San Diego Unified School District logo
January 2008  
Nell Soto Grant Awards
Building Bonds between Parents and Teachers
Parents and teachers are working closer than ever to help students succeed with support from the state’s Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program. Since March 2007, district schools have been awarded a total of $690,000.

“I congratulate San Diego Unified and its schools for their success,” said Assemblywoman Nell Soto (D-Ontario), author and namesake of the program’s legislation. “I often hear about San Diego’s aggressiveness in pursuing these funds. It’s admirable.”

The grants will be used to improve academic achievement by providing funds for schools to conduct teacher home visits for elementary schools, home visits and community meetings for middle schools, and community meetings for high schools.

Community meetings are not standard parent-teacher nights. The grants are designed to bring school staff and faculty into the neighborhoods they serve. Community focal points, from churches to gyms, will serve as venues.

Bell Middle School is among several sites that have already started projects with their $35,000 award. “We’ve made many home visits and have a community meeting planned. It’s truly helping us reinforce the positive relationships with our families in support of their students’ education” said Bell Co-principal Kristi Dean.

Research consistently shows a strong correlation between parental involvement and student success. The more parents are involved with their children’s education, the better students do in a number of measures, from standardized tests and grades to avoiding delinquency and going on to college.

So far, all district schools that have applied have won awards, ranging from $15,000 to $35,000, depending on enrollment. For information on the Nell Soto Grant, visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/sw/t1/nellsoto.asp or contact Frank Pruett at fpruett@sandi.net.