District Parent and Family Engagement Policy
Title I - Parent and Family Engagement Policy
EXPECTATIONS FOR PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Contingent on confirmation of resources and other necessary information being provided by state and federal authorities, it is the intent of the Board that parents and family of participating students shall be provided with flexible opportunities for organized, on-going, and timely participation in the planning, review, and improvement of the Title I program, including opportunities to suggest modifications, based on changing needs of parents, family and the schools.
All comments indicating parent and family dissatisfaction with the Title I plan shall be collected and submitted along with the plan to the Department of Education. The Title I program shall be designed to assist students to acquire the capacities and achieve the goals established by law, as well as the goals and standards established by the Board. Consistent with law and policy covering student records confidentiality, these goals and standards shall be shared with parents and family in a manner that will give them: (1) timely information about programs; (2) a description and explanation of the school's curriculum, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, the achievement levels in the challenging state academic standards; the achievement level of their child on the challenging state academic standards assessments; and (3) if requested, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate in decisions relating to the education of their children.
SUPPORT FOR PROGRAM
If the District's Title I allocation is $500,000 or more, the District shall reserve not less than one percent (1%) of its allocation for the purpose of promoting parent and family engagement and shall distribute to Title I schools not less than ninety percent (90%) of the reserved funds with priority given to high-need schools. Parents and family of participating students shall be provided the opportunity to help decide how this portion of the Title I funds will be allotted for parent and family engagement activities.
The District will provide coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. These measures may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
1. Designation of resources to assist in communicating with parents and family, transporting them to meeting sites and/or implementing home visits, providing child-care for meetings, encouraging them to use available parent and family resource centers, and working with them to improve parenting skills, particularly those that will assist them in working with their child to improve his/her educational achievements. Resources may include individuals, agencies, materials, and services.
2. Sharing options for coordinating and integrating Title I program strategies with services of other community programs, businesses, and agencies.
3. Identification of ways in which parents and family can be engaged in staff training activities to demonstrate the value of parent and family engagement and various techniques designed to successfully engage parents and family as equal partners in their child's education.
4. Making a good faith effort to convene an annual meeting at a convenient time to which all parents and family of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend for informing them of their school's participation in and requirements for Title I programs and of their rights to be involved.
5. Designing and conducting an effective annual evaluation process whereby parents can share their ideas about the content and effectiveness of this Policy in improving the academic quality of schools receiving Title I funds, and the plan designed to implement it. The process shall focus on the following questions:
Does this Policy increase parent participation? What barriers to parent participation still exist, and how can they be reduced or removed? The findings produced by the annual evaluation shall be utilized to design strategies for school improvement and for revising this Policy, if necessary.
6. In the design of activities and materials for parents, particular attention shall be given to reaching and involving those who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background.
SCHOOL POLICY
Each school shall submit to the Superintendent and Board, for review and comment, its Title I school parent and family engagement policy, which must meet all legal requirements, including a school-parent compact developed in keeping with legal requirements. This Policy shall be developed jointly with, and distributed by the school to, parents of participating students. A copy of each school's parent and family engagement policy and accompanying checklist shall be kept on file in the Central Office.
REFERENCES:
Section 1118 of Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) of 1994
P. L. 114-95, (Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015)
KRS 157.077; KRS 158.645; KRS 158.6451
KRS 158.865; KRS 158.866; KRS 158.867
20 U.S.C. § 6318
RELATED POLICIES:
03.112; 08.1345; 09.11