Capacity BuildingAccountability Programs : 
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Capacity Building
Parent involvement is a goal of No Child Left Behind and a significant factor in student achievement. The Minnesota Department of Education supports schools' and districts' capacity to develop partnerships with parents through professional development opportunities, presentations and other resources.
Districts and schools must evaluate the involvement of parents in their Title I program and the effectiveness of their Title I parent involvement activities, including identifying barriers to greater participation by parents who have children most at risk of not meeting the state standards. The assessment methods must be documented and available for review.
MDE Contact: Debra Landvik, 651/582.8763
The Wakanheza Project
The Wakanheza Project is a program being offered to districts and schools throughout the state in order to help better the quality of the school experience for all involved. The Wakanheza Project teaches people how to reach out in stressful situations, to be supportive, and lend a hand. Wakanheza is the Dakota word for child; it literally means sacred being. The principles of Wakanheza are based on researched practices that have been tried and tested – and work. It gives schools, teachers, parents, and communities tangible, easy to use tools that work to reduce tension and barriers that lead to harsh words or actions. It amplifies what schools are already doing to offer safe, comfortable,welcoming places for children and families.
Minnesota Parent Center
The Minnesota Parent Center is a unique statewide project designed to help families and schools build stronger ties to benefit students, help parents be strong partners in their children's education and encourage community involvement to help all children succeed in school. The Minnesota Parent Center can answer questions and help you solve school-related problems.
Minnesota Parent Center also provides free research-based training for Title I schools who are interested in strengthening their parent/community involvement strategies.
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Best Practices
The Minnesota Department of Education has become a member of the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS). This organization provides resources, best practices and an excellent research-based framework for implementing family and community involvement activities for districts and schools. By accessing the link above, you will leave the MDE Website. See our copyright notice for our disclaimer regarding these links.
The NNPS model is an excellent tool for meeting the parental involvement requirements of NCLB. The framework includes six types of involvement for districts and schools to look at when designing their plan for parental involvement: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making and collaborating with the community. Minnesota districts and schools are not required to join the partnership, but are encouraged to implement the framework for the parent/community involvement at their site. Watch MDE's Web site for training dates.
Note: By clicking on the links on this page you will leave the MDE site. Please read the copyright notice at the bottom of the page for our disclaimer regarding these sites.