Effective school-to-home communication plays a vital role when it comes to achieving successful student outcomes. However, staying in compliance with Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements when communicating with parents and family members can prove quite challenging for schools and districts, especially with the increases to Parent and Family Engagement requirements under ESSA.

Parents and families play an integral role in their children's education, and establishing meaningful two-way communication with them fosters student success. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) establishes communication guidelines with parents who do not proficiently speak English. The right technology supports schools’ compliance with these rules, especially when parents have limited English proficiency (LEP). 

Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes a fiscal restriction called ‘Supplement not Supplant’ that includes federal, state, and local funds and laws. This means that if there is a federal, state, or local law that requires EL related programs, services, activities, or expenditures, then Title III funds cannot be used to pay for the things required by other laws. 

TransACT^® ParentNotices is an unlimited, district-wide subscription to expertly written, translated parent notifications. ParentNotices is aligned with federal communication requirements (including Civil Rights, ESSA, Section 504, and IDEA) and supports teachers in creating an inclusive communication strategy for all families. In a recent product update, TransACT ParentNotices released features to support parents in understanding the school's communications: a translated "Parent-View."

To meet federal and civil rights requirements, school administrators must provide parent communications in a language parents can understand. Administrators are specifically required to meet these communication requirements for the top 5 languages in their district.

School administrators recognize that effective communication translates to stronger parent and family engagement, which countless studies have correlated with positive educational outcomes and better classroom behavior. One-third of administrators say effective school-to-home communication is a top issue in their district. School districts are tasked with improving parent and family engagement, while also complying with federal education laws like the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

As they seek to remove communication obstacles and improve family engagement, school districts are investing in parent communication apps. Determining the best fit from the countless solutions on the market can prove challenging.  When searching for a parent communication app, school districts should look for these key features.

The student populations of school districts have become increasingly diverse in recent years, and as a result, parent communications and engagement laws have also changed. In order to remain compliant, school districts must adhere to federal education law requirements such as those detailed in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and in Civil Rights case law.

The most recent change to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program runs counter to two recent court rulings. The Administration’s most recent pronouncement notes that new DACA applications are blocked, and renewals shortened from two years to one.

In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or DACA. The ruling was a massive win for DACA recipients but left open the possibility for the Trump administration to try to rescind DACA again, using different legal arguments.