Houston, TX March 1 , 2005

Project GRAD Sponsors
1st Annual Parent Convention (en español)

Project GRAD Houston will host its 1st Annual Parent Convention on Tuesday, March 15, 2005. Over 500 parents from 71 HISD schools are anticipated to participate in the parent convention to learn and consider ways for parents to partner with schools and improve student achievement.

“National studies have drawn a link between parent involvement in school and positive performance by students,” says Dr. Laurie Ballering, Director of Research for Project GRAD Houston. “When families, schools and communities work together, children will perform better academically, stay in school longer and enjoy the process of learning.”

Parents attending the conference will have the opportunity to attend several concurrent sessions in English or Spanish on topics based on preliminary surveys of their interests.

Highlights of the Parent Convention on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 starting at 8:30 a.m. – University of Houston-Downtown, One Main Street, include:

9:30 a.m. - 10:10 a.m., “Making the Most of Middle School: A Field Guide for Parents and Others,” presented by a nationally recognized speaker and award-winning author Holly Holland.

The “Making the Most of Middle School” session gives parents a refreshing look at young adolescents and signals what parents should look for in their children’s schools. It provides advocacy strategies so all parents can ensure that their children experience the very best.

The middle school years marks a critical transition period for young adolescents and their parents. This session empowers parents to advocate for the very best education for their children. By explaining what adolescents need (and what makes them tick), this session will:

• Help parents to maximize their children’s learning in and outside the school.
• Offer sound advice for choosing the right middle school and for working with teachers and principals.
• Describe in the students’ own words, what they think about a range of issues, such as favorite and least favorite subjects, school safety, teacher quality, peer pressure, and parent-child relationships.
• Include detailed examples and explanations of effective parent/middle school partnerships, including interviews with participants.
• Present new information from extensive surveys the authors did with middle-grade students

10:20 a.m.– 11:00 a.m., “Safety from Gangs, Drugs & Violence,” presented by Victor Gonzalez, Mayor’s Anti Gang Office.

The “Safety from Gangs, Drugs & Violence,” session addresses how to keep your school and your children safe. Before we can make our schools safe, we need to help our children feel safe, self-confident and respected. Unhappy and angry children often turn to violence to express their needs – at the risk of those around them.

Tips for parents:

• Impress upon your child the importance of school and good grades.
• Spend time with your children.
• Become more involved with your children’s school activities.
• Establish rules, set limits, and be consistent.
• Respect your children’s feelings and attitudes, and help them develop a strong sense of self-esteem.
• Watch for negative influences that may lead to drug abuse, gang membership or delinquent behavior.
• Become a model of self-esteem that your children will want to emulat

Tips for both parents and educators:

• Help children develop their own self-control.
• Help children appropriately deal with problems.
• As much as possible, involve the community in prevention and intervention programs from youth violence. Youth crime does not end on school campuses.
• Listen to children when they are expressing concern.

11:10 – 12:10 p.m. Keynote Speakers:

Victor Trevino, Precinct 6 Constable, will address what it means to be a parent and how it affects the community.

Holly Holland, Author, Whatever It Takes – The Project GRAD Story, will present the latest research on parental involvement and school success while including findings of her new book documenting Project GRAD’s educational initiatives in Houston and the importance of parent engagement in the success of Project GRAD.

Notes:

• Project GRAD started at Davis High School twelve years ago as a scholarship program to help economically disadvantaged students graduate from high school and go to college. To see the success of Project GRAD Houston, click on www.projectgradhouston.org

Participants for Interviews:

• Ann Stiles, Senior Director of Academic Programs, Project GRAD Houston
• Dr. Laurie Ballering, Director of Research, Project GRAD Houston
• Javier Parra, Manager of Community Projects, Project GRAD Houston
• Holly Holland, Author & Speaker, Making the Most of Middle School
• Parents and community volunteers

For Interview Contacts:

Melissa Carroll, Director of Public Relations, Project GRAD Houston, 832-325-0301 or (c) 713-253-6953 or via e-mail at mcarroll@projectgradhouston.org

Project GRAD is a nonprofit pre-k through16 school reform model helping students, teachers, and families in twelve school districts across the country. The mission of the program is to ensure a quality public education for all children in economically disadvantaged communities so that high school graduation rates increase and graduates are prepared to enter and be successful in college.

Project GRAD now serves 133,000 students nationally in 217 schools in Akron, Atlanta, Brownsville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Kenai Peninsula, Knoxville, Lorain, Los Angeles, Newark, and Roosevelt, New York.