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Monday, April 25, 2011

Education Research Report: Parent Involvement and Extended Learning Activities in School Improvement Plans

Education Research Report: Parent Involvement and Extended Learning Activities in School Improvement Plans

Parent Involvement and Extended Learning Activities in School Improvement Plans

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This REL Midwest study, Parent Involvement and Extended Learning Activities in School Improvement Plans in the Midwest Region, reports the findings of a content analysis of 1,400 school improvement plans in five Midwest Region states. Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, Title I schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years are required to develop school improvement plans describing proposed activities for boosting student achievement.

Sections 1116 and 1118 of NCLB outline requirements and recommendations for involving parents and providing extended learning activities (before-school, afterschool, or summer program), two sets of activities that some research suggests improve student outcomes. The study examines the extent to which school improvement plans:

A Unique Opportunity to Improve School Meals Applications

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PDF of this report (74pp.)

By improving school meals applications in the following ways, states and school districts can help families struggling against hunger get healthy meals for their children.

* Provide materials in a language and at a level parents can understand.
* Ask only for necessary information.
* Reduce opportunities for math errors.
* Encourage eligible families to apply.

This paper provides specific suggestions for revisions to school meals applications to help achieve these goals.


Overview

The school meals programs can play a critical role in supporting the healthy development of children and helping to ensure that low-income school-aged children have access to adequate nutrition. The process of enrolling for