TROUP COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY TITLE I, NCLB Act of 2001 (Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 1965) August 1, 2015 May 31, 2016 The Troup County Board of Education affirms and assures the right of parents /guardians and educators being served in programs and activities funded by Title I the opportunity to participate in the planning, design and implementation of all programs. Procedures have been established to ensure that this participation is ongoing, organized, timely, systematic and to the extent possible, in a language and form acceptable to all. This policy will include parent / guardian representation of students who may be classified as migrant, homeless and/or neglected. Parental involvement activities shall be developed to encourage and support the efforts of the home, school, and community. The goal of these activities shall be to help all students in the program meet required academic standards. Part I: Joint Development of Plan and Parental Involvement Policy A. The local Education Agency (LEA) will involve Title I schools and parents in the joint development of the local School Improvement Plan and the Parental Involvement Policy and compact. B. The LEA will involve parents and Title I schools in the process of school review and improvement through: Active participation on various committees such as: Parent Advisory Council Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) The School Council Evaluation responses and opportunities for suggestions and comments at workshops and meetings Surveys Home visits Individual conferences and meetings Phone Surveys Stakeholder Meetings Suggestion box C. The LEA will ensure that funds for parental involvement are reserved and utilized as mandated by Title I guidelines. Title I schools and parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools will be involved in the decision-making process. D. Parental input for use of Title I funds is sought annually through Parent Advisory Council meetings, parent meetings, school committees, individual suggestions, evaluations & parent surveys. All stakeholders will be invited to a district wide review meeting to review/discuss the Consolidated Application (CLIP). This meeting will also provide an explanation of how Title I funds may be used and seek input about needs and purchase suggestions for the next school year. (Currently Title I funds are used to pay staff, buy parent-student handbooks, light refreshments during workshops, purchase monthly newsletters for Title I schools, equipment, and training for staff and parents). Revised 4/18/15 Page 1
Part II: Assistance to Participating Schools A. The LEA will provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support needed to help Title I schools implement effective parental involvement programs in the following ways: By providing opportunities for regular parent meetings and educational workshops (both system-wide & school level). By providing training for schools and parents to help bridge the gap between the school and home. Training needs may include, but are not limited to, health and wellness training, testing / assessment information, and other information of interest to all stakeholders. By providing written materials to enhance parenting skills and to increase effective communication between the home and school. By providing resource speakers. By offering opportunities to attend conferences and seminars focusing on educational / parental enhancement for parents / families. Part III: Building Capacity A. To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership between schools, home, and the community, the LEA will share information about the value and utility of reaching out and communicating with parents by: Working with parents as equal partners. (Serving on committees, volunteering, mentoring & training staff). Implementing and coordinating parent programs and building ties with all stakeholders. Sharing information (written articles, parent booklets, parent survey results, and other research based strategies). School personnel will be encouraged to make home visits as appropriate and make regular phone calls to parents. (This will be a regular duty for the family liaison) B. The LEA will encourage community-based organizations and businesses to participate in and promote parental involvement activities. Information may be provided about opportunities to work as partners with schools and parents through: Volunteers, tutors and mentors. Appropriate services and/or resources. Serving as resource speakers at parent meetings or school activities. Serving on various committees. Transition Meetings (From community daycare centers and Head Start programs) to Pre-K programs within the Troup County School system. C. The LEA will establish a district-wide Parent Advisory Council to seek advice and input on all matters related to parental involvement. Regular meetings will be held at flexible times throughout the school year. (Each Title I school should have at least two active members. Invitations to attend these meetings will be extended to all parents). Revised 4/18/15 Page 2
