[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1118 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1118

To establish an additional National Education Goal relating to parental 
   participation in both the formal and informal education of their 
                   children, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 16 (legislative day, June 15), 1993

 Mr. Hatfield introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish an additional National Education Goal relating to parental 
   participation in both the formal and informal education of their 
                   children, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION l. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Education Goal for Parental 
Participation Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) parents and families are the child's first and primary 
        teacher and a continuing influence throughout the school years;
            (2) children whose parents are involved in the educational 
        process at home and at school demonstrate higher academic 
        achievement levels than do children who have similar aptitude 
        and family backgrounds and who have parents who are not 
        involved;
            (3) student behavior and achievement improves in schools 
        that establish strong communication with parents and institute 
        programs that utilize the talents of parents in policy 
        formation and implementation;
            (4) recent surveys have shown that while more parents are 
        becoming involved in some way with their child's education, far 
        too many parents are faced with institutional barriers to 
        involvement;
            (5) effective parental involvement programs that are 
        already in place should be disseminated as models to school 
        districts around the country;
            (6) the Federal Government has established excellent 
        opportunities for parents to become involved in Head Start 
        programs, programs for children who are disabled, and programs 
        for children under chapter 1 of title I of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965;
            (7) such opportunities need to be provided in other 
        preschool, elementary and secondary programs;
            (8) there is limited research and professional development 
        opportunity for teachers and administrators in implementing 
        parent involvement programs; and
            (9) as a condition that is fundamental to the successful 
        achievement of the first six National Education Goals, parental 
        involvement should be recognized as a Goal in itself.

SEC. 3. NEW EDUCATION GOAL.

    (a) Goal.--It shall be established by the National Education Goals 
Panel as a National Education Goal, that by the year 2000, every school 
and home will engage in partnerships that will increase parental 
involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional and 
academic growth of children.
    (b) Objectives.--The objectives of the Goal established under 
subsection (a) are that--
            (1) every State will develop policies to assist local 
        schools and school districts to establish programs for 
        increasing partnerships that respond to the varying needs of 
        parents and the home, including parents of children who are 
        disadvantaged, bilingual or disabled;
            (2) every school will actively engage parents and families 
        in a partnership which supports the academic work of children 
        at home and shared educational decision-making at school;
            (3) every home will be responsible for creating an 
        environment of respect for education, providing the physical 
        and emotional support needed for learning; and
            (4) parents and families will help to ensure that schools 
        are adequately supported and will hold schools and teachers to 
        high standards of accountability.

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