Report urges parents to be more involved.

In Louisville, Kentucky, some Noe Middle School parents felt that sixth graders coming to the school would adjust better if they had some help.

The parents, using money they raised themselves, created Transition Night, an evening of workshops on adolescent development, school safety and academic standards.

Across the state, some Paducah high school parents did not know what classes their children should take to best prepare them for college. So, a pair of parents put together a multi-grade college application resource--complete with a 30-page college planning guide-and a workshop.

KSA-Plus and the Center for Parent Leadership want parents and school officials to work together. They recently published the report. The Case for Parent Leadership. It outlines how parents and school officials can forge a partnership. "When I was a kid there was no opportunity for parents to participate in school improvement teams," said Adam Kernan-Schloss, president of KSA-Plus Communications.

"Schools need parents," the report. states. "There is no way that schools can do the daunting job of improving chronic low achievement by themselves."

Kernan-Schloss attributes the decline in parental involvement in schools to several factors: Fewer parents stay home now than 30 years ago and many of the country's growing immigrant population are not confident about the idea of participating in their children's school.

Kernan-Schloss says often parents don't know what to expect firm schools or understand what their resposibilities are. On the other hand, schools need to reassess whether their current policies make the school environment a welcoming one for parents, the report says. Districts should also explore programming that would build parent leadership.