The role of parents in school-based management is extremely important. All public schools in North Carolina are required to have school-improvement teams, which are usually composed of the principal, teachers, and parents. This handbook was designed to help parents and principals understand and define the parents' role on the school-improvement team. The intent is to give a basic overview of school-improvement teams and to clarify the role, rights, and responsibilities of parents in the process. A glossary and resource information are included. (LMI)