Strategies to Increase Parental Involvement Tallapoosa County Board of Education Ms. Pam Langford, Principal 254 Leach Street Dadeville, AL 36853 Document Generated On November 12, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Strategies to Increase Parental Involvement 2
Introduction All Title I Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance Schools must complete the following diagnostics: the Stakeholder Feedback Diagnostic, the Parent Involvement Diagnostic, the Coordination of Resource/Comprehensive Budget Diagnostic, and EITHER the Title I Targeted Assistance Diagnostic OR the Title I Schoolwide Diagnostic. Parent Survey must be done annually, but it can be done electronically or by paper. Page 1
Strategies to Increase Parental Involvement 1. Describe how the school will convene an annual meeting to inform parents of the school's participation in Title I and explain Title I requirements, including the 1% set-aside, and the right of parents involved. will: - Convene an annual meeting that will encourage and facilitate parent attendance for the purpose of informing parents about the school-wide program and Title I requirements and offerings. o invites all parents to an annual meeting during the fall school to explain the Continuous Improvement plan. Included in this explanation are the benefits and activities, federal guidelines, and the role, rights and responsibilities of all parents in the education of their children. Parents are also notified of their rights to know the qualifications of their child's teacher and if that teacher is highly qualified. Additionally, we recognize the unique challenges of our EL families and have translators specifically designed for their needs. The CMS Continuous Improvement Leadership Team which includes the Parent Advisory Team meets annually to discuss the effective use of the parental involvement set aside funds. We will continue to maintain the Parent Resource room which assists and coordinates family literacy and parent training such as, but not limited to family support programs and resources to assist families with health, literacy, computer, nutrition, financial matters and other problems/issues. These parent education opportunities are provided in collaboration with federal programs. Parents are notified about these opportunities through advertisements in the local newspapers, website, school cast, radio, and flyers. A Parent's Right-to-Know letter is included in the registration packet. This information is also covered at an annual meeting and periodically at additional parent training. will provide parents information about their right to know the qualifications of their children's teachers, paraprofessionals, or substitute teachers. Notice of this right and of any person who does not meet the highly qualified criteria required by No Child Left Behind will be forwarded to parents each year. Parents have the right to know that their children are being taught by a paraprofessional. When a student is being taught by a teacher who is not highly qualified, a notification letter is sent home to the parents of those children. When a substitute has been in the classroom for four consecutive weeks and is not highly qualified, a notification letter will be sent home to parents of those children. 2. Describe: 1) How there will be a flexible number and format of parent meetings offered; 2) How parents will be involved in the planning, review and improvement of the Title I Program (Note: State the school's process for how all Title I parents have the opportunity for involvement in decision-making.); and 3) How funds allocated for parent involvement are being used in the school. will: - Synergize - Involve parents in the development of the Continuous Improvement Plan Parents serve On the Parent Advisory Team and work closely with the CMS Continuous Improvement Leadership Team in development of the Continuous Improvement Plan which includes the Parental Involvement Plan. - Involve parents in the joint development of the Parent Involvement Plan. - Provide open forum for information and decision making at PTO and Parent meetings. Page 2
- Begin with the End in Mind - Administer a Parent Needs/Evaluation survey in the spring of each year seeking input about the effectiveness of the Continuous Improvement Plan and the Parental Involvement Plan. Information compiled is used along with other data in the comprehensive needs assessment to determine the overall effectiveness of the Continuous Improvement Plan and the Parental Involvement Plan. - Make available to parents and the local community the Continuous Improvement Plan which includes the Parental Involvement Plan. The Continuous Improvement Plan is made available to parents in the following venues: Parent Resource Room School website/parent Page School Media Center School office - Parents are notified that at the Annual Title I Parent meeting, on the website, and in the Continuous Improvement document that they can make comments if they disagree with any aspect or component of the Tallapoosa County School System Continuous Improvement Plan and the Continuous Improvement Plan which includes the Parental Involvement Plan. Parents are notified at the annual Continuous Improvement meeting that the Spring Needs/Evaluation survey is an excellent opportunity to make comments and suggestions for program improvement. A comment section is provided for narrative response. The Parent Advisory Committee voted to spend parent involvement funds to purchase MIDDLE YEARS monthly newsletters. Also, to purchase student planners to increase the communication between school and parents. 3. Describe how the school provides parents of participating children timely information in a uniform format and, to the extent practicable in a language they can understand, about programs under Title I, a description and explanation of the curriculum in use, forms of academic assessments, and achievement expectations used, and, if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and participate as appropriate in decisions related to the education of their children. provides timely information about programs, curriculum, assessment, and achievement expectations; if requested by parents or teachers, opportunities for regular meetings to review and assist in improving student progress. Examples: school calendar, phone calls, school website and facebook, system website and facebook, schoolcast, student-led conferences, P.T.O, Open House, Math and Science Family Night, and Reading Family Night. 