Section 124D.78 Parent and Community Participation
124D.78 PARENT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.
Subdivision 1.Parent committee.
School boards and American Indian schools must provide for the maximum involvement of parents of children enrolled in education programs, programs for elementary and secondary grades, special education programs, and support services. Accordingly, the board of a school district in which there are ten or more American Indian children enrolled and each American Indian school must establish a parent committee. If a committee whose membership consists of a majority of parents of American Indian children has been or is established according to federal, tribal, or other state law, that committee may serve as the committee required by this section and is subject to, at least, the requirements of this subdivision and subdivision 2.
The parent committee must develop its recommendations in consultation with the curriculum advisory committee required by section 120B.11, subdivision 3. This committee must afford parents the necessary information and the opportunity effectively to express their views concerning all aspects of American Indian education and the educational needs of the American Indian children enrolled in the school or program. The committee must also address the need for adult education programs for American Indian people in the community. The board or American Indian school must ensure that programs are planned, operated, and evaluated with the involvement of and in consultation with parents of children served by the programs.
Subd. 2.Resolution of concurrence.
Prior to December 1, the board or American Indian school must submit to the department a copy of a resolution adopted by the parent committee. The copy must be signed by the chair of the committee and must state whether the committee concurs with the educational programs for American Indian children offered by the school board or American Indian school. If the committee does not concur with the educational programs, the reasons for nonconcurrence and recommendations shall be submitted with the resolution. By resolution, the board must respond, in cases of nonconcurrence, to each recommendation made by the committee and state its reasons for not implementing the recommendations.
Subd. 3.Membership.
The committee must be composed of parents of children eligible to be enrolled in American Indian education programs; secondary students eligible to be served; American Indian language and culture education teachers and aides; American Indian teachers; counselors; adult American Indian people enrolled in educational programs; and representatives from community groups. A majority of each committee must be parents of children enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in the programs. The number of parents of American Indian and non-American Indian children shall reflect approximately the proportion of children of those groups enrolled in the programs.
Subd. 4.Alternate committee.
If the organizational membership or the board of directors of an American Indian school consists of parents of children attending the school, that membership or board may serve also as the parent committee.
History:
1977 c 312 s 7; 1988 c 718 art 3 s 10-13; 1991 c 265 art 3 s 18; 1994 c 647 art 3 s 19; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1997 c 7 art 1 s 71; 1998 c 397 art 2 s 149-151,164; art 11 s 3; 1Sp2001 c 6 art 2 s 41