USES OF FUNDS.

SEC. 4504. [20 U.S.C. 7244] USES OF FUNDS. (a) In General.—Each statewide organization or consortium receiving a grant under this part shall use the grant funds, based on the needs determined under section 4503(b)(6)(I), to provide training and technical assistance to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and organizations that support family-school partnerships, and activities, services, and training for local educational agencies, school leaders, educators, and parents— (1) to assist parents in participating effectively in their children’s education and to help their children meet challenging State academic standards, such as by assisting parents— (A) to engage in activities that will improve student academic achievement, including understanding how parents can support learning in the classroom with activities at home and in after school and extracurricular programs; (B) to communicate effectively with their children, teachers, school leaders, counselors, administrators, and other school personnel; (C) to become active participants in the development, implementation, and review of school-parent compacts, family engagement in education policies, and school planning and improvement; (D) to participate in the design and provision of assistance to students who are not making academic progress; (E) to participate in State and local decisionmaking; (F) to train other parents; and (G) in learning and using technology applied in their children's education; (2) to develop and implement, in partnership with the State educational agency, statewide family engagement in education policy and systemic initiatives that will provide for a continuum of services to remove barriers for family engagement in education and support school reform efforts; and (3) to develop and implement parental involvement policies under this Act. (b) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a statewide family engagement center from— (1) having its employees or agents meet with a parent at a site that is not on school grounds; or (2) working with another agency that serves children. (c) Parental Rights.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section— (1) no person (including a parent who educates a child at home, a public school parent, or a private school parent) shall be required to participate in any program of parent education or developmental screening under this section; and (2) no program or center assisted under this section shall take any action that infringes in any manner on the right of parents to direct the education of their children.