It’s no secret that some of our best neighborhood  schools thrive in part because of parental involvement. We’ve heard it time and again.

In an effort to get a jump on problems spotted in later down the line, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees voted in June to allocate $5 million to the Early Childhood Education Department — $2.75 million of which will go toward parent education.

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The goal is to get more students reading on grade level by the end of second grade, since early childhood education can predicate how well students succeed in the long-run.

The funds will aid in literacy programs, including Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-School Youngsters (HIPPY) for parents of 3-5 year-olds and AVANCE for 0-3-year-olds. Coaches will hold bi-weekly sessions on basic literacy practices.

DISD also wants to increase the opportunities for pre-kindergarten services by growing the number of classes offered by the district, entering into more partnerships with daycare providers, providing transportation and making sure more families know about said opportunities.

The board recently approved the 2013-14 budget of $1.2 billion, including about $27 million from the state. Teachers will receive a raise for the first time in three years.