6172.4-Parent and Family Engagement Policy for Title I Students

The Board of Education (Board) endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I and encourages the regular participation by parents and family members of 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 supervising the child’s schooling. Therefore, complying with Section 1010 of The Every Student Succeeds Act, P.L. 114-95, the Board will provide parents and family members of students participating in District Title I programs meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children within these programs.

Pursuant to federal law, the District will develop jointly with, agree on with and distribute to parents and family members of children participating in the Title I program a written parent and family engagement policy. This policy shall be distributed in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand. In addition, this policy shall be made available to the public and updated periodically, as necessary to fulfill the requirements of the parent and family engagement portion of ESSA (Section 1010).

At the required annual meeting of Title I parents, parents 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 parental and family engagement.

In addition to the required annual meeting, additional meetings shall be held, at various times of the day and/or evenings, for parents of children participating in the Title I program. These meetings shall be used to provide parents with the following:

1. The ability to be involved in an organized, ongoing, and timely way in the planning, review and improvement of Title I programs;
2. The opportunity to be involved in an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this policy in improving in those schools receiving Title I funds the academic quality;
3. Information about programs provided under Title I;
4. A description and explanation of the curriculum in use, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet;
5. Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children; and
6. The opportunity to bring parent comments, if they are dissatisfied with the school’s Title I program, to the district level.

Title I funding, if sufficient, may be used to facilitate parent attendance at meetings through payment of transportation and childcare costs.

The parents 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 services to be provided. Opportunities will be provided for the parents to meet with the classroom and Title I teachers to discuss their child's progress. Parents will also receive guidance as to how they can assist in the education of their children at home.

The required annual evaluation of the District’s Title I program shall include identifying:

1. Barriers to greater participation by parents in program activities, with particular attention given to parents who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background;
2. The needs of parent and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers; and
3. Strategies which can support successful school and family interaction.
   

Each school in the District receiving Title I funds and involved in Title I programs shall jointly develop with parents of children served in the program a “School-Parent Compact” outlining the manner in which parents, school staff and students share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting State standards.

The “School-Parent Compact” shall:

1. Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment enabling children in the Title I program to meet the State’s challenging academic achievement standards;
2. Indicate the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, monitoring television watching, volunteering in the classroom, and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their child’s education and positive use of extra-curricular time; and
3. Address the importance of parent-teacher communication on an on-going basis, with at a minimum, parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to parents, and reasonable access to staff.
4. Ensure regular, two-way, meaningful communication between family members and school staff, and to the extent practicable, in a language understandable to family members.

Information about parental involvement and actions taken to improve parental involvement shall be included, as required, in the strategic school profile submitted annually by the Superintendent to the Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education. Such actions to improve parental involvement may include methods used to engage parents in the planning and improvement of school programs and to increase support to parent’s efforts at home to assist their children on learning activities.

This policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed upon by, parents and family members of children participating in District Title I programs.

(cf. 1110.1 – Parent Involvement)
(cf. 6161.3 – Comparability of Services)

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes

10-220(c) Duties of boards of education
Improving America’s Schools Act, P.L. No. 103-382, Sec. 1112 Local Education Agency Plans.
20 U.S.C. §6318, as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act, P.L. 14-95 §1010 (2015)
20 U.S.C. §7801 - Definitions

Policy adopted: June 20, 2018         

                             
NEWTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Newtown, Connecticut

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