(November 10, 2009) -- Four Minnesota schools were recently awarded as Family-Friendly Schools by the Minnesota Parent Center, Minnesota’s PIRC (Parental Information and Resource Center), a project of PACER Center. The awards were presented in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education as part of Minnesota Parent Involvement Month in October. Parents were asked to nominate schools for efforts to create a family-school partnership.

“Schools that invite parents to be partners in education realize that families play an important role in student success,” said Heather Kilgore, director of Minnesota Parent Center, MN PIRC. “We applaud these schools, along with the parents of their students, for demonstrating what strong school-family partnerships can achieve.”

The winning schools were: Woodland Elementary School, Brooklyn Park; Highland Park Elementary, St. Paul; Zachary Lane Elementary, Plymouth; Cologne Academy, Cologne.

To nominate a school, parents were asked to respond to the following questions: Does the staff make the school building a welcoming and inviting place? Do school policies and practices encourage you to be involved with your child’s learning? Do the adults in the building listen, invite, and greet you with friendly tones? Are the written materials understandable and useful?  Do they give you the information you find helpful?

Parent Involvement Month is sponsored by the Minnesota Parent Center, MN PIRC. It is cosponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Association of School Administrators, Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals, Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association, Minnesota Association of Administrators of State and Federal Education Programs, and Minnesota PTA.

For more ideas and information about parent involvement in education, visit PACER.org/mpc or call the Minnesota Parent Center, 952-838-9000; toll free 800-537-2237. The Minnesota Parent Center – MN PIRC is a project of PACER Center.