The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill Launches Parent/Teacher Advisory Panel Series
Discussions to Promote Family Involvement in Education
NEW YORK, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill (Grow), a
national leader in educational assessment reporting and individualized
instruction, launched the first in a series of Parent/Teacher Advisory Panels
designed to promote family involvement in education. Participants from several
school districts, including active members of PTA organizations and school
parent coordinators, attended the inaugural panel meeting, which addressed the
need to improve communication between parents and schools.
"We know parents play an important role in accelerating their children's
academic performance," said Mark Malaspina, president of The Grow
Network/McGraw-Hill. "Grow's ongoing mission with the Parent/Teacher Advisory
Panel is to work with schools and educators to develop innovative educational
materials that support students' academic achievement. The best way to ensure
that we are providing the right products and services to parents is to hear
their concerns and needs and respond accordingly."
Key findings from the inaugural panel discussions indicate that parents
need:
-- Assistance in interpreting their children's assessment results
-- Access to individual student plans targeting specific areas where help
is needed
-- Availability and access to both print and online support tools
-- Information about school curriculum and what is being taught in the
classroom
-- Resources and activities to help prepare students for the next level of
learning
Feedback received from parents and teachers during this series of panel
meetings will be used to inform the education community, promote family
involvement in education, shape future product planning, and ensure that
parental engagement tools are consistent with the needs articulated by
parents.
The Parent/Teacher Advisory Panel is part of Grow's ongoing, nationwide
initiative to identify strategies and tools that can foster meaningful
parental participation in education, which has been demonstrated to improve
students' academic success. In August 2008, Grow launched the Parent
Engagement Leadership Board, an independent panel of family and educational
researchers, administrators, and practitioners. These experts are exchanging
ideas on how to better serve the educational community, students, and parents
through parental engagement.
The Grow Network is the provider of Parent Network, a unique online parent
engagement portal used by state education departments to quickly allow
families to see and understand their students' assessment results in the
context of state standards. Parent Network provides families with Personal
Action Plans, which include skill-building activities customized to each
student's learning needs, to help all students succeed.
About The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill
Established in March 2000, The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill has become a
nationally recognized leader in individualized instruction and educational
assessment reporting. The Grow Network's innovative, patent-pending system
offers dynamic reports and differentiated learning tools, online and in print,
for families, teachers, and educational leaders. The Grow Network
CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC is part of the Assessment and Reporting group of McGraw-
Hill Education (MHE), a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). MHE
is a leading global provider of print and digital instructional, assessment
and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages.
MHE has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 60 languages.
Additional information is available at http://info.grow.net/.
