History of PIP

In 1985, former Governor Richard Thornburgh launched a parent involvement effort asking each school district in Pennsylvania to take a serious look at how parents could become more a part of the educational process. At that same time, literature began to support the correlation between involved parents and improved academic achievement, overall success in school, attitude toward school, and improved self-esteem. The combination of these two factors motivated the Upper Darby School District to take a closer look at a structure that would promote parent involvement in terms of “parent-student” as opposed to and in addition to the traditional “parent-school” type of involvement.

The Parent Involvement Program Committee (PIP) was formed in 1986 with one major goal: to stimulate parent interest and involvement in working with their children as they progress through their educational programs. It was conceptualized using a project/program-oriented approach that would provide a variety of outlets to stimulate, motivate, guide, and encourage direct and indirect participation in that process.

To form the committee, each building principal was asked to recommend and recruit a parent to serve from that body of parents who already exemplified the goal of the committee. An organizational meeting of the group, which outlined the nature and purpose of the project, followed. Upon agreement to serve, the committee was publicly introduced to the community via the Spotlight, the school district’s community newsletter.

The PIP Committee has operated continuously since its formation. Each year, the building principals of each of the 14 Upper Darby schools choose a parent representative who commits to serving on the PIP Committee for that school year. The group meets monthly to discuss and plan projects and programs that will meet its goal. Many of the initiatives of the committee have developed into annual commitments, while others are offered on a one-time basis. All initiatives are created, developed, and implemented by the parents with the support of the district’s public relations coordinator, who serves as chairperson of the committee, and its superintendent of schools.

The projects and programs of the PIP Committee involve a variety of communication strategies. These initiatives take the form of printed materials (i.e. reference guides and brochures), programs conducted by parents and directed toward parents, recognition awards involving presentations, and sponsored programs that promote a community service component. Each program, as it is developed, is critiqued by building principals in order to obtain feedback. After final input is gathered, the project is set in motion, accompanied by both internal and external publicity.

Evaluation of each program or project is done on an annual basis via feedback from committee members. Each year, time is spent discussing the utility of each initiative, along with its perceived value, based on the views of the PIP Committee members. PIP members are encouraged to consult with the building administrators and the respective boards of their home and school associations for input, as well. Based on this feedback, a decision to repeat, modify, or discontinue any of the year’s initiatives is made by a consensus of the committee.

Purpose of PIP

The purpose of the Parent Involvement Program Committee (PIP) is to stimulate and promote parental interest and involvement in the education of their children. The Upper Darby School District is a diverse community representing a cross section of every socio-economic stratum. It is a highly residential community of 85,000 people with nearly 12,000 students attending the school system. Family structures represent a variety of combinations, including two parent families, single parent families, and extended family groups. As a result, quality time is at a minimum and a premium, and programs geared toward stimulating activity within the family unit are a necessity.

An important role of the PIP member is that of “key communicator.” Each of the 14 schools in the district has a PIP representative who can bring concerns and questions from the home and school to the attention of the district-wide committee and the district administration. PIP members attend their home and school meetings in order to keep parents aware of PIP activities and other happenings in the district. In addition to presenting monthly reports to home and school members, PIP representatives communicate regularly with their principals about committee projects.

The Parent Involvement Program Committee also functions as a volunteer arm of the Upper Darby School District’s public relations office. By assisting in the distribution of publications, PIP parents take an active role in keeping fellow parents informed.

PA Requirement for PIP

HB0011 – Section 528

Parent Involvement Programs and Policies - Requires that all school districts establish a Parent Involvement program, Parent Involvement policy and Parent Involvement committee.

The Parent Involvement Program required under this act must:

1. Identify existing resources, activities or materials that can be used by parents to improve the academic achievement of students.

2. Identify techniques that can assist parents at home to support and improve student achievement.

3. Identify a district wide system of communicating information between parents and school officials.

4. Identify supplemental academic services available to students who score below proficient on a content area of the PSSA test.

5. Identify any mechanism for parents to provide recommendations to the school board regarding programs to improve student academic achievement.

6. Identify any mechanism for the school district to provide parents with information on resources, activities or materials that may be used to improve student academic achievement.

The Parent Involvement Policy required under this act must include:

1. Goals and objectives of the parent involvement program.
2. Strategies to meet the goals and objective of the parent involvement program.
3. Explanation of the resources, activities, materials and mechanisms identified to improve student achievement.
4. Explanation of the role of the parent involvement committee.

The Parent Involvement Committee required under this act must:

1. Be comprised of Parents of students enrolled in the school district.
2. Provide recommendations to the school board on the Parent involvement Program and Policies.

A school district may designate an already established committee of parent’s that makes recommendations on school policy to the school board as its parent involvement committee to meet the requirements of this act. No School Entity will be required to establish a new program or policy if a similar one exists and meets the requirements established in the legislation.

Structure of PIP

The PIP Committee consists of at least 14 parents and the public relations coordinator of the Upper Darby School District, who serves as chairperson. Each school has a parent representative recommended by his/her child’s building principal.

PIP Meetings

The PIP Committee meets monthly throughout the school year (except December), generally on the third Thursday of the month, at 9:30 AM. The meetings last from 1 to 1 ½ hours and are devoted to revising on-going projects/programs, planning for on-going projects/programs, and developing new initiatives. The PIP Committee meets in the Board Room at the Upper Darby High School.

Project development occurs from the grass roots level. PIP Committee members bring ideas to the floor where they are discussed.If the committee decides to pursue the project, a sub-committee is formed. This sub-committee reports back at the next PIP meeting where additional feedback attempts to further define the project. Once a final decision has been made on the details of the project and its implementation, each representative discusses the new endeavor with his/her building principal and home and school association. After further discussion and additional revisions, based on feedback received from principals and home and school officials, the project is implemented along with appropriate publicity.

Annually, the committee attempts to create one or two initiatives that are in keeping with its stated purpose. It also serves as a support group and as a key communicator group for other district projects, and is utilized by the superintendent of schools from time to time as the need arises.

Past PIP Initiatives

Upper Darby School District Blood Donor Drive

While not directed toward parent involvement in the educational program, this bi-annual service project promotes the idea of community. Parental participation provides a model of community service for students to follow. The blood donor drive effort of the PIP Committee has made a dramatic difference in annual collection rates.

Student Administration Day

Each year, top academic high school students are selected by the high school administration to be assigned to each district and high school administrator for a day. In each of the elementary and middle schools, students are chosen to spend the day with that building’s administrators. This program provides an opportunity for students to expand their knowledge of various educational administrative careers and for parents to be recognized for their contributions to their children’s academic successes.

2011-12 PIP Initiatives

Community Outreach

Golden Royals Club

This service project, created in 2009-10, promotes the idea of community and offers an appreciation to township seniors for their dedication to Upper Darby’s schools.

PIP members will create strategies to successfully publicize the Club to the community, “reward” club members, and develop volunteer opportunities within the schools for club members.

Realtor Outreach

This project, to coincide with American Education Week (November 14 – 20), will provide realtors an inside look at the exceptional educational programs offered in the Upper Darby School District.

PIP Committee members will facilitate distribution of informational brochures (created by PIP in 2009), listing schools and contact information, providing basic demographic information, and highlighting educational program information offered through UDSD, to local real estate offices.

Parental Outreach

Home and School Summit

PIP Committee members will coordinate a Home and School Summit for officers from all District schools to discuss universal roles and responsibilities, allowing a forum for the discussion and sharing of ideas and procedures.   

Countywide Parent Advocacy

PIP Committee members will work with principals and Home and School members to develop an Upper Darby School District parent advocacy group to be part of a larger countywide group in the hopes of becoming a united voice for public education and a force for change in education legislation.

Red Cross Blood Drives

PIP Committee members will coordinate with the American Red Cross to publicize and promote the Fall and Spring Family Blood Drives in our schools.

Evaluation of each program or project is done on an annual basis via feedback from committee members.  Each year, time is spent discussing the utility of each initiative, along with its perceived value, based on the views of the PIP Committee members.  PIP members are encouraged to consult with the building administrators and the respective boards of their home and school associations for input, as well.  Based on this feedback, a decision to repeat, modify, or discontinue any of the year's initiatives is made by a consensus of the committee.

2011-12 PIP Meeting Dates

• Thursday, September 22, 2011
• Thursday, October 20, 2011
• Thursday November 17, 2011
• Thursday, January 19, 2012
• Thursday, February 23, 2012
• Thursday, March 22, 2012
• Thursday, April 19, 2012
• Thursday, May 17, 2012