Part IV: Coordination and Integration of Strategies A. The LEA will coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies under Title I with other programs such as: Exceptional Education Program (students with special needs), Twin Cedars Youth Services (Ault Academy), Troup BELL (Building Early Learners for Life), State-funded Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K), Head Start, University of Georgia Extension Office, Community Action For Improvement (CAFÉ) Success By Six, homeless program, migrant program, neglected and delinquent program & other appropriate programs that may be in existence. B. Assistance will be provided to participating Title I schools and parents to help them understand areas such as: Six requirements to build parents capacity to be involved: 1. State s content and performance standards 2. School improvement and corrective action process 3. Components of school wide and targeted assistance programs 4. State and local assessments 5. Title I requirements 6. Provide a platform for parents to work closely with teachers to monitor their child s progress and participate in decisions related to their child s education. C. Additional ways parents can participate in decisions related to their children s education: Title I Annual meetings held at participating schools. Parent meetings, workshops and activities held during the year (Coordinated jointly with the Title I Parental Involvement Coordinator, school administrators & the School s Family Liaison) Individual parent meetings Home visits Parent conferences Join school committees Participation as a Parent Advisory Member Written information / correspondence Providing training to parent on the use of computers and the promethean boards Suggestion Box Part V: Annual Evaluation A. The LEA will conduct an annual evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the parental involvement policy / program to identify barriers to greater participation of parents through survey responses. Revised 4/18/15 Page 3
B. Responses and comments from surveys and parent group meetings will be summarized and used to design strategies for school improvement. This information will also be used to revise individual school improvement plans, parental policies, compacts, and the system s parental involvement policy and parental program. School principal will share survey results with parents in the fall. C. All unsatisfactory parent comments regarding parental involvement services, school wide plans and parental involvement policies will be collected and submitted to the LEA. (Principal should make every effort to correct problem areas quickly). Part VI: Parental Involvement in School Activities A. All parental involvement activities shall be developed in order to encourage and support the efforts of the home, school, and community. The goal of these activities shall be to help all students particularly educationally deprived students who are not performing on grade level. B. Additional activities to promote increased student achievement and involvement of parents may include: Extended day academic programs for students Assistance to parents in understanding their role in parent / teacher conferences. Assistance to parents with assessment interpretations. Training to help parents monitor homework assignments Training for parents who serve as tutors, volunteers, testing proctors, etc. Child care services during parent activities. Transportation for families to school activities when feasible. Providing light refreshments to parents and students during meetings, workshops and activities The LEA will host an annual system wide Title I Informational Fair in the Spring. The purpose of this meeting shall be to solicit information from parents regarding their thoughts on school improvement. (Title I funds may be used to pay for light snacks, beverages, popcorn and supplies to be used for student activities). C. To the extent practical, reasonable support may be provided for other parental involvement activities as requested by parents. D. The LEA will provide literacy materials and training, including the use of technology, to help parents provide academic assistance to their children by: Offering frequent educational workshops to parents based on assessed parental needs & requests. Offering training opportunities to parents to enable them to work as volunteers and tutors in the school. Making available to parents a list of adult literacy training agencies. Supporting / referring interested parents to community agencies which offer literacy training such as West Georgia Technical College and Literacy Volunteers of America. Encouraging the use of school technology as available and the use of technological resources in the public library. Utilizing educational materials and resources on the mobile parent bus, The Learning Place Where Parents are making a Difference. Revised 4/18/15 Page 4
Utilizing Parent Resource Centers in Title I schools with assistance from the school s Family Liaison. E. Parents will be offered opportunities to provide comments and suggestions for improving staff training through surveys, written evaluation forms, and use of a suggestion box at the school Part VII: Other Parental Involvement Opportunities A. The Parental Involvement Coordinator will research model approaches for improving parental involvement and share information with Family Liaisons. B. The Parental Involvement Coordinator and the school s Family Liaison will provide opportunities for parents to learn about child development and child rearing issues. Services will be provided through parent training workshops & activities and appropriate resources. Resources may include written material, audio and video materials, and technological information & hands on training with school equipment. Parents may also be informed of opportunities offered by other agencies in the community such as the Community Health Center, the Health Department, and the Medical Center. C. To the extent practical, reasonable support may be provided for other parental involvement activities as requested by parents. D. To the extent practical the LEA will make reasonable efforts to provide opportunities for participation of LEP parents, parents of migratory children, and parents with disabilities information related to the school and parent programs, meetings and other activities in the language and format such parents can understand. Additional services will be extended to students with disabilities. E. The LEA Parental Involvement Policy will be distributed to parents mainly through each Title I School (Handbook). Additional copies of the Parental Involvement Policy will be available at parent meetings, at the Liaison s office / Parent Resource Center. Parents may also pick up the Policy at the Parent Resource Center located at the Administrative Service Center-Federal Programs/Title I Office. Revised 4/18/15 Page 5