ParentInfo, September 15, 2007

Last Updated on Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 10:01 PM

In this issue:

*Welcome back!

*No Child Left Behind Results

*Parent-Teacher Conferences

*Kentucky Kids Day

*College Savings Month

*Promote Your School Scholarship contest

Welcome back!
Welcome back to many of you who may not have received ParentInfo for a while. A review of e-mail addresses showed many were not updated when school districts and the Kentucky Department of Education switched e-mail formats. The result was that your ParentInfo newsletters were ending up in dead-end mailboxes. We have re-entered subscription addresses to conform to the new formats, which is why you are getting ParentInfo again.

If you receive this e-mail in error, or no longer wish to subscribe to ParentInfo, you may remove yourself from the listserv by following the directions below. On the other hand,
if you find at least some of the information useful, please feel free to pass it along to others who might be interested in receiving the ParentInfo e-mail newsletter twice a month. Thanks!

No Child Left Behind Results

Data indicate that more than 75 percent of Kentucky's 1,167 public schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the 2006-07 school year under the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

AYP results are based on the Kentucky Core Content Tests' (KCCT) items in reading and mathematics. Schools are required to have specific percentages of students reaching proficiency or above in reading and mathematics each year and to meet other criteria in order to make AYP.

Schools and districts that are funded by the federal Title I program, which provides funds to ensure that disadvantaged children receive opportunities for high-quality educational services, will be subject to federal consequences if they do not make AYP in the same content area in any student group for two or more consecutive years. Statewide, 147 schools are subject to consequences outlined through NCLB.

Consequences for the tiers increase each consecutive year that a school does not make AYP. In each case, parents are to be notified and have the option to choose a different school.

Because of changes in implementation of NCLB for districts and schools, comparisons from 2006 to 2007 should be made with caution. An impact study will be done to determine the degree of genuine school improvement from 2006 to 2007 versus increases due to changes in NCLB policy.

Signed into law in January 2002, NCLB requires states to provide information on schools' and districts' progress toward proficiency by 2014. Each state uses its own standards and assessments to make the annual determinations. Kentucky used data from the 2006 and 2007 administration of the KCCT to provide 2007 AYP information for its schools and districts.

Detailed information on the AYP status of each Kentucky public school and district is available online.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
The cooler temperatures signal fall is in the air, and that means it’s once again time at many schools for parent-teacher conferences.

Many teachers say that they don’t often receive information from parents about problems at home. Many parents say that they don’t know what the school expects from their children—or from them. Sharing information is essential, and both teachers and parents are responsible for making it happen.

Here are some ideas from the U.S. Department of Education on how you can get the most out of parent-teacher conferences:

Set up a conference early in the school year. Let the teacher know that you are interested in your child’s education and that you want to be kept informed of his/her progress.
If possible, also arrange to observe the teaching in your child’s classroom. Afterward, talk with the teacher about what you saw and how it fits with your child’s needs.
Before a conference, write out questions you want to ask and jot down what you want to tell the teacher. Be prepared to take notes during the conference and ask for an explanation if you don’t understand something.
Talk with the teacher about your child’s talents, hobbies, study habits and any special sensitivities he might have, such as concerns about weight or speech difficulties.
Tell the teacher if you think your child needs special help and about any special family situation or event that might affect your child’s ability to learn. Mention such things as a new baby, an illness, divorce or a recent or an upcoming move. Tell the teacher what kind of person you want your child to become and what values are important to you.
Ask the teacher for specific details about your child’s work and progress. If your child has already received some grades; ask how your child is being evaluated.
Ask about specific things that you can do to help your child. At home, think about what the teacher has said and then follow up. If the teacher has told you that your child needs to improve in certain areas, check back in a few weeks to see how things are going.
Approach the teacher with a cooperative spirit. If you disagree with the teacher about an issue, don’t argue in front of your child. Set up a meeting to talk only about that issue. Before that meeting, plan what you are going to say. Try to be positive and remain calm. Listen carefully. If the teacher’s explanation doesn’t satisfy you, and you do not think you can make progress by further discussion with the teacher, arrange to talk with the principal or even the school superintendent.

More ideas on questions to ask and other ways you can make a parent-teacher conference successful are available online from the National Education Association.

Kentucky Kids’ Day
Schools across the commonwealth are planning special events to celebrate Kentucky Kids’ Day on September 25. Some schools will be handing out stickers, others relaxing the dress code for the day and still others will be engaging students in special activities.

The day is set aside each year to encourage schools to send the message to each child that he or she is a special and unique individual who is respected and loved.

Kentucky Kids' Day also serves to make the public aware of the educational and personal needs of children and the role they play as our most important natural resource. The Kentucky PTA established Kentucky Kids Day in 1985.

College Savings Month
September 2007 has been declared National College Savings Month, to encourage families to plan ahead and save for their children's college education.

According to the College Board, the average cost for tuition and fees at four-year public institutions has increased nearly 51% over the last 10 years (after adjusting for inflation), and these costs will almost certainly continue to rise. Saving for college can help with the increasing cost of a college education and help you be financially prepared when your children are ready for college.

No matter how much you save, even a little can make a difference.

In Kentucky, families can take advantage of the Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust (KESPT) to save for a child’s higher education. An account may be used to pay any qualified higher education expense, including tuition, fees, supplies, books, equipment required for enrollment, and certain room and board expenses, depending on a student’s housing and enrollment status. An account may be opened for a beneficiary of any age and the account owner determines the method, schedule and amount of contributions.

The KESPT is a “529 plan” because it qualifies for special tax benefits under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, including exemption of earnings from federal taxes. Earnings are also exempt from Kentucky income taxes.

KESPT is administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), the state government agency that administers need-based grants, merit-based scholarships, work-study and loan programs to help pay for higher education.

For more information about the Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust, call 877 KY TRUST (598-7878) or visit the KESPT Web site.

Promote Your School Scholarship contest
The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) and The Student Loan People are sponsoring the Promote Your School Scholarship contest.

High school juniors are asked to submit an essay of 200 words or less on why their school is the best in the state. Students should not mention the name of the school or any other identifying factors in their essays.

The winner will get a $500 scholarship to the Kentucky college of his/her choice and a photo shoot for their school. The photos will be used in KHEAA and The Student Loan People books and other publications. Students from high schools that have already been featured – Danville, duPont Manual, George Rogers Clark, Murray and Trimble County aren’t eligible this year.

Essays can be sent to KHEAA, Publications Section, P. O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602-0798 or faxed to (502) 696-7230. Entries can also be e-mailed to publications@kheaa.com. The deadline for submissions is November 1.

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