared responsibility and the new parent involvement policy will also
benefit teachers, principals and trustees."
    The policy, supported by a $5.2 million investment, will help create a
more welcoming environment for parents in the education system. For the first
time, all parents will be asked to become involved to some extent and parent
organizations will be given a direct say over parent related resources at the
local, regional and provincial level. New resources include:

    -  A new school council outreach and grant program for special local
       initiatives to reach parents who may find involvement more challenging
       due to language, recent immigration, poverty and newness to the system
    -  New grants for projects that support parent involvement at the local
       and regional level
    -  Regional parent forums with the Minister of Education
    -  A new Parent Advisory Board composed of and representing parents
    -  Ongoing support for provincial parent organizations
    -  New communication tools including a parent website portal, e-network
       and new parent handbook
    -  A provincial Parent Engagement Office and Ministry of Education
       regional offices will assume the role of mobilizing parents

    The policy lays out requirements for the Minister of Education, the
ministry, school board, schools and their staff to create conditions,
attitudes and supports for parents to engage in their child's education.
    According to a 2002 survey, out of the estimated 2.3 million parents of
children in publicly funded schools, only 16 per cent of parents consider
themselves active at schools. Another survey shows that nearly half would
become involved if asked.
    The new Parent Engagement Policy is based on the recommendations of the
Parent Voice in Education Project (PVEP). Last December, Kennedy established
PVEP, consisting of a cross-section of 20 parent leaders representing all
regions of the province. Members were given the task of providing
recommendations on how to establish an effective provincial voice for parents
and greatly improve the number of parents active in education. The group
consulted widely with other Ontario parents. Eleven public meetings were held
in eight communities and the final recommendations were based on over 1,150
submissions from parents and parent organizations.
    "The new Policy is a testament to the hard work of PVEP and dedicated
parents across the province," said Gabrielle Blais, PVEP chair. "It recognizes
the needs of parents and is a critical step necessary in opening up education
in Ontario.

    Disponible en français.

                              www.edu.gov.on.ca
                        www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca


    Backgrounder
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       NEW PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY RECOGNIZES PARENTS' VITAL ROLE IN
                        IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

    Parents play a vital role in the development and education of their
children and in the success of schools. The government is bringing forward a
new Parent Involvement Policy to make it easier for parents to get involved
with their children's education. For the first time, all parents will be asked
to become involved to some extent and organized parents will be given shared
responsibility over parent related resources at the local, regional and
provincial level.

    Parent Involvement for Better Student Outcomes
    Good schools are better where there is a stronger connection with parents
as part of the learning community. The government views enhancing the role of
parents as an important and practical consideration and as an essential part
of building schools' capacity to help improve student achievement.
    Research shows increased parent involvement results in improved student
achievement, reduced absenteeism, better behaviour and more confidence in
children.
    While the primary beneficiaries are students, the Ministry of Education
also believes that a new Parent Involvement Policy will be an asset to the
education system with benefits for teachers, principals, trustees and board
officials.

    What's New
    The Parent Involvement Policy, supported by a $5.2 million investment,
will help create a more welcoming environment for parents in the education
system. New resources include:

    Locally:
    -  A new school council outreach program and grant program for special
       local initiatives to reach parents who may find involvement more
       challenging due to language, recent immigration, poverty and newness
       to the system
    -  New grants for projects that foster parent involvement within their
       school community as a key factor in assisting students achievement
       will be made available at the local and regional level
    -  School councils will have the flexibility to associate with related
       not-for-profit organizations and to vary their structures where that
       conforms with the wishes of the majority of parents
    -  A fundraising policy will be introduced to guarantee school council
       control over funds raised and limit the need for fundraising by
       ensuring educational essentials are provided by the system

    Regionally:
    -  The Minister of Education will undertake annual regional forums with
       parents to listen and converse about parent concerns.
    -  Parent Involvement committees at each school board, with a direct link
       to the director and trustees, to provide parent advice and support
       parent engagement.
    -  Ministry of Education regional offices will assume a role of
       supporting parents
    -  School boards will work with the ministry to ensure broad parent
       consultation takes place on relevant new policies, particularly those
       which directly impact family life

    Provincially:
    -  New communication tools including a parent website portal, e-network
       and new parent handbook developed at the provincial level and
       customized at the regional and local level
    -  Ongoing support for provincial parent organizations
    -  A provincial Parent Engagement Office will be established to support
       provincial efforts and establish provincial standards of excellence
       for parent engagement and recognition programs
    -  A new provincial Parent Advisory Board composed of and representing
       parents will replace the pre-existing Minister-appointed parent
       council. The board will initially be selected by parent nominators,
       but will make a rapid transition to election by parents.

    Parent Involvement and Measuring Success
    The ongoing confidence of parents not only in local schools, but also in
publicly funded education, is an important objective. Over the last decade
unmet parent concerns about the publicly funded education system contributed
to a 50 per cent increase in those who moved their children to private
schools.
    To reinforce parent involvement, the province will make parent engagement
one of the provincial outcomes expected of boards. Success in engaging parents
will be embedded in the public performance measures and evaluations at all
levels in education.
    Parent involvement includes a range of activities from good parenting,
helping with homework, serving on school councils and board or provincial
committees, communicating and meeting with teachers, and volunteering in the
classroom or on school trips. The policy is outlined in some detail in the
discussion paper entitled, Developing Partners in Education - Ontario Parent
Involvement Policy, which is available on the ministry's website
(www.edu.gov.on.ca).

    The Parent Voice in Education Project

    The new Parent Engagement Policy is based on the recommendations of the
Parent Voice in Education Project (PVEP). Last December, Kennedy established
PVEP, consisting of a cross-section of 20 parent leaders representing all
regions of the province. Members were given the task of providing
recommendations on how to establish an effective provincial voice for parents
and greatly improve the number of parents active in education. The group
consulted widely with other Ontario parents. Eleven public meetings were held
in eight communities and the final recommendations were based on over 1,150
submissions from parents and parent organizations.

    Investing in Parent Involvement

    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Component
    of the
    Ontario
    Parent
    Involvement
    Policy                  Investments                Amount        Total
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Local         New provincial grant program       $1,000,000
                  being made available to school
                  councils for school-based
                  initiatives to reach parents who
                  may find involvement more
                  challenging due to language,
                  recent immigration, poverty,
                  newness to the system, or other
                  factors.

                  New base mobilization and          $2,400,000   $3,400,000
                  outreach budget for school
                  councils to support local
                  communication and engagement
                  efforts ($500 per school)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Board and     New base provincial funding          $717,000
    regional      to support the work of the
                  Parent Involvement Committee
                  to be established at the
                  school board level : district
                  meetings and inter-school
                  communication ($5,000 per
                  school board + $0.17 per
                  student)

                  New provincial fund to support       $750,000   $1,467,000
                  provincial and regional projects
                  aimed at enhancing parent
                  involvement.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Provincial    Funding to provincial parent          $60,000
                  organizations that are able to
                  enhance parent involvement,
                  including an inflation adjustment

                  Provincial Parent Engagement Office  $250,000     $310,000
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total cost                                                    $5,177,000

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    Disponible en français

                              www.edu.gov.on.ca
    
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