The State Board of Education has told school districts to adopt new policies to encourage constructive parental involvement in the education of their children. The programs are required by state law. The State Board is distributing a sample policy to the 500-plus school districts in Missouri, in keeping with a law passed earlier this year by the legisalture. The State Board policy says families have positive effects on the learning of their children and should be engaged in school-related activities and in their learning outside the school. State Education Department spokesman Jim Morris says some schools already offer programs. School officials know they can only open doors, but they cannot force people to come in and the law does not mandate public involvement. But state and local education leaders hope the new emphasis makes it easier for the parents to become more involved and for more parents to plug in to their children’s education.