Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs)

The first Parent Information Resource Centers were created by the U.S. Department of Education in 1995 to provide parents, schools and organizations working with families with training, information, and technical assistance to understand better how children develop and what they need to succeed in school. Today, there are over 80 PIRCs in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, funded through a competitive grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

The first Parent Information Resource Centers were created by the U.S. Department of Education in 1995 to provide parents, schools and organizations working with families with training, information, and technical assistance to understand better how children develop and what they need to succeed in school. The PIRC program was reauthorized when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was reauthorized in 2001 as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (see Title V, Part D, Subpart 16 of NCLB). Today, there are over 80 PIRCs in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

PIRCs work closely with parents, family advocates, educators, community organizers, and others committed to educational success for all students, especially low-income, minority, and English language-learning students. PIRCs help parents and schools become effective partners by helping schools to fulfill the requirements of No Child Left Behind and implement effective parent involvement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improved academic achievement for all students.

PIRCs provide parents with a greater understanding of what it means to be involved in their children’s education and helps them become more involved and fosters high student achievement by

• Organizing parent workshops
• Holding or participating in community activities that show parents how to be involved in their children's learning
• Providing teachers with strategies and curricula that engage families
• Providing parents with access to resources and social services.
• Providing parents with knowledge on No Child Left Behind

According to Barbara Smith, Director of the Utah Family Center, “PIRCs are the only non-school, non-institutional place parents can go to talk to someone about their school’s report card or any other questions they have about No Child Left Behind or the state’s accountability system. It is a safe place where parents who are not comfortable talking to the school can get their questions answered so they can make informed choices concerning public school choice and supplemental services.”

PTAs across the country work with PIRCs in various capacities and levels of involvement. Two examples include the Utah State PTA and the Colorado State PTA:

• The Utah Family Center operates the Utah based PIRCs with National PTA acting as the non-profit facilitator of the grant.
• Together, the Utah PTA and the two Utah PIRCs have set up 8 regional centers which are located throughout the state including one on the Indian reservation in Monument Valley.
• There are 6 smaller satellite centers located in 6 of Utah’s lowest performing schools.
• They have 10 parent-liaisons assigned to improve parent involvement and school readiness in 16 of Utah’s most at-risk schools.
• Last year, they distributed information to over a half a million parents.
• With grant money, they were able to distribute a reading activity calendar to 240,000 homes in Utah in 2004 as well as almost every library in the state. This encouraged reading 20 minutes a day from birth to age 18. The Governor gave a certificate to every child or parent that read 20 minutes a day all summer. The calendar was printed in English, Spanish, and Navajo.
• Utah PTA also serves as the state coordinators for all Parents as Teachers (PAT) programs across the state. Their small investment in advocacy and training is now generating over $3 million in PAT services across the state.
• With the funding they receive from PIRC grants, the Colorado PTA has been able to
• Write, publish and distribute two editions of a parent involvement magazine to every school principal in Colorado, every district superintendent, their state legislators, and every local PTA. They are working on a third edition to be printed this summer;
• Expand its “Building Successful Partnerships” trainings throughout the state, including the “How to Help Your Child Succeed” workshop.
• Partner with the Colorado PIRC to present workshops on how to help your child with homework; and
• Translate the National PTA how to help your child with homework pamphlet into Spanish.

Effectively engaging parents and families in the education of their children has the potential to be far more transformational than any other type of educational reform. More than 35 years of research has proven the positive connection between parent involvement and student success. Further, schools with well-structured, quality parent involvement programs experience profound benefits for students, parents, teachers, and overall school quality. When parents are involved in a student’s education, students have higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates. Students have better school attendance, there is a decrease in the use of drugs and alcohol and fewer instances of violent behavior. When parents are involved, teachers and administrations have greater morale, increased teacher effectiveness, and greater job satisfaction.

PIRC funding, however, is the only source of federal funding that is solely intended to help schools and communities meet the requirements of parent involvement contained within NCLB.

• PIRC funding was slated for elimination in the administration’s fiscal year 2005 (FY05) budget proposal. Congress however appropriated $41.9 million for FY05.
• PIRC funding was slated for elimination in the administration’s fiscal year 2006 (FY06) budget proposal. Congress however appropriated $39.6 million for FY06.
• PIRC funding has been slated once again for elimination in the administration’s fiscal year 2007 budget proposal.
• Elimination of funding would cause most, if not all PIRCs, to cease operations.

Parent involvement is a pillar of NCLB. In fact, parents are mentioned over 650 times in the law, an acknowledgement that parents are the most influential person in a child’s education and deserve our continued support. However, PIRC funding is the only source of federal funding that is intended solely to help schools and communities meet the requirements of parent involvement contained within NCLB.

During these critical times in education reform, maintaining funding for PIRCs is essential. As states continue to implement the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, schools across America are working hard to improve academic results for all children. Inclusion of parents and families in implementing these reforms is crucial to its success. Engaging effectively parents and families in the education of their children has the potential to be far more transformational than any other type of educational reform. Parents who are able to be involved meaningfully and appropriately in these reform efforts will help ensure that our goals are achieved.