Chalkboard partners with PTA to boost family involvement in schools

 

Contact:
Chalkboard Project
(503) 542-4325
info@chalkboardproject.org

Schools receive grants to promote communication with diverse families

PORTLAND – December 15, 2006 – Sixteen local PTAs will begin new efforts to reach out to diverse families in their communities, thanks to grants awarded today by the Chalkboard Project in partnership with the Oregon PTA.

The PTA SPICE (Strengthening Parent Involvement in Children’s Education) grants provide a total of approximately $15,000 that local PTAs will use to fund creative family outreach projects, with a focus on connecting with ethnic and racial minority families. Individual grants range from $600 to $1,000 and cover a range of projects, from translating newsletters and buying interpreting equipment, to hosting school family nights and providing transportation to school events along with child care.

“This partnership with the Chalkboard Project has given PTAs the opportunity to reach outside their own comfort zones and try some new ideas to engage parents who may not typically find their way into a school building,” said Anita Olsen, president-elect of the Oregon PTA. “We know parent involvement is a proven strategy for success for all students, and we believe these projects provide one more tool to close the achievement gap we see in our schools. We look forward to continuing this partnership with the Chalkboard Project.”

“Research is clear: When parents are involved in their children’s education, student achievement goes up. We also know that low-income and ethnic minority families are less likely to connect with schools, which contributes to our existing achievement gap,” said Sue Hildick, Chalkboard Project president. “We’re pleased to partner with the Oregon PTA to fund innovative approaches to getting families more involved in school life and helping them understand what a critical role they play in their children’s education.”

Grants have been awarded to PTAs in school districts throughout the state, including Bend-La Pine, Canby, Central Point, Corvallis, Grants Pass, Lowell, McMinnville, Portland and Rogue River. For a complete list of grant awardees and projects funded.

Grants were awarded based on their potential to:

  • Involve parents of different races and cultures to reflect the diversity of the children in the school
  • Support parent involvement in learning activities with children at home and in the community so that they can be ready for school
  • Create more options for parents to participate in school and PTA activities, with an eye toward promoting parent leadership
  • Help schools welcome all families and overcome barriers to parent involvement
  • Connect parents, schools and community in support of student achievement
  • Promote the national PTA standards
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PTAs receiving grants will follow through with their projects by June 2007 and report back to Chalkboard and the Oregon PTA on their success.

This grant program is the latest Chalkboard effort to increase parent and family involvement in schools. Over the course of the past year, the statewide non-profit organization has:

  • Developed a “Running Start” toolkit to help school district staff better understand the barriers many families face in becoming more involved with schools, and to help them overcome those barriers.

  • Distributed, with support from Intel Corporation, technology grants to 10 schools and districts to help them better use computers and the internet to connect with students’ families.

  • Distributed $1,000 stipends to 10 schools and districts throughout the state who are “early adopters” of new policies and practices to foster better communication between parents and schools, as part of a partnership with the Oregon Department of Education.

About Chalkboard Project
Launched in early 2004, Chalkboard Project exists to inspire Oregonians to do what it takes to make the state’s K-12 public schools among the nation’s best, while strengthening our school system’s financial accountability to taxpayers. Chalkboard aims to help create a more informed and engaged public who understand and address the tough choices and trade-offs required to build strong schools, and to enable statewide programs that can be applied at the local level to improve school quality, accountability, and funding. To date, Chalkboard has connected with about 100,000 Oregonians, asking for their best ideas to strengthen the state’s K-12 public schools. It also has partnered with other education organizations to create the Open Book$ Web site www.openbooksproject.org to track school district spending.

Chalkboard – an initiative of Foundations For A Better Oregon – is sponsored by a growing list of independent foundations. The founding five foundations are: The Collins Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, Jeld-Wen Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, and The Oregon Community Foundation. For more information about Chalkboard and to learn how to get involved, call (877) YOUR-K12 or visit www.chalkboardproject.org.

About Oregon PTA
Founded in 1905, Oregon PTA is the state’s oldest child advocacy organization. Our mission is to support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children. Oregon PTA assists parents in developing the skills they need to help all children succeed in school and to encourage parent and public involvement in public schools.