Parent and family engagement is an important component in a student’s success in school. The board encourages parents and families to become involved in their child’s education to ensure the child’s academic success. In order to facilitate parent and family involvement, it is the goal of the district to conduct outreach and implement programs, activities and procedures to further involve parents and families with the academic success of their students. The board will:
(1) Involve parents and families in the development of the Title I plan, the process for school review of the plan and the process for improvement;
- Jointly developing and agreed-upon written policy that is distributed to parents and family members of participating Title I children through the Elementary Parent/Student Handbook which is made available to every family. (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(A) and (b)(1))
(2) Provide the coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of all participating schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance by:
- Providing technical assistance and support in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance through professional development regarding parent and family engagement. The district will partner with community groups as a means to engage families more creatively and successfully. (ESSA section 116(a)(2)(B))
(3) To the extent feasible, coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies under Title I with parent and family engagement strategies outlined in other relevant Federal, State, and local laws and programs by:
- Working to find ways to work cooperatively with other Federal, State and local programs. The Title I program will work with local public preschool programs, Headstart programs, local library programs, and special education programs (IDEA). Our homeless education program coordinates with the local backpack program to offer support to students that are food insecure, especially over the weekends. (ISSA Section 1116(a)(2)(C))
(4) Conduct with the involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of the school served including identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in Title I activities (with particular attention to low-income parents, Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents, parents of any racial or ethnic minority, parents with disabilities and parents with limited literacy); needs of parents and family to assist their children's learning; and strategies to support successful school and family interactions by:
- Conducting an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness for the Parent and Family Engagement Policy. The evaluation includes parents in a meaningful manner. In addition to surveys, the district uses advisory groups for this evaluation. Parents and families have a voice. The evaluation tools and methods identify the type and frequency of school-home interactions and the needs of parents and families have to better support and assist their children in learning. The evaluations will target at least three key areas; barriers, ability to assist learning, and successful interactions. (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(D)(iiii))
(5) Use the findings of the annual evaluation to design strategies for more effective parent and family involvement and to revise, as necessary, the parent and family involvement policies by:
- Using the findings for the annual evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family engagement. The evaluation results will help uncover best practices thar are working and adapt those ideas to the district and individual school needs. (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(E))
(6) Involve parents and families in Title I activities by:
- Involving parents and family members in the activities of the school. The district has established a school improvement advisory committee composed of a sufficient number and representative group of parents or family members to adequately represent the needs of the population, revised, and reviewed the Parent and Family Engagement Policy. (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(F))
The district shall involve parents in determining how to allocate reserved Title I funds in accordance with applicable laws
The board will review this policy annually. The superintendent is responsible for notifying parents and families of this policy annually or within a reasonable time after it has been amended during the school year. The superintendent may develop an administrative process or procedures to implement this policy.
Legal References:
20 U.S.C. §6318
Cross References:
903.2 Community Resource Persons and Volunteers
Approved: 01/09/2018 Reviewed: 07/10/2023 Revised: 06/14/2021