4. Describe how parents, the school staff, and students share responsibility for improved student academic achievement for participating students (How the School-Parent Compact is jointly developed with Title I parents; how it is used, reviewed, and updated). develop a school-parent-student compact. The compact shall outline how parents, school faculty and staff, and the student will share the responsibility for improved student achievement. It provides a mean by which the school and parents will build a partnership to help students build and achieve the state's high academic standards. Compacts are provided in languages that all parents can understand. Teacher has the responsibility to explain the compact to the students and parents during Open House and obtain appropriate signatures. The one copy of the compacts is kept in a folder in teachers' classroom for use during parent teacher and/or student-teacher conferences. The students keep a copy in their Leadership Notebook to be used during Student-Led Conferences. School-Parent Compact is revised annually and parent input is solicited through newsletters and the website. Parents have an opportunity to submit input in writing or to attend revision meetings. Page 3
5. Describe procedures to allow parents to submit comments of dissatisfaction with the Continuous Improvement Plan. Parents are notified that at the Annual Title I Parent meeting, on the website, and in the Continuous Improvement document that they can make comments if they disagree with any aspect or component of the Tallapoosa County School System Continuous Improvement Plan and the Continuous Improvement Plan which includes the Parental Involvement Plan. Parents are notified at the annual Continuous Improvement meeting that the Spring Needs/Evaluation survey is an excellent opportunity to make comments and suggestions for program improvement. A comment section is provided for narrative response. 6a. Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See NCLB Section 1118, requirements for building capacity in parental involvement.) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: Shall provide training for parents of participating children in understanding such topics as the State's academic content standards and State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of Title I, and how to monitor their child's progress and work with teachers to improve the achievement of their children. (Describe) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among, parents and the community that enhances student academic achievement, we provide parents with opportunities to understand state academic and achievement standards, state and local assessments and student progress through conferences, annual Title I meeting, periodic parent meetings that are held during the day and in the evening at which time the school will explain how to understand: ACTAspire STAR Reading EXPLORE Classworks Student Progress Reports Student Report Cards Also, we provide opportunities to train parents, faculty, staff and administrators on a continuous partnership for improved student achievement: Embedded professional development for all faculty and staff System-wide sponsored parental involvement resource room Faculty and staff are educated through in-service opportunities of the importance of working with parents as equal partners to build ties between parents and the school: Embedded professional development Page 4
Grade-level Meetings Subject-level Meetings CMS coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs/activities through system-wide supported programs to the extent feasible and appropriate: Parent Leadership Team Veterans' Day Program Book Fair Awards Day Grandparents' Day Leadership Celebrations Parent Leadership Day We work with local businesses and community agencies to develop partnerships with student and school recognition programs: Peer Mentoring Program D.A.R.E. 4-H Leadership Day We ensure, to the extent possible, that information sent home is in a parent friendly language that can be understood: EL translator (when requested) Documents created in Spanish - May involve parents in the development of training of teachers and other staff to improve instruction - May provide reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request - May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities for school-related sessions - May train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents - May conduct workshops/seminars to train parents on involvement - May conduct meetings at a variety of times to maximize opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities 6b. Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See NCLB Section 1118, requirements for building capacity in parental involvement.) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: Shall provide 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 parental involvement. (Describe) Page 5
To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among, parents and the community that enhances student academic achievement, we provide parents with opportunities to understand state academic and achievement standards, state and local assessments and student progress through conferences, annual Title I meeting, periodic parent meetings that are held during the day and in the evening at which time the school will explain how to understand: ACTAspire STAR Reading EXPLORE Classworks Student Progress Reports Student Report Cards Also, we provide opportunities to train parents, faculty, staff and administrators on a continuous partnership for improved student achievement: Embedded professional development for all faculty and staff System-wide sponsored parental involvement resource room Faculty and staff are educated through in-service opportunities of the importance of working with parents as equal partners to build ties between parents and the school: Embedded professional development Grade-level Meetings Subject-level Meetings CMS coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs/activities through system-wide supported programs to the extent feasible and appropriate: Parent Leadership Team Veterans' Day Program Book Fair Awards Day Grandparents' Day Leadership Celebrations Parent Leadership Day We work with local businesses and community agencies to develop partnerships with student and school recognition programs: Peer Mentoring Program D.A.R.E. 4-H Leadership Day We ensure, to the extent possible, that information sent home is in a parent friendly language that can be understood: EL translator (when requested) Documents created in Spanish Page 6
