Resources
Keeping Your Child Safe at School
HealthyChildren.org provides a webpage called School Safety During Emergencies: What Parents Need to Know. It helps parents learn about the actions schools across the country are taking to make themselves safer and better prepared for an emergency. https://www.healthychildren.org/spanish/safety-prevention/all-around/paginas/actions-schools-are-taking-to-make-themselves-safer.aspx. This resource is available in English and Spanish.
StopBullying.gov has many resources to teach families about bullying prevention and intervention. It is a website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.stopbullying.gov/. This resource is available in numerous languages, including Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) includes millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. Its website has facts and resources on ways to keep your child safe and healthy, including information on topics such as flu prevention, school food programs, obesity prevention, injury prevention, school safety, and emotional health. https://www.pta.org/home/family-resources. This resource is available in English and Spanish.
Keeping Your Child Healthy at School
The AttendanceWorks website provides a webpage called When Is Sick Too Sick for School? It has tips for parents about how to decide when to send a child to school or keep them home. It is available in English and Spanish. https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/messaging/how-sick-is-too-sick/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Parent Information provides resources for parents of children of various age groups. These resources offer information, tips, and suggestions regarding children’s health and safety at home and in the community. The resource also has a page on parent engagement in schools, which contains additional resources on how parents can get involved in their children’s schools to support students’ health and safety. https://www.cdc.gov/parents/https://www.cdc.gov/parents/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Parent Information Adolescent and School Health. This resource provides information on the health and safety of adolescents and the relationship between health and academic achievement. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm Resources for Parents and Caregivers are provided by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). These resources include age-related reactions to a traumatic event; bullying; discipline; grief resources; tips for military families; children’s books related to hurricanes, earthquakes, and the death of a parent; and resources on sibling death, medical trauma/hospital stay, abuse (various types), terrorism, and natural disasters. https://learn.nctsn.org/
United States Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs. This resource provides information on various child nutrition programs. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn
United States Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program. This resource provides information on National School Lunch Program (https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp), a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or free lunches to children each school day.
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). (2015) Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-el-201501.pdf. This Dear Colleague letter reminds states, school districts, and schools of their obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students have equal access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential. More information about OCR, including how to file a complaint, can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html. This resource is available in numerous languages, including Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
Definitions
A magnet school is defined in the ESEA, for purposes of the federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program, as “a public elementary school, public secondary school, public elementary education center, or public secondary education center that offers a special curriculum capable of attracting substantial numbers of students of different racial backgrounds.” Magnet schools may offer special instruction in academic content like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or different languages. Magnet schools do not charge tuition to families, though they may have a separate admissions process. Magnet schools must comply with local, state, and federal laws.
A public charter school is a publicly funded school that is typically governed by a group or organization under a legislative contract (or charter) with the state, district, or other entity. It provides an elementary or secondary education program or both. Charter schools are free from some state or local rules and regulations, but they do need to meet the accountability standards outlined in their charters. A school’s charter is reviewed periodically by the entity that granted it and can be taken away if guidelines on curriculum and management are not followed or if the accountability standards are not met.79 Public charter schools vary according to a state’s charter school laws so characteristics such as the curriculum they use or the programs they offer may differ from state to state. However, there are some common characteristics of charter schools. Among these, families choose to apply to have a child attend a charter school and attendance is free. Public charter schools also differ from traditional public schools because they can use innovative educational practices. Charter schools may offer in-person, online, and hybrid classes. A charter school that receives federal money must comply with all applicable federal requirements. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education operates the Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP), which provides money to, among other things, support the creation of new charter schools and the replication and expansion of existing, high-quality charter schools. A charter school receiving CSP money must meet the definition of a charter school in section 4310(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). See https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/school-support-and-accountability/essa-legislation-table-contents/title-iv-21st-century-schools/#sec4310 for more information.
This document contains examples and resource materials that are provided for the user’s convenience. The inclusion of any material is not intended to reflect its importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered. These materials may contain the views and recommendations of various subject matter experts as well as hypertext links, contact addresses and websites to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. The opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any outside information included in these materials. Mentions of specific programs or products in these examples are designed to provide clearer understanding and are not meant as endorsements.
79 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). The condition of education 2021: Public charter school enrollment (2009-2018). Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgb.asp.