Delaware Code Title 14. Education § 157. Parental involvement in education of parents of schools and school personnel

(a) There is no adequate substitute for the involvement of a concerned and committed family in the education of a child.  The State therefore endeavors to encourage parents and families to become involved in the education of their children and to operate a system of public schools which welcomes and fosters such positive involvement by parents and families.

(b) Among the most important elements of effective parental and family involvement in education are:  communication--regular, 2-way, meaningful communications between parents and schools;  effective parenting skills--the exercise by parents of good parenting skills for the benefit of their children and the fostering of such skills by public schools;  parental involvement in student learning--parents play an integral role in student learning and emphasize the importance of education, and schools assist parents in these endeavors;  volunteerism--parents are welcomed by schools, and commit themselves to providing support to their children's schools as volunteers;  school based decisionmaking--parents involve themselves in the educational decisionmaking process at the school and district level and are welcomed in that role by schools;  collaboration with the community--parents and schools work together to strengthen the connection between families, schools and community resources such as nonprofit organizations, business and religious institutions.

(c) The Department of Education shall work with the Delaware State Congress of Parents and Teachers to promulgate and maintain in current form a Parents' Declaration of Responsibilities reflecting the elements set forth in subsection (b) of this section and such other elements of effective parental and family involvement as the Department identifies.  Such Declaration shall identify responsibilities for parents and families, as well as the responsibilities the public schools have to help parents meet such responsibilities.

(d) The Department of Education shall encourage local school districts and schools to adopt the Parents' Declaration of Responsibilities as local policy and to encourage parents at the beginning of each school year to execute an agreement to commit themselves to carry out, to the best of their abilities, the responsibilities outlined in the Declaration.