TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NOTES
The Family and School Partnership for Student Achievement Act
Purpose
These technical assistance notes (TAN) are to provide school district personnel with introductory
information essential to compliance with the Family and School Partnership for Student Achievement Act.
This act, passed by the 2003 legislature, creates section 1002.23, in the Florida Statutes to provide parents
with specific information about their child’s educational progress; provide parents with comprehensive
information about their choices and opportunities for involvement in their child’s education; and to provide
a framework for building and strengthening partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, district school
superintendents, and other personnel.
This legislation requires the Department of Education to:
●
develop guidelines for a parent guide to successful student achievement that describes what
parents need to know about their child’s educational progress and how they can help their child to
succeed in school;
•
develop and disseminate a checklist for school districts to provide to parents to assist with each
parent’s involvement in their child’s educational progress;
•
establish a parent-response center to provide assistance to parents and families in answering
questions and resolving issues related to their child’s education.
The legislation requires each school district to:
•
adopt rules that strengthen family involvement and family empowerment;
•
develop and disseminate a parent guide to successful student achievement, consistent with the
guidelines developed by the department;
•
develop and disseminate a checklist of parental actions that can strengthen parental involvement in
their child’s educational progress;
•
comply with conforming language contained within the act;
•
provide evidence of compliance to the State Board of Education.
June 2003
Florida Department of Education
Office of Family and Community Outreach
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 544
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Phone: (850) 245-0847
Fax: (850) 245-0849
Refer Questions To:
Linda G. Thompson
850/425-0850
Linda.Thompson@fldoe.org
Florida Department of Education
1. When are districts required to implement the law?
The act shall take effect July 1, 2003. Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, each school district
shall submit a copy of the rules pertaining to the Family and School Partnership for Student
Achievement Act to the Florida Department of Education by October 1.
2. How will FLDOE continue to provide support/assistance?
Department staff will very quickly be providing opportunities for stakeholders to identify issues and
concerns, and to identify best practices. Resource materials, including required guidelines, will be
developed and distributed to district contacts based on stakeholder input and research-based practices.
Training to enhance parent involvement programs will take place throughout the year.
3. What are the reporting requirements for the State Board of Education?
Each district must provide evidence to the State Board of Education that they have achieved improved
services for families. The district must also provide evidence that they have:
●
Adopted rules that strengthen family involvement and family empowerment.
●
Developed and disseminated a parent guide to successful student achievement, and
●
Developed and disseminated a checklist of parental actions that strengthen parental involvement in
their child’s educational progress.
4. Does the Family and School Partnership for Student Achievement Act meet the Family
Involvement requirements of Title I?
An interdepartmental team is currently working to ensure that the requirements of the new act align
with the parent involvement requirements of No Child Left Behind in order to avoid duplication of
efforts.
5. What should I do to begin preparing to meet the requirements of the Family and School
Partnership for Student Achievement Act?
The Department of Education is moving quickly to provide the resources you will need to meet the
requirements of the act. In the meantime, districts will want to begin to identify family and community
stakeholders, as well as district and school level staff to provide input into fulfilling the requirements
of the act. Below are several websites that you may find helpful:
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education is a coalition of major education,
community, public service, and advocacy organizations working to create meaningful family-
school partnerships in every school in America.
National Parent Information Network
(NPIN) is a project of the ERIC system, which is
administered by the National Library of Education in the U.S. Department of Education.
National PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the United States. A not-for-
profit association of parents, educators, students, and other citizens active in their schools and
communities, the PTA encourages parental and public involvement in the public schools of this
nation.