School Level Parent and Family Engagement

2024-2025

1. The Policy describes how parents will be involved in the planning, review and improvement of the district/school’s Parent Involvement Policy.
   • Parents will be involved in decisions on how to use set-aside funds.
   • Survey asking for parent input on Title I instruction, programs, etc. will be provided.
   • Surveying will be done on Back-to-School Night (sent virtually), conferences, with communication sent home at beginning of the year to Title I students to determine how to use parent involvement set-aside funds (1%).
2. The Policy states than an annual meeting will be held to inform parents of the district/school’s participation in the Title program and to explain the requirements of the program and their right to be involved.
   • SEA will have a district-wide meeting to explain Title I and allow time to meet with specialists from individual buildings to encourage questions and feedback from parents.
   • Parents will receive a copy of the Parent Involvement Policy. Policy will also be posted to the South Side website.
3. The Policy states that parent meetings, including parent conferences, will be held at different times during the day.
   • Parent meetings are typically scheduled in the evenings to accommodate work schedules.
   • Conferences, either with the classroom teacher and Title I teacher or Title I teacher alone, are offered throughout a school year; and can be scheduled after school on other days; phone conferences are also honored as requested.
   • PTO meetings will be held monthly at 5:30pm.
4. The Policy describes how parents will be involved in the planning, review, and improvement of the district/school’s Title I program.
   • Parent Discussion Groups held periodically during the school year at individual buildings; present it as an opportunity to dialogue about Title I; provide incentives to attend (e.g. free materials for parents, food, provide child care). Every effort will be made to involve a variety of parents.
   • Include survey results and make sure input is included in narratives of the consolidated grant application.
   • PTO will be held monthly virtually during the school year as a way for parents to be involved in decisions being made, events being held, and other ways of participating.
5. The Policy describes how the district/school will provide parents of participating children with timely information about the Title I program.
   • Black Board Global Connects
   • Email
   • Phone call
   • Greater use of websites both district and building.
   • Training for reading staff on developing web pages.
   • Information sheets (of material on websites) for parents without computer access.
   • All communication will be free of educational jargon.
   • Communication will be translated into a language parents can understand.
   • Parent involvement policy will be sent home with Title I students and available in the school office.
6. The Policy describes how the district/school will provide parents of participating children with a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the district/school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.
   • Curriculum summary (with explanation), examples of academic assessments/progress monitoring, explanations of proficiency levels could be presented/displayed as part of annual meeting.
   • Packets describing the materials above will be made available to parents who did not attend annual meeting at another time (e.g. conferences).
   • District/school website contains a link to pdf file with up-to-date reading/language arts curriculum.
   • Ensure that the teachers have the staff development needed such as state standards, state and local assessments, the requirements of Title I, how to monitor a child’s progress and working and working with educators to improve a child’s achievement.
   • Items on survey will identify topics for possible staff development for parents and teachers.
7. The Policy states that the district/school will provide, if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible.
   • Parent conferences
   • IST meetings
   • Annual Title 1 meeting
   • Phone conversations/emails
   • Parent Discussion Groups
8. The Policy describes how the school involves parents in the joint development of the School-wide Program Plan in accordance with federal law. [Note: Applies only to Title I schools operating a School-wide Program].
   • Compact will be reviewed at Title I Parent meetings and distributed in the fall of the school year.
   • School-wide committee receiving input from parents, classroom teachers, Title I teachers, and students to develop new Home-School compact yearly.
9. The Policy states that a school-parent compact was jointly developed with parents and the compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff and students will share in the responsibility for improved student achievement.
   • Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables children in Title I programs to meet the state academic standards, and the ways in which each parent and family member will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning; volunteering in their child’s classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time and
   • Address the importance of communication between teachers and parents and family members on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum:
     • Teacher conferences with parents and family members in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement;
     • Frequent reports to parents and family members on their children’s progress including virtual distance learning;
     • Reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and observation of classroom activities; and
     • Ensuring regular two-way, meaningful communication between parents and family members and school staff, in a language that parents and family members can understand.
     • School-wide committee receiving input from parents, classroom teachers, Title I teachers, and students to develop new Home-School compact yearly.
10. The Policy describes how the district/school will provide assistance to parents in understanding the State’s academic content standards and student achievement standards, local academic assessments and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with teachers to improve the achievement of their children.
    • Discuss as part of topics covered at annual meeting.
    • Provide parents information on PDE website.
    • Conduct staff development including classroom teachers on how to work as a team (parent, teacher, Title I teacher) to facilitate child’s learning.
11. The Policy describes how the district/school provides materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parent involvement.
    • Title I Workshops are scattered throughout the year (e.g. read-aloud; how to develop ORF, presentation of reading software); parents would be informed at beginning of the year when these sessions would be held; well publicized; incentives for attending. • Title I parent involvement set-aside funds will be used to fund events.
    • Parents will be referred to local agencies for literacy training if requested.
    • Parents will be invited to participate in training sessions with professional staff if requested.
12. The Policy describes how the district/school will educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff, with the assistance of parents and family members, in the value and utility of contributions of parents and family members, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents and family members as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and family members and the school.
    • Ensure that teachers have the staff development needed such as state standards, state and local assessments, the requirements of Title I, how to monitor a child’s progress and working with educators to improve a child’s achievement.
    • Professional development at faculty meetings.
    • Connect learning with action to improve partnerships.
13. The Policy states that to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate, and integrate parent and family member involvement programs and activities with other federal, state, and local programs including public preschool programs, and conduct other activities that encourage and support parents and family members in more fully participating in the education of their children.
    • School-wide committee receiving input from parents, classroom teachers, Title I teachers, and students to develop new Home-School compact yearly.
    • School PTA meetings and Parent Advisory Committee Meetings, Strategic Planning Committee, District Task Force Committee
14. The Policy ensures that information related to school and parent and family member programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents and family members of participating children in a format and in a language the parents and family members can understand.
    • The Title I program will utilize interpreting services to meet this requirement.
    • Printed informational sheets/brochures (material on websites) for parents without access.
15. The Policy provides for opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members (including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children).
    • Family Event nights, STEM nights (when feasible family nights will be held virtually)
    • Literacy Night
    • Parent Resource Room
16. The Policy ensure distribution of the policy to all parents and family members with a child participating in a Title I program.
    • Title I families will receive information about all of the Title I parent and family engagement events and all Title I communication through paper copies and/or email via Black Board.

1. An explanation of the program.
2. A set of goals and objectives to be addressed.
3. A description of the services to be provided.
4. A copy of this policy and the School-Parent and Family Compact.