Academic Support and Federal Programs Information Item

DATE:	Tuesday, February 18, 2020
TO:	School Board Members
FROM:	Jeff Eakins, Superintendent
SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS
Recognition of The Parent School Partnership Program: Equipping Parents with Advocacy and Leadership Skills to Elevate the Engagement in Their Children’s Education (Academic Support and Federal Programs)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Hillsborough County Public Schools has partnered with the Mexican American Legal Defense Education Fund (MALDEF) since 2018 to implement the Parent School Partnership (PSP) program with the intention to empower parents to be advocates and leaders in their schools and engage families in their communities supporting strategic district priorities. Created in 1989, the MALDEF PSP program grew out of need to address the educational inequities faced by the Latinx community. The PSP program builds on the cultural wealth within underserved communities and allows parents to address critical educational issues, advocate for their children, and partner with respective schools to ensure academic success. Through the structure of a 12-week leadership seminar, participants learn how to overcome language and cultural barriers and gain in-depth understanding of their rights and responsibilities as parents in the American public education system. The departments of Migrant Education, Title I Parent and Family Engagement, and Hispanic and Multicultural Outreach, and our community partner, Hispanic Services Council, recognize the power of parent engagement on student achievement. In collaboration, schools across the district in our most diverse and underserved communities have trained facilitators equipped to provide parents this leadership opportunity. The following schools are participating in the program: B.T. Washington, Dover, Edison, Foster, Jackson, Mort, Palm River, Pizzo, Reddick, Ruskin, Shaw and Wimuama Elementary Schools, Marshall, Pierce, Tomlin, Turkey Creek, and Webb Middle Schools, and Alonso, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lennard and Leto High Schools.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Improve the high school graduation rate • Improve Student Achievement • Develop a culture of respect, trust, collaboration and equity • Engage and communicate with families and stakeholders
FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted:  No)
EVALUATION
The program will be evaluated through the Office of Strategy Management, Title I Program Evaluation and MALDEF’s annual evaluation via pre and post surveys.
SUBMITTED BY:

Woodland Johnson, General Director		Tracye H. Brown
Federal Programs, Title I (813) 272-4875		Assistant Superintendent (813) 272-4879
		A 05
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20200218_979 (Board Meeting) * Section A Item# 05