NEW YORK CITY - Federal, New York state and New York City education officials today met with parent advocacy groups to discuss how to better inform parents of the educational options available to their children under No Child Left Behind, including public school choice and supplemental services, such as tutoring. The meeting was hosted by Every Person Influences Children (EPIC) and was held at New York University's Kimmel Center for University Life.

"Parental involvement is pivotal in a child's education," U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige said. "And No Child Left Behind empowers all parents to get involved and to hold their child's school accountable for what their child is learning and should know."

The daylong conference included workshops on the options available to parents whose children attend Title I schools (schools with low-income students) and the accountability of states and local education agencies regarding these options; how school performance is measured and how intervention strategies are used to improve schools; public school choice and supplemental services, such as free tutoring, available to parents; and the options and opportunities available to homeless students and families.

Under No Child Left Behind, parents have options to ensure that their children receive a high-quality education. If a child attends poorly performing schools, the law allows a transfer to a higher-performing school in the area or the student may be eligible for supplemental educational services, such as tutoring, after-school programs or remedial classes.

The Department's Office of Innovation and Improvement is sponsoring the event. OII was created in December 2002 to make strategic investments in and widely distribute information about promising education practices. The office also leads the Department's efforts to provide more information to parents about the options that the No Child Left Behind Act affords them for their children's education.

More information is available about the No Child Left Behind Act and parental involvement at http://www.ed.gov/nclb/choice/help/ edpicks.jhtml?src=fp.

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