Parent Peer Trainer Program

The Parent Peer Trainer (PPT) Program is a direct service program which uses community parents as outreach workers. It reinforces and emphasizes the importance of parents' involvement in their children's education. The program's goals are to increase parental involvement and to improve children's performance in school through intervention before problems become insurmountable.

The major program components are one-on-one home visits, parenting workshops, and support groups. A variety of curricular and resource materials are utilized as appropriate.

School personnel (e.g., teachers, Child Study Teams) refer families who have issues which negatively impact on their child's education, as evidenced by high absenteeism, behavior problems, or poor grade. Parent Peer Trainers (PPTs) make home visits to increase the home-school communication, to teach parenting skills, and to link families to community services. The PPTs function as peers to parents, providing assistance in a nonthreatening way. The PPT may accompany clients on visits to the school, such as parent/ teacher conferences or Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings. The PPT may also bring information to parents who are not able to attend school meetings and help prepare parents for meetings. The duties of the PPTs vary according to the district they serve. They may work at the elementary or high school level or work solely with the Special Education Department.

The PPT program is administered by Ulster County BOCES and presently serves four component school districts which are located in rural areas.

Professional Development

The Coordinator and staff are available to train new Coordinators and Parent Peer Trainers. This includes a one- to two-day training on program components, effective home visiting, recordkeeping, and establishing networks within the school and community. Follow-up assistance is available through telephone contact or meetings.

Cost & Funding Options

The yearly operating costs include the salary and benefits for one paraprofessional and mileage costs. The PPT program is presently funded by a Parenting Education grant through the NYS Education Department. The PPT program will provide a grant application template to assist districts in applying for a grant. Possible funding sources for replication include ESEA Title I, ESEA Title IV, and ESEA Title VI.

The program provides a mechanism for better school- home communication to help students meet the learning standards.