Policy 1.015

Parental/Family Involvement

1. Purpose. This policy creates a collaborative environment in which the parents and families of our students are invited and encouraged to be involved. The School Board recognizes the vital role parents/guardians and family play in the education, welfare and values of its students, and that the education of each student is a responsibility shared by the school and the student's parents/guardians and family members. Furthermore, the School Board encourages the regular participation by parents of all children to ensure a strong home-school partnership, promote and increase effective, well-structured, and comprehensive parental/family involvement practices. This policy incorporates the requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Act.

   1. The Board recognizes that among the factors to improve learning are:

      1. a sound instructional program

      2. consistent training and information made available to parents to increase student achievement

   2. The Board recognizes that parental involvement is a desirable element in effective education. Student achievement can reach higher levels when parents, schools, and the community work together in a collaborative endeavor to support student learning. Through the support of the Family Action Network and the responsibility of various departments, parents are kept abreast of parental involvement topics.

   3. Although parents are of diverse cultures, languages, and needs, they share the desire for the educational success of their children. Hence, the programs and practices established by the Board, in collaboration with parents and communities through the school improvement process, shall support family involvement and reflect the specific needs of students and families.

   4. Accordingly, the School Board seeks to actively bring together families, schools, and the community in the education of children. Schools have the responsibility to involve parents, and parents have the responsibility to become involved.

2. Definitions.

   “Parental/Family Involvement” means the participation of parents/guardians/families in an ongoing, regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities including ensuring that:

   1. Parents/guardians/families play an integral role in assisting their children's learning.

   2. Parents/guardians/families are encouraged to be actively involved in their children's education at school.

   3. Parents/guardians/families are full partners in their children's education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their children.

   4. Parent, school, and community partners carry out parental involvement strategies that are documented in the school's Family Involvement Policy/Plan.

3. Policy. The School Board believes that the education of children is a responsibility that is shared by parents, families, the school system and the community. The School Board respects the roles and responsibilities of parents and families in assuring that their children are adequately educated, and are committed to developing a strong, ongoing partnership with parents/families to create or strengthen stimulating home and school learning environments. It is a policy of the School Board to encourage and support strong, continuing parental and family involvement in education, at home, in our schools and our communities.

   The School Board endorses the following standards as set forth in the researched based, National Standards for Parent /Family Involvement Programs as adopted by the National/ PTA as follows:

   1. Standard I: Communicating - The Board recognizes that communication between the home and the school that is ongoing, interactive, and reasonably accommodates all parents, including those with limited English proficiency or disabilities. Interaction with parents should be handled in a non-judgmental manner that recognizes a variety of parenting styles, family structures, and circumstances; as well as individual differences reflected in the values, cultures, and diversity of the student population. Regular parent/teacher dialogue is encouraged at all grade levels.

   2. Standard II: Parenting - The Board is supportive of adult and community programs that provide information to meet the need of parents on various topics such as nutrition, parent- child communication, monitoring television and internet usage, discipline techniques, homework assistance and other topics that enable parents to be full partners in the education of their children.

   3. Standard III: Student Learning - The Board endorses assisting parents to play a vital role in student learning by providing parents information on grade-level expectations, assessment requirements, strategies to improve student achievement, and Choice and SES programs that are available to students in order to maximize student achievement.

   4. Standard IV: Volunteering - The Board is supportive of the creation of meaningful volunteer opportunities and welcome parents to take advantage of the many volunteer roles that are provided in schools.

   5. Standard V: School Decision Making and Advocacy - The Board encourages the involvement of parents as full partners in the decisions and practices of the school that affect children and families through the school improvement process, the School Advisory Council (SAC), PTA, PTO, and other decision-making groups as appropriate.

   6. Standard VI: Collaborating with the Community - The Board supports the strengthening of school programs, family practices and student learning through the integration of community resources and business partnerships. Schools actively recruit persons to serve as role models and mentors. Community partners join schools in its efforts to provide resources and materials to parents.

4. Family Involvement Forums. Family Involvement Forums are hereby established within the district to focus on promoting family involvement to increase student achievement. The Family Action Network Committee operates as a forum to discuss, support, and carry out family involvement initiatives throughout the district. The forums will be responsible for:

   1. promoting parent/family involvement in schools through the school improvement process;

   2. maintaining contact with various District departments and community groups and agencies; and

   3. facilitating the implementation of the District Family Involvement Policy.

5. Title I Requirements.

   1. Schools will show evidence of how families are involved in the planning, review and improvement of the school's Family Involvement Policy/Plan.

   2. Schools shall show proof of an annual meeting (Parents' Rights to Know) held to inform families of the requirements for the Title I program and their right to be involved.

   3. Proof of parent- teacher conferences continuously held throughout the year.

   4. Show how the school has provided materials, resources, and trainings to families to improve their child's academic achievement.

   5. Provide documents to show that families were given information translated in their native language.

   6. Show how trainings and family involvement activities were offered at flexible times.

   7. Show evidence of continuous communication between the school, families, students, and community.

   8. Show how the school has coordinated with organizations such as Head Start, and local, state, and federal agencies to help educate parents in family involvement.

   9. Provide information of how the school worked with the community, volunteers, and business partnerships to increase student achievement with information on career choices.

   10. Show proof that families were informed of the State's academic content standards, student academic achievement standards, and academic assessments.

   11. Prove how the school has provided to families a description and explanation of the curriculum, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.

   12. Provide documentation on how the school provided families with information about the Title I program in a timely manner.

   13. Show how Title I funds were used to pay reasonable expenses associated with family involvement activities such as child care, home visits, and transportation.

   14. Provide documentation of family's dissenting views of the LEA if a school's Schoolwide Plan was not acceptable to them.

   15. Show that the school-family compact was jointly developed with families and outline how families, entire school staff and students shared in the responsibility to improve student achievement.