House Passes Rhoades Measure

HARRISBURG – The state House of Representatives Education Committee passed an important measure authored by Senator James J. Rhoades (R-29), that establishes parent involvement programs, parent involvement policies and parent involvement committees in each of Pennsylvania's school districts.

Senate Bill 143 overwhelmingly passed the House Education Committee late this afternoon.

"As Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, I have worked to address the concerns parents have for their children in our schools today," said Rhoades. "Parental and family involvement is one issue that has been on the forefront of many community agendas across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 creates a new system of academic accountability for all states and school districts. As part of its design, the new law places a premium on parent involvement and encourages school districts to more actively involve parents in the education of their children.

The senator said that Senate Bill 143 provides guidance to school districts in this regard, by directing school districts to create parent involvement programs, policies and committees. In addition, the legislation would direct the Department of Education to establish a clearinghouse of information related to strategies, resources and materials that can be used as part of parent involvement programs and policies.

Rhoades cited research that confirms that family involvement is a powerful influence on a child's achievement and performance in school. If every parent of a child aged 1 through 9 spent one hour reading or working on schoolwork with his or her child five days a week, American parents would annually devote at least 8.7 billion hours to support their children's learning.

Statistics have also shown that many schools that make parental involvement a priority also see student outcomes improve. When families actively participate in a child's education, a child typically earns higher grades, attends school on a regular basis and generally demonstrates a more positive attitude then those student who do not have family support.

"Family involvement can have a significant effect on student achievement. We must assess family's needs and set clear and measurable objectives based on parent and community input," said Rhoades. "Together, we can build a program that emphasizes parents getting involved in their child's education, and providing our local schools with the resources necessary to achieve this goal."

The measures now go to the full House of Representatives for consideration.