Family Information and Resource Center
Resources for Parents
Resources for Parents
What does "No Child Left Behind" mean to my family?
It is very important for parents to have good information about what is happening at their child’s school. The desired outcome for the Federal Government’s No Child Left Behind Act is to ensure that all schools make adequate yearly progress (AYP).
Testing
Utah’s testing program is called UPASS. (That stands for Utah Performance Assessment System for Students.) This is a combination of tests including: end of year tests and the IOWA tests, which are taken in the fall of a student’s 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 11th grade years.
There is also a 10th grade basic competency test that all 10th graders must pass in order to graduate. For this 10th grade test, options are offered for re-testing if a student fails a specific section. All of these UPASS tests are very important, and students need to know that they must try to do their best when taking them. Parents need to support their students and encourage them.
School Reports
Each school must make available a yearly report card on how the school is doing. The school must report on test scores, teacher qualifications, the results of the UPASS tests, attendance and graduation rates. If your school reports that it has not made adequate yearly progress, a Federal AYP Report should tell you why. There are 40 categories that the schools must be able to answer “yes” to on every item or else they will appear on the list of schools that are “not making adequate yearly progress”. A school may be on the list because attendance was down or too many children were sick and therefore absent on the day of the test. It may be that students in every category made some progress, but not enough to meet the standard to keep the school from appearing on the list.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), School Choice & Supplemental
ServicesAdequate yearly progress levels are standards of achievement in numerous categories set by the state that meet regulations of the United States Department of Education. If your school is a “Title I” school, and does not make AYP two years in a row, the school is determined to be in “need of improvement”. The school, with input from parents, will create a plan to improve the school. Your school district will offer assistance. The district must offer parents the choice to send their children to other schools that are not in need of improvement. Parents can choose to have their students stay at their home school, or to send their children to the other schools that are offered. If your school does not meet AYP the third year, the school must continue to offer a choice of schools, and must begin offering supplemental services to students, which may include a menu of after-school and summer tutoring and remediation options in which parents may choose to have their child participate.
Parent Involvement
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, it is very important that parents be involved in their child’s education. It is important to send children to school ready to learn. It is important for parents to help their children with reading and homework, and to be involved in your school’s decision-making process. You can do this by becoming involved in your school’s parent organization, such as the PTA. We all want our children to be the best they can be, and that takes everyone doing the best they can.Parents as Teachers Program
Parents As Teachers (PAT) involves four key components:
Personal Visits: Personalized home visits by certified parent educators help parents understand what to expect in each stage of their child's development, and offer practical ways to encourage learning, manage challenging behavior, and promote strong parent-child relationships.
Group Meetings: Parents educators hold a parent's forum monthly to teach a workshop on a developmentally appropriate topic. Parents gain new insights and share their experiences, common concerns, and successes. Parents are also invited weekly to a" make-it-take-it" parent/child activity.
Screening: Parents as Teachers curriculum offers opportunities for periodic screening of overall development, language, hearing, and vision. The goal is to provide early detection of potential problems to prevent difficulties later in school.
Resource Network: Families learn how to access other community services that are beyond the scope of the Parents as Teachers program through the Parent Educators, The Family Information & Resource Center, and through a monthly newsletter.
Research shows that children participating in the Parents as Teachers program develop higher cognitive abilities, are more ready for school, are less at risk for child abuse and neglect, and have higher scores, overall, in school. In addition, PAT program participation has been shown to increase parental confidence in their role as parents, and increases parental involvement in their children's schooling.
If your child will be attending kindergarten in 2006, you may be eligible to participate in our PAT Home Visit Program. If you would like more information about this program, please contact Cathy Endicott at (435) 994-0373.
Helpful Links
Organizational Resources
National PTAUtah PTA
United Way
Utah Federation for Youth
Department of Health and Human Services
Child Development
Child Development InstituteFamily.com
I Am Your Child
Welcome Addition
Zero to Three
Child Abuse Resources
Prevent Child Abuse UtahEnglish As A Second Language
Dave's ESL CafeNational Clearinghouse of Bilingual Education
Activities for ESL Students
Student Learning from Home
Reading:
Starfall
Reading Rockets
Reading is Fundamental
Oakland Read to Learn (ages 0-5)
www.dictionary.com
Math:
Helping Your Child Learn Math
AAA Math
www.math2.org
www.math.com
Cool Math for Kids
Science:
Science Element Tables
Science Learning Network
Other:
Ask AmyCollege Opportunities Online
Encarta
Franklin Science Museum
Homework Helpers
International Reading Association
Library of Congress Learning Page
Oakland Ready to Learn
Parents P.L.A.C.E.
Parent Soup
Partnership for Family Involvement in Education
ReadySetSchool!
Safe Search Engine for Kids
Social Sciences Virtual Library
U.S. Department of Education
Learning Partners
Family Education
Utah Education Network
Internet For Classrooms
Fact Monster
Kid Info
Kids Click
Safety Resource Links
Safe KidsUtah Highway Patrol
Parenting
About our KidsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
National Network for Child Care Information Center
Positive Parenting
Search Institute
Very Best Baby
Health
American Academy of PediatricsAmerican Medical Association
Internet Mental Health
Kids Health for Parents
Kid Source Online
March of Dimes
The Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse
Salt Lake County Division of Substance Abuse ServicesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Utah Department of Health
Utah State Division of Substance Abuse
Special Needs
ABLEDATAAmerican Council of the Blind
American Foundation for the Blind
American Printing House for the Blind
American Sign Language Fonts
American Society for Deaf Children
Apple Disability Resources
Assisted Technology Services and Devices
Kids On The Move
Learning Independence Through Computers
Microsoft Accesibility
National Association of the Deaf
National Center to Improve Practice in Special Education
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
RESNA
Sign Language Dictionary
The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
WebABLE