This blog was published in 2020 but was updated on May 25th, 2023.

Parent engagement software is modernizing how administrators manage school-to-home communications while remaining compliant with federal and civil rights laws.

Rather than developing required notifications and forms individually and translating each one every time, there is an amendment or update, administrators can use parent engagement software systems to send out translated notifications and comply with federal requirements and civil rights laws.

TransACT® ParentNotices is a software subscription to pre-translated federally required (or recommended) parent notifications and online collections of multi-language parent-school communications. ParentNotices is aligned with federal requirements, supports teachers in creating an inclusive communication strategy for all students, and keeps schools prepared in the event of a monitoring visit. 

Just before the holidays, the US Congress passed, and Trump signed an appropriations bill into law that funds education for the 2020-2021 school year. The funding for education includes increases for many programs with a $1.3 Billion increase overall. School districts that receive Title I, Title III, or other federal education program funding will likely see an increase in per-pupil funding in the 20-21 school year. More information about funding levels for specific programs can be found in this Education Week article.

TransACT’s Parent Notices team looks forward to the National ESEA Conference every year. It gives us the opportunity to meet with and learn more about our current customers as well as stay up to date on the topics that are at the forefront for educators working in ESEA (ESSA) programs across the country. We’ve poured over the schedule and wanted to provide you with some presentations that we think would be worth checking out at the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrator's Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, February 4-7, 2020. 

In 2004, the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) set out to create a framework for measurement and analysis in school district operations and to help district business leaders think strategically about how to improve processes, conserve resources, and positively impact student achievement while managing the school district budget. In conjunction with TransACT, CGCS founded the ActPoint® KPI Project. For more than a decade, districts nationwide piloted the KPIs, and results are compared annually. 

Continuing Our Tradition of Support as Official Partner of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Edmonton Chapter  

Edmonton, Canada – RightLabs (a TransACT Communications brand) the customer-friendly, easy-to-use event registration software is pleased to join the Association of Fundraising Professionals -Edmonton Chapter in celebrating National Philanthropy Day November 21, 2019.  

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) resulted in significant changes for requirements related to students in foster care in both the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and Title I of the ESEA/ESSA.  

In today’s progressively diverse districts, it is increasingly complicated for school systems to ensure compliance with the federal communication and language requirements for parent notices, school forms, campus-wide signs, and important school-to-home messaging. An education compliance solution such as TransACT Parent Notices provides school and district staff with instant access to compliant communications in priority languages to improve district communications, compliance, and parent and family engagement.

Making the Grade for Students Experiencing Homelessness

We all share the same mission, to provide the best services we can and help students succeed. It is easy to get swept away in the day-to-day of running a district, or Coordinating Title I, Title III, and McKinney-Vento programming or becoming caught up in an overwhelming amount of data without knowing where you can make a further positive impact. 

There are many challenges to working with students experiencing homelessness, particularly when it comes to the complex reporting requirements that, for example, vary between federal grants like the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act grants and ESSA Title I homeless student services. 

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) made some significant changes to how schools are identified as "in improvement."