The goal of this project is to implement a parent involvement program in three of Bronzeville's public schools: Beethoven Elementary School, Hartigan Specialty School, and Woodson North Middle... Show moreThe goal of this project is to implement a parent involvement program in three of Bronzeville's public schools: Beethoven Elementary School, Hartigan Specialty School, and Woodson North Middle School. Research in the field of education has long shown that parental involvement can boost academic achievement, even in neighborhoods with a high concentration of poverty. Although Bronzeville has many poor schools, the aforementioned schools were selected because they have either been placed on academic probation, as a result of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, or have experienced a significant drop in attendance, as a result of the CHA Plan for Transformation. To positively effect the parents whose children attend these schools, last semester's IPRO team researched and designed a parent involvement program, in conjunction with the principals, teachers, and parents at the three schools and our community partners, The Grand Boulevard Federation (GBF) and IIT's Office of Community Development. This program calls for the construction of a parent's resource room filled with supplemental curricular materials, ongoing workshops for parents on helping children with their homework, after-school enrichment activities for children, adult education classes for the parents, and increased communication between teachers and parents regarding student performance. See www.iit.edu/~ipro303s03 for more details. Community out-reach workers from the GBF will recruit parents into the program, using brochures and handouts designed by the IPRO team. Together, they will assist each school build-up their parent resources. Ongoing, informal assessment will be conducted, both in terms of parent needs and program effectiveness. Central to the entire project will be a consensus-based, communicative practice in which the principals, the teachers, the outreach workers, the IPRO team, and a core group of parents jointly determine the most effective ways to involve parents in their children's education. Show less
