380 Edison Way Reno, NV 89502 Web site: http://www.nevadapirc.org Hours: 8 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday

Director: Mrs. D'Lisa Crain Phone: 775-353-5533 Fax: 775-353-5536 Evaluator: Elizabeth Christiansen, Ph.D. Evaluator affiliation: Center for Program Evaluation, University of Nevada, Reno

The Nevada State PIRC includes an all-encompassing plan for the entire State of Nevada, which has two of the nation’s top 100 largest school districts totaling of 385,401 students at 558 schools. Program goals include:

1. To provide all families, regardless of socio-economic level, minority status, home language or culture, the resources, services and support they need to become active participants in their children’s education and support learning in the home.
2. To systemically strengthen partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, administrators, and other school personnel.
3. Support parents in furthering the development process of Pre-Kindergarten students in preparedness for elementary school.
4. To coordinate federal, state, and local parent involvement services and programs.

• Apple Seeds – a home-based, bilingual parent education program. Family advocates meet with a participating family weekly or bi-weekly in their home to address specific parenting needs over a period of three to eleven sessions.
• Virtual Pre-K – a statewide effort to disseminate information regarding developmentally appropriate activities, based on Nevada Pre-K standards that parents can do at home with their children. Bilingual “recipe” cards, videos and DVD’s will be provided in a kit that families can check-out from their local library, daycare facility or community center.
• Classroom on Wheels Adult Learning Facility (CALF) Van – a mobile classroom that provides families trainings and resources on child development, behavior management, appropriate expectations, and family literacy.

Major Activities

• Math and Parent Partnerships (MAPPS) – Elementary, Middle – workshops and mini-courses for families focused on different topics in math, based on standards.
• Family Literacy Experience (FLITE) – Elementary, Middle – workshops for families on different topics in reading and writing, based on standards.
• Parent School Partnership from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) – Elementary, Middle, High School - A sixteen-week bilingual curriculum for immigrant, low socio-economic families that includes:

• School Site Structure and Function
• District Structure and Function
• School Accountability
• “Road to the University”
• Parent Rights & Responsibilities
• Politics of Education
• How to Run Meetings
• Responsible Leadership

• Nevada Parent Partners for Improved Achievement - modeled after the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership – Elementary, Middle, High School – teaching parents how to work with data and become part of the school decision-making team, school improvement process, and increase parent focus on achievement for all students.
• NCLB Outreach and workshops – information for parents on their options under No Child Left Behind, particularly Adequate Yearly Progress, School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services.
• Parent Involvement Trainings for School Staff – partners with University of Nevada, Reno, College of Education – Curriculum, Teaching and Learning– trainings on parent involvement for pre-service and in-service teachers, administrators, and front-office personnel
• Statewide Parent Involvement Summit, Statewide Parent Involvement Council
• PIRC website with resources and dissemination of information statewide through an email list of parents, educators, and community members.
• Pre-K Initiatives – partners with WCSD Early Childhood and Family Resource Centers: Virtual Pre-K, Apple Seeds Home Visiting, CALF