The Parent and Family Engagement program's goal is to provide parents and families with effective strategies and systems of support that help the overall goal of improving student achievement.

Birmingham City Schools is dedicated to building capacity in parents, educators, and community organizations by: 

• Providing assistance to parents of children served by the school or local educational agency, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the State's academic content standards and State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children;  

• Providing materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children's achievement.  

• Educating teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school;  

• To the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public pre-school programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more  fully participating in the education of their children.

• Ensuring that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand;  

• Providing such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request. 

LaKesha Douglas
Family Involvement Program Specialist