505.8 - Parent and Family Engagement

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 by:
   
   1. The Title I coordinator will hold an annual meeting inviting parents and teachers. The meeting will involve the current program goals, curriculum, and suggestions of modifications. Data of growth will be shared at the meeting.
   2. An annual evaluation of the parental involvement policy shall be conducted to determine its effectiveness and its effect on parent involvement. The evaluation may be conducted through parent surveys and Title I Advisory Committee feedback. The evaluation findings will be used in designing strategies for school improvement and reported to the public through building newsletters, Board reports, and other District annual reports.
   3. The program provides opportunities for parents to become partners with the school in promoting the education of their children.
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:

A school/parent compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students share responsibility for improved student achievement and the means by which the school and parents continue to build and develop partnerships to help children achieve local high standards. This agreement is developed by the Title I advisory committee and described in the Title l informational Brochure. The school provides support for parental involvement activities and assistance to parents on how they can participate in decisions related to their student's education.

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:
   
   1. An annual meeting is held for all parents of participating children within the school year. Notice of this meeting will be made through the district curriculum office through mailings and building newsletters. A Title I Parent Advisory Committee meets annually to plan and develop policies and activities. The meetings are facilitated through the district curriculum office.  All parents are invited to join the committee.
   2. The Parent meeting will be held at the same time as the Literacy Night affiliated with the Title IVB grant.
   3. Information will be distributed about the Title program, the requirements of the Title I law, content standards, performance standards and assessments at the LEP Family Night that is written in the District's Lau Plan.
       
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: