House File 7HOUSE FILE BY ABDUL=SAMAD Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing a parental involvement grant program and 2 making an appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1144HH 83 5 kh/nh/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.27 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT 1 2 GRANT PROGRAM. 1 3 1. There is established a parental involvement grant 1 4 program within the department to provide competitive grants to 1 5 school districts that substantially involve parents and 1 6 guardians in efforts to improve the academic achievement of 1 7 at=risk and minority student subgroups at any or all grade 1 8 levels from prekindergarten through grade twelve. 1 9 2. Grant applications shall be evaluated by the department 1 10 based on the targeted student population and whether the 1 11 application meets all of the following conditions: 1 12 a. Includes a detailed plan to involve parents and 1 13 guardians in a school and the school culture. The plan shall 1 14 require a parent or guardian who agrees to participate in the 1 15 program to sign a compact with the school district in which 1 16 the school district agrees to maintain regular communication 1 17 and work collaboratively with the parent or guardian in the 1 18 child's education and the parent or guardian agrees to promote 1 19 the educational advancement of the child, attend 1 20 parent=teacher conferences, and assist the child with 1 21 activities recommended by the school district, including but 1 22 not limited to homework and community service. 1 23 b. Demonstrates partnerships and collaboration with 1 24 not=for=profit community organizations. 1 25 c. Demonstrates that the school district is able to 1 26 sustain the program after the grant is exhausted. 1 27 3. Grant moneys may be expended for services and 1 28 activities that include but are not limited to diagnostic 1 29 assessments and appropriate interventions to identify student 1 30 needs; tutoring and supplemental instruction in basic skills, 1 31 such as reading, math, and science; relationship building 1 32 among parents, guardians, educators, community leaders, and 1 33 public officials; promotion and support of parenting and 1 34 leadership skills and capabilities; conflict resolution; team 1 35 building; outreach strategies to involve families; 2 1 establishing or improving homework skills; counseling; 2 2 character development and civic participation; or mentoring. 2 3 4. The department shall provide grants to the following: 2 4 a. Three school districts, each of which with a budget 2 5 enrollment for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, of more 2 6 than sixteen thousand students. 2 7 b. One school district with a budget enrollment for the 2 8 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, of more than ten thousand 2 9 eight hundred students, but less than eleven thousand 2 10 students. 2 11 c. One school district with a budget enrollment for the 2 12 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, of more than six hundred 2 13 forty=seven students, but less than six hundred forty=nine 2 14 students. 2 15 5. The department shall make every effort to leverage 2 16 additional funding from other public and private sources to 2 17 support the grant program. 2 18 6. Grant funding may be used for programming for multiple 2 19 fiscal years as proposed by the applicant and approved by the 2 20 department. 2 21 Sec. 2. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION == PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT 2 22 PROGRAM GRANTS. There is appropriated from the general fund 2 23 of the state to the department of education for the fiscal 2 24 year beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2010, the 2 25 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be 2 26 used for the purposes designated: 2 27 For competitive grants to school districts which 2 28 substantially involve parents and guardians to improve the 2 29 academic achievement of at=risk and minority student subgroups 2 30 at any or all grade levels from prekindergarten through grade 2 31 twelve in accordance with section 256.27: 2 32 .................................................. $ 500,000 2 33 EXPLANATION 2 34 This bill establishes a parental involvement grant program 2 35 to provide competitive grants to school districts that 3 1 substantially involve parents and guardians in efforts to 3 2 improve the academic achievement of at=risk and minority 3 3 student subgroups at any or all grade levels from 3 4 prekindergarten through grade 12. The bill appropriates 3 5 $500,000 to the department of education to fund the grant 3 6 program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009. 3 7 Grant applications must include a detailed plan to involve 3 8 parents and guardians. Under the plan, a parent or guardian 3 9 who agrees to participate in the program must sign a compact 3 10 with the school district in which the school district agrees 3 11 to maintain regular communication and work collaboratively 3 12 with the parent or guardian and the parent or guardian agrees 3 13 to promote the educational advancement of the child, attend 3 14 parent=teacher conferences, and assist the child with 3 15 activities recommended by the school district. The 3 16 application must also demonstrate partnerships and 3 17 collaboration with not=for=profit community organizations. 3 18 The bill lists services and activities for which grant 3 19 recipients may expend grant funds. 3 20 The department is directed to award grants to five school 3 21 districts, including three school districts having enrollments 3 22 of more than 16,000, one school district with an enrollment 3 23 between 10,800 and 11,000, and one school district with an 3 24 enrollment between 647 and 649 students. Grant funding may be 3 25 used for programming for multiple fiscal years as proposed by 3 26 the applicant and approved by the department. 3 27 LSB 1144HH 83 3 28 kh/nh/5