How are schools trying to get parents and community members involved?

In the school and in their children's education? Do you know of a school that does anything specifically for this reason, what do they do?How are schools trying to get parents and community members involved?
Being a former teacher, I can say that we as staff try to contact parents about their students' progress, behavior etc on a daily basis. There are often issues of phone numbers that don't work or parents that are quick to be argumentative and sometimes rude and not listen. Many times, we host an Open House and parent teacher conferences, many times we don't see parents. They only come around if their student goes home to complain about a teacher (unfair treatment)....or if they are already involved and the student is one of the best in the class. Rarely do the parents who NEED to be involved become so. That's just my experience (in the inner city).How are schools trying to get parents and community members involved?
my sons' school has a parent/teacher/student contract that is signed at the beginning of each year. it says that we wil all work together to help each other w/ the education of our children. i think it opens up lines of communication between teachers %26amp; parents as well as giving the students a responsibility too.