Family Engagement Policy
TITLE I FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
This policy is required only for districts receiving Title I funds. The Board endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I and encourages the regular participation by parents/guardians of the Title I eligible children in all aspects of the program. The education of children is viewed as a cooperative effort among the parents, school, and community. In this policy, the word “parent” also includes guardians and other family members involved in supporting the child’s development and education.
Pursuant to federal law, the District will develop jointly with, and distribute to parents/guardians of children participating in the Title I program a written family engagement policy. At the required annual meeting of Title I parents, parents/guardians will have opportunities to participate in the design, development, operation and evaluation of the program for the next school year. Proposed activities shall be presented to fulfill the requirements necessary to address the requirements of family engagement goals. Additional meetings may be held as needed to meet the goals of parent/guardian engagement or at the will of the Superintendent or School Board. These meetings will be used to:
1. Involve parents/guardians in the joint development of the Title I program plan, the process of reviewing the implementation of the plan, and suggesting overall school improvement goals.
2. Provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective family and community engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.
3. Build the schools’ and parents’ /guardian's capacity for strong family and community engagement.
4. Coordinate and integrate Title I family and community engagement strategies with those of other educational programs.
5. Conduct, with the involvement of families, an annual evaluation of the content of the family engagement policy and its effectiveness in improving the academic quality of the schools served. This will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents/guardians in activities authorized by law, particularly by parents/guardians who are economically disadvantaged, have disabilities, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background. The district will use the findings of such evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental/guardian involvement and to revise, if necessary, the parental/guardian involvement policies.
6. Involve families in the activities of the schools served.
The families of children identified to participate in Title I programs shall receive from the school Principal and Title I staff an explanation of the reasons supporting each child’s selection for the program, a set of objectives to be addressed, and a description of the service to be provided. Opportunities will be provided for the parents/guardians to meet with the classroom and Title I teachers to discuss their child’s progress. Parents/guardians will also receive guidance as to how they can assist in the education of their children at home.
Please see the policy in its entirety here.