Parents Left Behind

Abstract

Parents Left Behind is an in-depth analysis of the policy implementation process for Section 1118 of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation. Section 1118 was designed to increase parental involvement in local schools. Four years after being signed into law, the question of how Section 1118 is understood and is being implemented by selected stakeholders, from the local, state, and federal levels were not answered in the available literature. This multi-level case study began the examination effort by describing how parental involvement programs were being implemented according to federal mandates in NCLB and how policy decisions to implement this law were made and interpreted by public actors at each governmental level to the street level context of the New Orleans Public School District. Findings from this study suggest that resources for implementation, were, at best, inadequate; communications and translations of the policy have been slow; and, parents and teachers have been left behind, not having been significantly involved in or informed about the policy. The study provides insights and recommendations for federal policymakers, State Education Authorities (SEA), and Local Education Authorities (LEA) to improve implementation and monitoring in future iterations of the law.

Awards and recognition:
Webster selected as 2010 Characters Unite award recipient

About the Author

Dr. Kyshun Webster is the founder and CEO of Operation REACH Inc, a national non-profit community education corporation. He is a nationally recognized community educator and scholar. Dr. Webster has served as a policy expert to state and federal legislators and was successful at having state laws passed in both Minnesota and Louisiana to improve implementation and monitoring of parent's rights under "No Child Left Behind." Additionally, he has served as a program development consultant to numerous private and public agencies, assisting with program quality improvement, evaluation and innovation. Dr. Webster has also worked with school districts, providing professional development to school administrators to enhance their understanding of parental involvement laws and to develop better mechanisms for district-wide implementation and monitoring. Kyshun holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Comprehensive Work, Family, and Community Education from the University of Minnesota. He earned a bachelor’s degree and K-12 teaching certification from Xavier University of Louisiana.