A former adult education specialist for IBM, Raimondo drew on the Committee's considerable experience working with Kentucky parents. She also involved experts like Anne Henderson, a national parent involvement researcher and author of several books, including Beyond the Bake Sale and The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement. The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, which has invested millions in JCPS middle grades reform over the last decade, offered to support institutes in Louisville designed specifically for middle school parents. Recruiting participants for the middle grades institutes has been a challenge. Across the United States, parent involvement typically falls off after elementary school.
Experts cite several reasons for the decline.
Teachers at the secondary level often have less training in working with parents, and adolescents are less likely to encourage their parents to come to school. But visits to Institute sessions raised the comfort level of school system leaders and led to direct participation in the training by members of the district's middle-grades reform team. To further strengthen the relationship, Edelen met with JCPS middle grades principals over the summer to clarify the Institute's purpose and encourage them to help recruit Parent Fellows for the 1999-2000 training. Raimondo points to Conway Middle School principal Steve St. Clair as an example of an administrator who understands how the Institute can be a benefit to schools. Parents come away with a much better ability to talk to educators at the level that educators are talking.