The Board of Education recognizes the rights of parents/persons in parental relation to be fully informed of all information relevant to their children, including children who participate in programs and projects funded by Title I.
Therefore, the Board of Education encourages the participation of parents of students eligible for Title I services in all aspects of their child’s education, including the development and implementation of district programs, as well as activities and procedures that are designed to carry out No Child Left Behind (NCLB) parent involvement goals.
District-Wide Parent Involvement
Consistent with the parent and family engagement goals of Title I, Part A, the Board of Education will develop and implement programs, activities, and procedures that encourage and support the participation of parents of students eligible for Title I services in all aspects of their child’s education. The Board also will ensure that all of its schools receiving Title I, Part A funds develop and implement school-level parent and family engagement policies, as further required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
For purposes of this policy, parent and family engagement refers to the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities.
At a minimum, parent and family engagement programs, activities and procedures at both the district and individual school the level must ensure that parents and family members:
- Play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
- Are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; and
- Are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.
The federal definition of the term parents refers to a natural parent, legal guardian or other person standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare).
School level Title I parent and family engagement programs, activities and procedures will provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members, including those who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children.
As further required by federal law, parents and family members of students eligible for Title I services will be provided an opportunity to participate in the development of the district’s Title I plan, and to submit comments regarding any aspect of the plan that is not satisfactory to them. Their comments will be forward with the plan to the State Education Department. Parents and family members will participate in the process for developing either a comprehensive or targeted “support and improvement plan” when the school their child attends is identified by the State as needing this plan.
Parent and family member participation in the development of Title I plan
The Board, along with its Superintendent of Schools and other appropriate district staff will undertake the following actions to ensure parent and family member involvement in the development of the Title I plan:
The Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, principal(s) of Title I school(s), and Title I staff will meet with parents and family members to develop a plan to involve parents. This parent and family engagement plan will be reviewed annually and updated as needed. This plan will be reviewed with impacted parents and family members at flexible times and in highly accessible places.
Development of school level parent and family engagement plans
The Superintendent of Schools will ensure that all district schools receiving federal financial assistance under Title I, Part A are provided technical assistance and all other support necessary to assist them in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement programs and activities that improve student achievement and school performance. As
appropriate to meet individual local needs, the Superintendent or designee will hold meetings at flexible times, provide information through quarterly newsletters and the District website, engage in community outreach events, and survey parents by phone, mail, and/or email.
Building capacity for parental involvement
To build parent capacity for strong parent and family engagement to improve their child’s academic achievement, the district and its Title I, Part A schools will, at a minimum:
1. Assist parents in understanding such topics as the state’s academic content, challenging academic standards, state and local academic assessments, Title I requirements, how to monitor their child’s progress and how to work with educators to improve the achievement of their child. To achieve this objective, the district and its Title I schools will discuss these topics at:
- Open House
- Student Conferences
- Conferences by Parent Requests
- Presentations at PTSA and/or Shared Decision Making meetings
2. Provide materials and training to help parents work with their child’s academic achievement such as literacy
training and using technology. To achieve this objective, the district and its Title I School(s) will provide such things
as:
- Parent training in reading with students
- Parent training on using technology as applicable
- Community outreach and partnerships with agencies including HF Library, Amorak, etc.
- Parent education programs focused on literacy
- Videos posted to the school website and social media related to these topics
3. Educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals and other school leaders, and other staff, with the assistance of parents in understanding the value and utility of a parent’s contribution and on how to:
- Reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners;
- Implement and coordinate parent programs; and
- Build ties between parents and the schools.
To achieve this objective, the Title I school(s) will:
- Provide professional development and training to its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals and other school leaders, and other staff on the benefits of parent and family engagement.
- Provide information to staff and community members to inform stakeholders about the impact living in poverty has on students and families.
4. Ensure that information related to school and parent-related programs, meetings and other activities is sent to the parents of children participating in Title I programs in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats, upon request, and to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.
Coordination of parent and family engagement strategies
The district will coordinate and integrate strategies adopted to comply with Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements with parent strategies adopted in connection with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs. It will do this by offering opportunities for any of these programs applicable to our schools for exposure and transition.
Review of parent and family engagement policy
The Board, along with its Superintendent of Schools and other appropriate staff will conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of Title I schools, including the identification of barriers to greater participation by parents in activities under this policy, and the revisions of parent and family engagement policies necessary for more effective involvement.
To facilitate this review, the district will conduct the following:
- Use appropriate technology to assist in translation of materials into native language
- Identify a parent advocate for ENL families to reach out to
- Review the effectiveness of this plan annually at a Shared Decision Making Team meeting and invite representatives from PTSA and the ENL family advocate to participate in this review.
In carrying out the parental involvement requirements, the District and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents understand.
Procedures for Filing Complaints/Appeals
The District will disseminate free of charge to parents of children in Title I programs, and to appropriate private school officials or representatives, adequate information regarding the District’s written complaint procedures for resolving issues of violation(s) of a Federal statute or regulation that applies to Title I, Part A programs.
Comparability of Services
The District shall ensure equivalence among the schools in the District of the same grade span and levels of instruction with regard to teachers, administrators and auxiliary personnel as well as equivalence in the provision of curriculum materials and instructional supplies in Title I programs.
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001
20 USC Sections 6318 and 6321
34 CFR Parts 74-86, 97-99, and 200