- May involve parents in the development of training of teachers and other staff to improve instruction - May provide reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request - May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities for school-related sessions - May train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents - May conduct workshops/seminars to train parents on involvement - May conduct meetings at a variety of times to maximize opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities 6c. Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See NCLB Section 1118, requirements for building capacity in parental involvement.) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: Shall educate teachers, office personnel, and other school staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in 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 school. (Describe) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among, parents and the community that enhances student academic achievement, we provide parents with opportunities to understand state academic and achievement standards, state and local assessments and student progress through conferences, annual Title I meeting, periodic parent meetings that are held during the day and in the evening at which time the school will explain how to understand: ACTAspire STAR Reading EXPLORE Classworks Student Progress Reports Student Report Cards Also, we provide opportunities to train parents, faculty, staff and administrators on a continuous partnership for improved student achievement: Embedded professional development for all faculty and staff System-wide sponsored parental involvement resource room Faculty and staff are educated through in-service opportunities of the importance of working with parents as equal partners to build ties between parents and the school: Embedded professional development Grade-level Meetings Subject-level Meetings Page 7
CMS coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs/activities through system-wide supported programs to the extent feasible and appropriate: Parent Leadership Team Veterans' Day Program Book Fair Awards Day Grandparents' Day Leadership Celebrations Parent Leadership Day We work with local businesses and community agencies to develop partnerships with student and school recognition programs: Peer Mentoring Program D.A.R.E. 4-H Leadership Day We ensure, to the extent possible, that information sent home is in a parent friendly language that can be understood: EL translator (when requested) Documents created in Spanish - May involve parents in the development of training of teachers and other staff to improve instruction - May provide reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request - May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities for school-related sessions - May train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents - May conduct workshops/seminars to train parents on involvement - May conduct meetings at a variety of times to maximize opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities 6d. Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See NCLB Section 1118, requirements for building capacity in parental involvement.) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: Shall to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other federal programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.(describe) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among, parents and the community that Page 8
enhances student academic achievement, we provide parents with opportunities to understand state academic and achievement standards, state and local assessments and student progress through conferences, annual Title I meeting, periodic parent meetings that are held during the day and in the evening at which time the school will explain how to understand: ACTAspire STAR Reading EXPLORE Classworks Student Progress Reports Student Report Cards Also, we provide opportunities to train parents, faculty, staff and administrators on a continuous partnership for improved student achievement: Embedded professional development for all faculty and staff System-wide sponsored parental involvement resource room Faculty and staff are educated through in-service opportunities of the importance of working with parents as equal partners to build ties between parents and the school: Embedded professional development Grade-level Meetings Subject-level Meetings CMS coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs/activities through system-wide supported programs to the extent feasible and appropriate: Parent Leadership Team Veterans' Day Program Book Fair Awards Day Grandparents' Day Leadership Celebrations Parent Leadership Day We work with local businesses and community agencies to develop partnerships with student and school recognition programs: Peer Mentoring Program D.A.R.E. 4-H Leadership Day We ensure, to the extent possible, that information sent home is in a parent friendly language that can be understood: EL translator (when requested) Documents created in Spanish - May involve parents in the development of training of teachers and other staff to improve instruction Page 9
