The Nebraska Association of School Boards presents the

2010 Nebraska Governor’s Education Initiative Award: 

Parental Involvement Programs 

Sponsored by

ALICAP
NASB All Lines Interlocal Cooperative Aggregate Pool
A Risk Management Option for Nebraska School

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Purpose:
Because parents [1] are such a vital link in every student’s success, it is important that schools work together with families and communities to provide the best learning environment possible.  In recognition of the critical role parents play in student achievement, the Nebraska Association of School Boards, in cooperation with Governor Dave Heineman, is supporting the third annual awards program to highlight exemplary practices in cultivating parent involvement and engagement in Nebraska’s public schools. 

Governor’s Education Initiative Awards, sponsored by ALICAP:  A plaque and a $1,000 prize, both provided by ALICAP, will be awarded at each of four levels, based on district enrollment*:
– Districts with enrollments of 5,000 or more;
– Districts with enrollments of 1,000-4,999;
– Districts with enrollments of 500-999; and,
– Districts with enrollments up through 499.

* The Selection Committee will use NDE’s 2009-10 enrollment figures to determine the level of each district that submits an application.

Eligibility:  All current NASB member districts and/or individual buildings in those districts are eligible to be nominated for these awards. Though districts that have previously won the Governor’s Award are no longer eligible to participate, individual buildings in those districts may now be nominated. Buildings will be judged in the same enrollment category as that of their district.

Certificates of Recognition:  The Selection Committee will identify “Promising Practices” among the entries and award a Special Certificate of Recognition to those districts.

Governor’s Participation:  Governor Heineman will present the Governor’s Education Initiative Awards, sponsored by ALICAP, at the luncheon on Friday, November 19th, during the NASB/NASA State Education Conference.  The governor also plans to follow up with a personal visit to each of the four selected districts to raise awareness of exemplary parental involvement programs that result in improved student achievement in our state.

Obligations of the Selected Districts: Representatives of each of the four selected districts and/or individual buildings will be expected to attend the luncheon on November 19th. 

Selection Committee:  The Selection Committee is composed of twelve members: Kathy Danek, board member, Lincoln Public Schools; Suzan DeCamp, Board Member, St. Paul Public Schools; Glen Larsen, Board Member, ESU #9, and Superintendent, Blue Hill Public Schools; Kent Malm, Board Member, Central City Public Schools; Jackie Maynard, Board Member, Hastings Public Schools; Dave Melick, Superintendent, Madison Public Schools; Linda Poole, Board Member, Millard Public Schools; Paula Sissel, Superintendent, Garden County Schools; Lisa St. Clair, Director, Nebraska Parental Information and Resource Center; Jim Vlach, Board Member, Lyons-Decatur Northeast Public Schools; Brian Hale, NASB Director of Communications; and Burma Kroger, NASB Director of Board Development.

Selection Criteria:  The selection criteria are based on materials developed by Joyce Epstein, Director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University[2], and by the National Parent Teacher Association[3];and by Beyond the Bake Sale - The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships, written by Anne T. Henderson, Dr. Vivian Johnson, Karen L. Mapp, and Don Davis[4]. 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Applications:  Applications must be submitted online at www.nasbonline.org.  The form includes four statements and one question. Applicants should submit a description – not to exceed 350 words (this is a maximum number of words, not a minimum) – of the district’s efforts in response to each of the four statements or to as many as of the statements as applicable. All applicants must respond to Question #5. Each narrative should describe at least one specific example of a program that is succeeding in the district and note the duration of the program, including the start date. In selecting the exemplary programs to be recognized, the Selection Committee will consider program duration, the quantitative and qualitative data submitted, and the number of questions answered.

Bonus Innovation Question:  The application form also includes one bonus question which is based on a process included in Beyond the Bake Sale. As part of this process, a district or individual building should appoint a local team made up of an administrator, 3-5 parents (none of whom are employed by the district or related to district personnel), and 1-2 other staff members. Using the BBS checklist, the team should assess the district or building according to the checklist criteria and develop a plan to address the areas in need of improvement. Bonus question entries should not exceed 450 words and should include a brief description of the composition of the team, as well as an accounting of the actions to be taken or already taken as a result of the team’s effort. The checklist is accessible online at this address:

http://www.nde.state.ne.us/CIPtoolkit/familycommunity/pdf/Checklist_Family_Friendly.pdf

If you’re an administrator in a 21st Century Community Learning Center, you may already have a copy of Beyond the Bake Sale. If not, please contact Karen Stevens, Nebraska Department of Education, 402-471-2448 or karen.stevens@nebraska.gov.

Printing:  Please note that the completed application form may be printed in full only after the applicant has clicked the “submit” button.

Deadline:  All nominations must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on October 1st, 2010.  Award recipients will be notified no later than November 1st.

Publication of Application Responses:  The responses of all entrants may be quoted or compiled into a document for public distribution.

Assistance:  Questions should be directed to Burma Kroger at the Nebraska Association of School Boards; phone 800-422-4571 or 402-423-4951; e-mail bkroger@nasbonline.org.

National PTA Standards Information:  http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/news2/pta.html

Submit Application