National PTA has awarded Tennessee PTA with a two-year grant to educate parents on school report cards and empower them to advocate to ensure this data is accessible, transparent and actionable. Tennessee PTA is one of only five state PTAs nationwide selected to receive a grant.
“The Every Student Succeeds Act requires school districts and states to annually release a school report card, which includes important information about school environment, demographics and performance on the state, local and school level. This data, however, doesn’t always speak for itself,” said Jim Accomando, president of National PTA. “We are pleased to provide Tennessee PTA with resources to empower parents to read, interpret and take action to turn school report cards into results for their child’s school.”
With the grant, Tennessee PTA will host educational events and trainings and develop and disseminate materials to educate parents on school report cards and help them read and interpret the reports. Tennessee PTA will also empower parents to advocate to ensure education data is accessible and transparent, and how to use education data to demand improvements that lead to school and student success. Additionally, Tennessee PTA will bring together parents and state and local policymakers to elevate the issue of data transparency and utilization and facilitate improvements.
“Access and understanding the data is critical to the success of our children” said Cheryl Floyd, president of Tennessee PTA. She quotes from the Dalai Lama “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity”.
The grant program is part of National PTA’s new From Report to Results campaign and the association’s mission to ensure that parents and families are meaningfully supported and engaged in their children’s education.