Chapter 1: New Directions for Title I Family Engagement: Lessons from the Past

Since the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, parent involvement (which has been expanded to include family engagement) has been recognized to be a component of social justice, equity, and quality education, but often an elusive and erratic component of ESEA and federal policy. For instance, the original ESEA Title I did not contain any parental involvement provisions, but was fundamentally a school-based bill designed to provide financial assistance to low-income school districts and to advance integration. Over the years and through seven reauthorizations, parental involvement has taken on many shapes and forms, from collective organizing, decision making, and training parents in working with their children, to promoting parental choice.