VOLUNTEER LABOR; SCHOOLS (GENERAL); SCHOOL PERSONNEL; PARENTS;

SCHOOLS;

You asked (1) how many school districts use parents as classroom volunteers, (2) what the parent volunteers’ duties are, (3) if there is any common thread in the duties parents typically perform when volunteering in Connecticut schools, and (4) who sets policies for parent volunteers.

SUMMARY

School districts make extensive use of parents as volunteers in public schools, both in and out of the classroom, according to an OLR survey of school districts conducted for this report. Almost 98% of districts that responded to our survey said they use parents as volunteers. Parent volunteers are more extensively used in elementary and middle grades, but volunteering in high schools is also common.

The most frequent type of parental volunteer duty is chaperoning field trips and special events, but most districts also use parents in the classroom to read to students and help them with special projects. Parents are also an integral part of extra-curricular activities such as sports, plays, and book and bake sales. Parents also serve as mentors, coaches, tutors, and career advisors.

Most districts’ parental volunteer policies are set by local boards of education, either alone or with input from superintendents, school principals, and teachers. Principals also have key roles in determining policies on parent volunteers.

The information in this report is based on a mail survey of Connecticut school districts, regional education service centers (RESCs), charter schools, and endowed academies (three private schools used as high schools by certain districts) conducted between June 11 and June 30, 2003. We received responses from 133 of 186 possible respondents (71. 5%). Districts and schools that have not responded as of the date of this report are shown in Table 4 (attached). A copy of the survey form is also attached.

USE OF PARENTS AS VOLUNTEERS

Virtually all (98%) districts and schools responding to the survey use parents as volunteers. Only three respondents said they did not use parents at all or used them only seldom. The three are: Sterling, a preK-8 district; the Gilbert School, an endowed academy that serves certain towns in Litchfield County as a high school; and The Bridge Academy, a charter high school in Bridgeport.

Districts report using parent volunteers at all grade levels, though many said such volunteering is most common at the elementary level (See Table 1 attached).

TYPES OF DUTIES

Districts report using parents for a wide range of duties, both in and out of the classroom. The survey asked districts to check whether parents were used in six specified types of duties. Of the specified duties, the most frequently cited was as chaperones on field trips and for special events. The least frequent use of parents was for clerical duties.

The percentage of respondents using parent volunteers in each of the six specified areas is shown in the Table below.

Parent Volunteer Duties

In addition to the six areas specified, districts were also asked to list any other types of duties for which they used parent volunteers. Nearly 40% of districts and schools responding did so, listing a wide range of activities. Among them are: coaching sports; helping with plays and musical productions; mentoring and tutoring; playground, corridor, and cafeteria supervision; staffing career centers and career days; school beautification and maintenance; and book and bake sales and other fundraising. Table 2 (attached) shows the activities, by district.

SETTING VOLUNTEER POLICIES

The survey asked respondents to specify who sets policies on parent volunteers in their districts among the following possibilities: board of education, superintendent or district administrator, school principal, or classroom teacher. Most responding districts use a combination of these authorities to implement and oversee parent volunteers.

The board of education sets the policy for 96 respondents (72%), although it receives help and input from the superintendent, principals and teachers in 62 of these districts. After the board, the next most common officials to set or help set parent volunteer policies are school principals, who do so for 86 districts (65%). School superintendents set or are involved in setting the policy for 62 districts (47%) and classroom teachers do so in 46 districts (35%). Thirty-one districts report that parent volunteer policies are set with input from all levels.

Essex reports that its parental volunteer policies are set by the board of education with assistance from a team consisting of an administrator, school counselor, and school psychologist and from its Parent-Teacher Organization. The Six-to-Six Magnet School, an interdistrict magnet school, reports that its policies are established by the school’s planning and management team. The Odyssey Community School, a charter school, reports that it has no formal policies but that parent volunteers are an integral part of the school. A complete listing of responses is shown in Table 3 (attached).

OTHER INFORMATION

Several districts and schools provided additional information.

• Guilford reports that all school volunteers are required to complete a district training program before assisting in the schools.

• Odyssey Community School requires parents to volunteer at least 20 hours per year at the school.

• New Haven has a central office (School Volunteers for New Haven, Inc. ) that coordinates all volunteers for its public schools (brochure attached). Volunteers must register with the central office before working in a school.

• New Britain, Hartford, Waterbury, and Manchester have designated employees in charge of community and parent involvement in the schools.

• East Windsor and Plainfield forwarded their volunteer policies. Copies are attached.

TABLE 1: USE OF PARENT VOLUNTEERS AND GRADE LEVELS

(C) = Charter school

TABLE 2: PARENT VOLUNTEERS’ DUTIES