East Alton District 13 Parental Involvement Policy Guidelines
by Jill Miller/Title I Coordinator
August 22, 2006
East Alton School District 13
Districtwide Parental Involvement Policy
(See attached East Alton School District 13 Board of Education policies regarding parent involvement: 8:95-E1, 8:95-E2, 8:95-R)
PART I. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
The East Alton School District 13 agrees to implement the following statutory
requirements:
• The school district will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities and procedures, including the process of school review and improvement under section 1116, will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.
• Consistent with section 1118, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parental involvement policies meet the requirements of section 1118(b) of the ESEA, and each include, as a component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1118(d) of the ESEA.
• The school district will incorporate this districtwide parental involvement policy into its LEA plan developed under section 1112 of the ESEA.
• In carrying out the Title I, Part A parental involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.
• If the LEA plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school district will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the State Department of Education.
• The school district will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent, and will ensure that not less than 95 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to the schools.
• The school district will provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under section 1118 of the ESEA as the parents may request.
• The school district will be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement, and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition:
PART II. DESCRIPTION OF HOW DISTRICT WILL IMPLEMENT REQUIRED DISTRICTWIDE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS
1. The East Alton School District 13 will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its districtwide parental involvement plan under section 1118 of the ESEA:
A Districtwide Parent Advisory Board will be formed including superintendent, principals, special education director, two parent representatives from each building, Pre-K – 8 grade level representatives, special education representatives, speech/language, union representatives will hold monthly meetings to seek input in creating districtwide parent involvement policy. Administrators will present to Board of Education for final approval.
2. The East Alton School District 13 will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESEA:
Quarterly, Districtwide Parent Advisory Board will be formed including superintendent, principals, special education director, two parent representatives from each building, Pre-K – 8 grade level representatives, special education representatives, speech/language, union representatives will provide input and review current school improvement plans for each building. Each building will have a parent on the school improvement committee. All final school improvement plans will be presented to the Board of Education.
The East Alton School District 13 will provide the following necessary coordination, technical assistance, and other support to assist Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance:
East Alton School District 13 will coordinate district funds and grant monies to support implementation of best practice instruction to improve student achievement. District technology coordinators will provide equipment and assistance with:
• data collection
• district and school websites
• student management systems
• communication for all teachers and parents through e-mail
• collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education
• curriculum software to support implementation of Illinois State Learning Standards
• staff development for teachers on programs, data collection and equipment
• research for district curriculum coordinator
3. The East Alton School District 13 will coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies under the following other programs:
• Head Start
• Reading First
• Title I
• Comprehensive School Reform Grant
• Parent Educators Program
• Early Childhood Block Grant
• Reading Improvement
• Early Childhood Symposium
• other state-operated programs as opportunities become available
Such activities include but are not limited to:
• Bi-Annual Parent Teacher Conferences
• Mid-Term/Quarterly Report Cards
• Title I Parent Education Open House
• Head Start Open House for parents each spring
• PEP Program/ Parent Educator Program
• Each Building will hold a Parent Advisory Board Meeting Monthly
• Board of Education Meeting
• CASA Community Against Substance Abuse
• Building Fundraisers
• Art Nights
• Parents in the Classroom
• Book Bee
• ISAT Night
• Chorus Concerts
• Meet the Teacher Night
5.
The East Alton School District 13 will take the
following actions to conduct, with the involvement of parents, an
annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parental
involvement policy in improving the quality of its Title I, Part A
schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to
greater participation by parents in parental involvement activities
(with particular attention to parents who are economically
disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have
limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority
background). The school district will use the findings of the
evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to
design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to
revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of parents), its
parental involvement policies.
Annually, Districtwide Parent Advisory Board will be formed including superintendent, principals, special education director, two parent representatives from each building, Pre-K – 8 grade level representatives, special education representatives, speech/language and union representatives will
• evaluate the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement policy in improving the quality of its Title I, Part A schools
• identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in parental involvement activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background)
• will use the findings of the evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to design strategies for more effective parental involvement
•
revise, if
necessary its parental involvement policies.
District Curriculum Coordinator/Title I Director
• seek input from committee as together we evaluate current Districtwide Parent Involvement Policy
• note recorder
• revision of parental involvement policy
• presentation of revisions to the Districtwide Parental Advisory Board
• Administrators will present revisions to the Board of Education for approval
Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring—
(A) that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
(B)that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;
(C)that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;
(D)the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA.
Parents will:
• attend monthly PAB meetings in each building
• Attend parent teacher conferences
• Fill out parent surveys
• Communicate with teachers and principals concerns/celebrations
• Representatives from PAB will attend monthly Districtwide Parent Advisory Board
• Look and take an active role in school website, supplying information to be updated each month
• Attend Meet the Teacher Night
6. The East Alton School District 13 will build school and parent capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement through the following activities specifically described below:
A. The school district will, with the assistance of its Title I, Part A schools, provide assistance to parents of children served by the school district or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described in this paragraph --
The state’s academic content standards will be on district website and sent home annually in school’s newsletter. Information/brochures from the Illinois State Board of Education will be provided at the fall parent/teacher conferences on interpreting their student’s academic achievement performance and standards, including alternate assessments on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test.
During the annual Title I parent information meeting information will be provided for all parents on the requirements of Part A, on how to monitor their child’s progress and how to work with educators.
B. The school district will, with the assistance of its schools, provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement, such as literacy training, and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement, by:
A portion of Title I funds in Title I buildings will be utilized to promote the home-school connection by providing activities and brochures on how to raise student achievement in reading and math.
East Alton District 13 Schools will utilize monthly newsletter as a tool for communicating all parental activities as well as expectations of their children regarding curriculum.
A computer lab will be available during designated hours for student and parental use.
C. East Alton School District 13 will educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and schools, by:
• Providing workshops for teachers to increase parental involvement
• Home visits
• PASS team staff development
• CASA Community Against Substance Abuse
• D.A.R.E.
• Parent/Teacher Conferences
• New Teacher Network
• Professional Readings Book Clubs
• Meet the Teacher Night
• Monthly Newsletters
• Red Folders
• District and School Websites
• PAB Meetings
• Seasonal Chorus Concerts
• Book Bee
D. The school district will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Comprehensive School Reform, Title I, Parent Educators Program, public preschool, and other programs. The school will also conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children, by:
• Consultation with Head Start, PEP, Early Childhood Program
• Each school will post a Parent Corner Bulletin Board for information and dates on parental involvement meetings and activities
• Monthly Newsletters
• Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Seasonal Chorus Concerts
• Meet the Teacher Night
• Book Bee
• Title I Parent Information Night
• D.A.R.E. Graduation
• PASS Team
• Extended Learning Opportunities/Field Trips
• PAB Meetings
E. The school district will take the following actions to ensure that information related to the school and parent-programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand:
East Alton School District 13 will provide information related to the school and parent-programs, meetings, and other activities to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand through parent conferences, building “Meet the Teacher” nights, notes home, phone calls, monthly newsletters, school/district websites, East Alton School District 13 Board office, progress reports, etc. All questions or concerns may be made to the district curriculum coordinator, Jill Miller, 618/433-2103.
PART IV. ADOPTION
This East Alton School District 13 Districtwide Parental Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced by ______________________.
This policy was adopted by the East Alton School District 13on March 21, 2006 and will be in effect for the period of March 22, 2006 – May 2007. The school district will distribute this policy to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on or before the start of the next school year.
_______________________________
(Signature of Authorized Official)
_______________________________
(Date)
*This sample template of a Districtwide Parental Involvement Policy is not an official U.S. Department of Education document. It is provided only as an example.
