News and Notes:  News Release
January 10, 2007

Topeka: Parental involvement mandated by NCLB; KLFA Enhances its capacity to help meet challenges

Parents play a vital role in their children’s educational success.  To help the Kansas Learning First Alliance members better promote that fact and meet NCLB mandates, over 30 of them from 22 member organizations heard Nancy Kraft, Executive Director of the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center, report on her organization.  She explained what it can do to help school staff better relate to parents and help them help their children.  KLFA also continued its work of defining teaching and learning success. Efforts continue of how to define and measure it, including using data gathered from a large segment of members. The data was generated by “reciprocal accountability” discussions held by members’ boards’ of directors.  KLFA also approved a membership request from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitative Service (SRS), which houses the Head Start and Early Head Start programs.  Early childhood education was not seen as a group well represented in KLFA conversations, so the department’s inclusion brings additional resources and knowledge.  The Kansas State Department of Education was a founding member of KLFA, which was formed in 1999 with the mission of making “Kansas first in the nation in teaching and learning.”

KPIRC was recently named as the only PIRC to be federally funded in the state the next five years.  The funding, $2.7 million, is targeted to help schools meet their responsibilities to parental involvement efforts mandated in No Child Left Behind.  Although schools in Kansas have convenient access to policies the law mandates, there is concern whether or not schools are following through on all the law entails. Plans were made to distribute parental involvement material at the upcoming United School Administrators’ convention in Wichita Jan. 24-26.

Members also revealed plans on attending the Learning First Alliance summit in March.   The Summit is a by-invitation-only event for presidents and executive directors of the state associations of the17 members of LFA.  Also invited are leaders of the six state affiliates, of which Kansas is one.  The summit will offer an extraordinary opportunity to network with state and national association leaders, identify shared goals and common messages, collaborate on strategies for improving education, and craft a common vision for the future of public schools.  At least 10 Kansans will be attending.

As is the norm, much of the meeting was devoted to the three standing workgroups working on their different goals.  The three groups are working toward improving student achievement; strengthening the professional development of educators; and engaging the public in school improvement and student achievement efforts. To focus their work, three general goals offer guidance.  They are:

• KLFA will broadly disseminate our work to influence practitioners.
• KLFA will increase its visibility with policy makers. 
• KLFA will strengthen and increase its organizational capacity.

The next KLFA meeting is March 14 at the Kansas Association of School Boards’ office.  The last meeting of the school year is May 30.