PPS of Lancaster, South Carolina

As the saying goes, "It all boils down to relationships."  And relationships are being changed in Lancaster County, thanks to the work of the PPS chapter there.  This chapter, incorporated in 1998, is demonstrating PPS's brand of parent involvement in a variety of activities and projects.

Bi-monthly meetings with principals explore current priorities like the dropout problem and African-American student achievement.  PPS training for site council members works so well that one principal urged his colleagues to use it, stating that his School Improvement Council worked much better after the PPS course.

Parent involvement training at six schools looked at Joyce Epstein's model and explored with participants how to implement effective parent involvement.  They also hosted a forum on South Carolina's academic standards to share vital information that parents need to know and understand.  A fun project called the Parent Involvement Cookbook will include not only recipes from teachers and parents but also strategies for including families in their child's education.

Recognizing its importance, PPS and other agencies co-sponsored a series of events addressing kindergarten readiness.  Annual Open House functions are also held on each elementary campus to recruit incoming kindergarten students and parents into their neighborhood public school.  To keep chapter members apprised of all this activity, the chapter produces a newsletter that also includes information about current educational issues such as testing and standards.