 The Utah State Office of Education and the Utah PTA organized The Utah Center for Families in Education in 1990. One of our goals for the Center was to prepare leadership training and a guide for parents. We needed a plan. Why not a Family Education Plan (FEP)? This plan would fit perfectly with the Student Education Plan (SEP) and Student Education Occupation Plan (SEOP) model?
The FEP Program was formed upon a rich foundation of research centering on student achievement and family, school, and community partnerships. Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, became our mentor and confidant.
The Family Education Plan or FEP Program was developed and launched in 1991. The Knowledge Revolution Foundation, centered in Washington D.C., chose Utah as one of their demonstration research sites. They helped sponsor FEP in the early years to promote responsible learning cultures and parent involvement. Over 6,000 parents statewide participated over the next 2 years. Results were positive and according to an outside evaluation, student achievement improved, especially in math. Parents became more informed and involved in their child's education, both at home and school. Teachers noted improved classroom behavior, completion of homework, increased parental support and more effective parent teacher conferences. The Program was discontinued in 1997 due to lack of funding. At this point 12,000 parents statewide had received training.
Although the FEP Program was no longer in operation, many parents and ‘friends of FEP' continued to use it. Over the years, requests have been made to reinstate the program. Utah PTA and the Utah Family Center responded to their requests. A goal was set to re-establish FEP and produce a website on line version. That website was launched in May, 2007. The site has been successful. However, our need to provide adequate information and communicate inter-actively had yet to be met. For this reason, the FEP Committee choose to once again expand the program and give FEP a new look. The new website will be introduced at the Utah PTA Convention on May 15, 2009.
We gratefully acknowledge the US Department of Education and the Office of Innovation and Improvement, for making this venture possible through PIRC funding. We invite all parents and families everywhere, to take the challenge of creating a Family Education Plan and ‘turn on the light of learning in their home'.
| 
