PRINTER'S NO. 1666
No. 1420 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY COLAFELLA, STAIRS, DeWEESE, MUNDY, CURRY, GRUCELA,
KIRKLAND, STEELMAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BISHOP,
BROWNE, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAWLEY, M. COHEN, CORRIGAN,
COSTA, COY, EACHUS, GEORGE, HARHAI, HESS, JOSEPHS, KENNEY,
LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LESCOVITZ, MANDERINO, MANN, McCALL,
MICHLOVIC, MICOZZIE, PISTELLA, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER,
SCHULER, SCRIMENTI, SEMMEL, SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK, SURRA,
E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, TRELLO, TRICH,
WANSACZ, WASHINGTON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND
YUDICHAK, APRIL 24, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 24, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for a parent teacher
6 involvement program; and making an appropriation.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
11 article to read:
12 ARTICLE XV-C.
13 PARENT TEACHER INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM.
14 Section 1501-C. Definitions.--As used in this article;
15 (1) "Applicant" shall mean a school or school district that
16 applies for funds under this article.
1 (2) "Department" shall mean the Department of Education of
2 the Commonwealth.
3 (3) "Parent" shall mean the natural, adoptive, or foster
4 parent of a student, a surrogate parent, a family member acting
5 on behalf of the parent, or any person having legal authority to
6 make educational decisions on behalf of a student.
7 (4) "School" shall mean any public school, including a
8 charter school, classified by the Department of Education as an
9 elementary school, middle school, junior high school, senior
10 high school or area vocational-technical school.
11 Section 1502-C. Parent Teacher Involvement Program.--The
12 department shall establish the Parent Teacher Involvement
13 Program for the purpose of providing one time grant awards to
14 schools in which a majority of teachers and parents agree to
15 strengthen the communication between schools and parents as a
16 means of improving student academic achievement. The department
17 shall develop the necessary application procedures for grant
18 eligibility. Applicants shall submit applications at the time,
19 in the manner and containing or accompanied by such information
20 as the department may prescribe but, in any case, the program
21 shall include the following elements:
22 (1) At least fifty (50) per centum of the teachers employed
23 at the school voluntarily agree to participate in either
24 periodic visits to the homes of their students or in community
25 meetings that are held at times and locations that are
26 convenient to parents.
27 (2) At least fifty (50) per centum of the parents or
28 guardians of students enrolled at the school have voluntarily
29 signed a parent, teacher and student compact that requires
30 parental participation in periodic home visits or community
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1 meetings.
2 (3) (i) A teacher who participates in the program shall
3 receive training in strategies that include communicating
4 effectively with parents, conducting periodic home visits or
5 community meetings and using technology to communicate with
6 parents. The training shall be for the purpose of providing
7 parents with instructional strategies and techniques designed to
8 improve student learning.
9 (ii) A teacher who participates in training under subclause
10 (i) may receive up to six (6) hours of continuing professional
11 education toward maintaining active certification as specified
12 in section 1205.2, provided that the training is part of the
13 local school entity's continuing professional education plan
14 submitted to the Secretary of Education under section 1205.1.
15 (4) A teacher shall be compensated for his or her
16 participation in home visits or community meetings at an hourly
17 rate comparable to his or her regular basic salary.
18 (5) A certification that participating teachers or
19 participating teachers paired with instructional aides, shall
20 conduct home visits to a substantial percentage of the enrolled
21 students whose parents or guardians have voluntarily signed a
22 parent, teacher and student compact.
23 (6) In the case of high schools or middle schools that
24 receive a grant pursuant to this section, teachers or teachers
25 with instructional aides who agree to participate shall hold at
26 least a monthly meeting during the school year at various sites
27 located throughout the attendance area of this school or middle
28 school.
29 (7) When establishing a parent teacher involvement program,
30 a school receiving a grant pursuant to this section shall
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1 solicit the input and participation of parents from that school
2 to ensure that the home visits and community meetings are
3 aligned to the needs of those parents whose children attend the
4 school.
5 (8) An application for a parent teacher involvement program
6 shall receive approval by the board of school directors of the
7 school district. The board of school directors shall, after
8 approving the application, forward it to the department. Any
9 application received by the department that does not have local
10 approval shall be ineligible for consideration.
11 Section 2. The sum of $3,000,000, or as much thereof as may
12 be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
13 Education for the fiscal year July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002,
14 for the establishment and operation of the Parent Teacher
15 Involvement Program authorized by this act.
16 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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