Educators know that the involvement and support of parents is crucial for their children's success in school. But schools often have difficulty in drawing in and communicating with the parents of their LEP students. At the schools studied in this project, access for LEP parents is considered nearly as important as access for students. Bilingual staff and translators provide avenues for parents to participate, even if they do not speak English. In this way, these schools receive the benefit of assistance from all sectors of the parent population.
Schools are on the giving as well as the receiving end of parent involvement.
Because of the student population that they serve, these schools go beyond the types of efforts made by the average school. By providing social and health services, ESL classes, and parenting seminars to all parents, including parents of LEP students, schools enhance the likelihood of their students' academic and personal success. The opinons in this document do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement should be inferred.