5000a Series

5010 - Parental Involvement in Education

The service unit recognizes the importance of parental involvement in the education of their children. To ensure such rights, parents will be:

  1. Provided access, to textbooks and other curricular materials and tests used in the relevant ESU 4 program.
    1. A parental request to review specific approved textbooks and other curricular materials used within the relevant ESU 4 program (written, visual, and audio) should be made to the administrator of the program where the textbooks and curriculum materials are used. Parents may check out textbooks and may review curricular materials such as video and audio recordings within a time frame determined by the program administrator to prevent disruption of the instructional process.
    2. A parental request to review specific standardized and criterion- referenced tests used in the program should be made in writing to the program administrator. In the case of secure tests such as the ACT, parents must contact the publisher to obtain copies of the test.
  2. Permitted, within relevant program procedures, to attend and observe courses, assemblies, counseling sessions, and other instructional activities.
    1. Parents are invited to make appointments with the program administrator to visit classes, assemblies and other instructional activities. The administrator shall give permission only after determining that parental observation would not disrupt the activity.
    2. Parents may request permission to attend counseling sessions in which their child is involved.
  3. Permitted, within relevant program procedures, to ask that their children be excused from testing, classroom instruction, surveys and other school experiences that parents find objectionable.
    1. Program administrators will excuse a student from any single educational experience at the parent's written request.
    2. When appropriate, alternative experiences will be provided for the student by the service unit.
  4. Informed through the student handbook of the manner that the unit will provide access to records of students.
  5. Informed of the standardized and criterion-referenced testing program. Parents may request additional information from the relevant program administrator.
  6. Notified of their right to remove their children from surveys prior to district participation in surveys.
    1. The program administrator must approve all surveys intended to gather information from students before they are administered to students.
    2. Students' participation in surveys is voluntary. Parents may restrict their child from participating in any survey.

Adopted on: June 8, 2009
Revised on: _________________________
Reviewed on: November 14, 2011