SUPPORT the Bennet-Reed amendment for Statewide Family Engagement Centers Amendment #2159

This is not a new program. The Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRC) Program (Title V, Part D, Subpart 16) is an authorized program in current law.

This amendment reauthorizes the PIRC program as the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFEC) to provide technical assistance, outreach and coordination to strengthen family engagement in schools and school districts. Program is authorized at such sums in FY 2016 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

This amendment would help strengthen family engagement through assistance to states, school districts, teachers, and families. These centers will provide states and school districts with the capacity to support effective implementation and enhancement of systemic and effective family engagement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student development and academic achievement.

The amendment language mirrors language in H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, which passed the House of Representatives.

These centers will help to ensure that Title I LEAs will more effectively use their one-percent set-aside for family engagement. School districts and schools will have hub of evidence-based family engagement strategies to support student achievement with these centers.

States will have the flexibility to create and operate their family engagement center to meet the unique needs of their state and local school districts.

Effective family engagement at the school and district level helps parents and families understand topics that will help them become equal partners with educators in improving their childrens academic achievement and success.

Research shows that family engagement can raise student achievement so substantially that schools would need to increase spending by more than $1,000 per pupil to gain the same results.