4801 North Classen Blvd., Suite 212
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Web site: http://www.okpirc.org
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Director:
Tuccoa Polk, MPA
Phone: 405-478-4078
Fax: 405-478-4077
Evaluator: Betty Harris
Evaluator affiliation: University of Oklahoma
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State PIRC Board:Dr. Ann Kaigler-Love, Director Federal Programs, Lawton Public Schools
Tom Sipe, Director Federal Programs, Ponca City Schools
Mary Pearson, Executive Director Title I School Support, OK SDE
Malissa Cook, Associate State Director, Special Education, OK SDE
Valeria Littlecreek, Director Tribal Affairs, OK SDE
Alice Simmons, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Langston University
Cartrie Taylor, Parent and Educator, Oklahoma City School District
President, Oklahoma State PTA
Sharon House, Executive Director, Oklahoma Parent Center
Special Advisory Committees: There is a Parent Advisory Committee and/or OK PIRC sponsored Parent Resource Center in each of 8 regions of the state.
The Oklahoma PIRC is affiliated with the Eagle Ridge Institute, which works to promote healthy lifestyles for family preservation, youth development, and community progress.
The purpose of the Oklahoma PIRC is to help implement successful and effective parental involvement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student academic achievement and that strengthen partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, administrators, and other school personnel in meeting the education needs of children. The PIRC's goals include the following:
- Strengthen partnerships between parents and schools statewide
- Improve student academic achievement by increasing parental engagement at the Pre-K-12 level
- Increase parents' knowledge and understanding of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
- Provide parents ways to support their child's learning at home
Parental Engagement Model
The Oklahoma PIRC is using the National Network for Partnership Schools (NNPS) model and provides Action Teams for Partnership training.
Early Childhood Model
In partnership with the Oklahoma City Public School District, the Oklahoma PIRC sponsors the Oklahoma Parents as Teachers Program.
Major Activities
The Oklahoma PIRC delivers services using the school-linked model. It also provides information online, through the mail, and through partnerships with the State Department of Education and community partners.
How the Work Plan Meets the Needs of Parents
Oklahoma State PIRC offers information, training and education, resources, and referrals as well as technical assistance to Oklahoma parents about the range and availability of options, programs, services and resources related to effective parenting techniques and discipline strategies, child development, academic and staff development, home tutoring, and other aspects of child rearing which are identified as areas of need by the parents themselves.
Alignment of Work to Statewide Efforts
Oklahoma PIRC staff are active committee or board members on a number of statewide and local education-based organizations, including the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma State Association of School Administrators. The PIRC also works closely with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The PIRC director was appointed to the Oklahoma State Department of Education Committee of Practitioners in April 2008, which has strengthened the PIRC's ability to coordinate its services based on the technical assistance needs of Oklahoma's schools at the state and local levels.
Unique Characteristics
To ensure that capacity building for increased parental involvement is truly reaching all corners of the state, the PIRC has established 8 regions, working to create, support and sustain a minimum of one Parent Advisory Committee and/or an OK PIRC sponsored Parent Resource Center in each of the regions.
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