- May provide reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request - May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities for school-related sessions - May train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents - May conduct workshops/seminars to train parents on involvement - May conduct meetings at a variety of times to maximize opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities 6e. Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See NCLB Section 1118, requirements for building capacity in parental involvement.) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: Shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand. (Describe) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among, parents and the community that enhances student academic achievement, we provide parents with opportunities to understand state academic and achievement standards, state and local assessments and student progress through conferences, annual Title I meeting, periodic parent meetings that are held during the day and in the evening at which time the school will explain how to understand: ACTAspire STAR Reading EXPLORE Classworks Student Progress Reports Student Report Cards Also, we provide opportunities to train parents, faculty, staff and administrators on a continuous partnership for improved student achievement: Embedded professional development for all faculty and staff System-wide sponsored parental involvement resource room Faculty and staff are educated through in-service opportunities of the importance of working with parents as equal partners to build ties between parents and the school: Embedded professional development Grade-level Meetings Subject-level Meetings CMS coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs/activities through system-wide supported programs to the extent feasible and appropriate: Parent Leadership Team Page 10
Veterans' Day Program Book Fair Awards Day Grandparents' Day Leadership Celebrations Parent Leadership Day We work with local businesses and community agencies to develop partnerships with student and school recognition programs: Peer Mentoring Program D.A.R.E. 4-H Leadership Day We ensure, to the extent possible, that information sent home is in a parent friendly language that can be understood: EL translator (when requested) Documents created in Spanish - May involve parents in the development of training of teachers and other staff to improve instruction - May provide reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request - May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities for school-related sessions - May train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents - May conduct workshops/seminars to train parents on involvement - May conduct meetings at a variety of times to maximize opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities 6f. Describe how the school will build capacity for parental involvement including how parents will be encouraged to become equal partners in the education of their children? (See NCLB Section 1118, requirements for building capacity in parental involvement.) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, our school: Shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request. (Describe) To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among, parents and the community that enhances student academic achievement, we provide parents with opportunities to understand state academic and achievement standards, state and local assessments and student progress through conferences, annual Title I meeting, periodic parent meetings that are held during the day and in the evening at which time the school will explain how to understand: ACTAspire STAR Reading EXPLORE Page 11
Classworks Student Progress Reports Student Report Cards Also, we provide opportunities to train parents, faculty, staff and administrators on a continuous partnership for improved student achievement: Embedded professional development for all faculty and staff System-wide sponsored parental involvement resource room Faculty and staff are educated through in-service opportunities of the importance of working with parents as equal partners to build ties between parents and the school: Embedded professional development Grade-level Meetings Subject-level Meetings CMS coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs/activities through system-wide supported programs to the extent feasible and appropriate: Parent Leadership Team Veterans' Day Program Book Fair Awards Day Grandparents' Day Leadership Celebrations Parent Leadership Day We work with local businesses and community agencies to develop partnerships with student and school recognition programs: Peer Mentoring Program D.A.R.E. 4-H Leadership Day We ensure, to the extent possible, that information sent home is in a parent friendly language that can be understood: EL translator (when requested) Documents created in Spanish - May involve parents in the development of training of teachers and other staff to improve instruction - May provide reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request - May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities for school-related sessions - May train and support parents to enhance the involvement of other parents - May conduct workshops/seminars to train parents on involvement Page 12
- May conduct meetings at a variety of times to maximize opportunities for parents to participate in school related activities 7. Describe how the school will ensure the provision for participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory students; including providing information and school reports in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that parents can understand. Tallapoosa County School System provides a teacher of English as a Second Language for students needing services. The teacher provides parents with appropriate communication methods with the school faculty and staff to ensure academic progress and interpretation of assessment results. These methods are incorporated in writing when necessary. Parents with disabilities and parents of migratory students are provided with information in an easy to read format and assistance provided for understanding of their child's needs and academic progress. Page 13