Policy 1900: Title I - Parent and Family Engagement

District Level Policy

In accordance with the parent and family engagement goals of Title I, Part A of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and its reauthorization in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Board of Education will develop and implement programs, activities and procedures that encourage and support the participation of parents and family members of students eligible for Title I services in all aspects of their child’s education.  

The District will also ensure that all of its schools receiving Title I, Part A funds develop and implement school level parent and family engagement procedures as required by federal law.

The Board believes that parent and family engagement enriches the educational experience and encourages parent involvement in school.  For purposes of this policy, parent involvement refers to the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities.  At a minimum, parent programs, activities and procedures at both the District and individual school level must ensure that parents:

  • Play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
  • Are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; and
  • 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.

The federal definition of the term parents refers to a natural parent, legal guardian or other person standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare).

District and school level Title I parent and family engagement programs, activities and procedures will provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members (including those who have limited English proficiency or disabilities), and parents and family members of migratory children.

As further required by federal law, parents and family members of students eligible for Title I services will be provided an opportunity to participate in the development of the district’s Title I
plan, and to submit comments regarding any aspect of the plan that is not satisfactory to them.  Their comments will be forwarded with the plan to the State Education Department.

The Board, along with its Superintendent of Schools and other appropriate District staff, will undertake actions to ensure parent and family member involvement in the development of the Districtwide Title I plan, such as holding meetings at flexible times and accessible places.

Development of school level parent involvement approaches

The Superintendent of Schools will ensure that all District schools receiving federal financial assistance under Title I, Part A are provided technical assistance and all other support necessary to assist them in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement programs and activities that improve student achievement and school performance.  As appropriate to meet individual local needs, the Superintendent will hold meetings at flexible times and in accessible locations. This may include consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effective engaging parents and family members in education.

Building capacity for parent involvement

To build parent capacity for strong parent involvement to improve their child’s academic achievement, the District will, at a minimum:

  1. Assist parents in understanding such topics as the state’s academic content, challenging academic standards, state and local academic assessments, Title I requirements, how to monitor their child’s progress and how to work with educators to improve the achievement of their child.
     
  2. Provide materials and training to help parents work to improve their child’s academic achievement such as literacy training and using technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy).
     
  3. Educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals and other school leaders, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in understanding the value and utility of a parent’s contributions and on 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 schools.
  1. Ensure that information related to school and parent-related programs, meetings and other activities is sent to the parents of children participating in Title I programs in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats, upon request, and to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.

Coordination of parent involvement strategies

The District will coordinate and integrate strategies adopted to comply with Title I, Part A parent involvement requirements with parental involvement strategies adopted in connection with other Federal, State and local programs, including public preschool programs.

Review of Districtwide parent and family engagement policy

The Board, along with its Superintendent of Schools and other appropriate staff, will conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this policy in improving the academic quality of Title I schools, including the identification of barriers to greater participation by parents in activities under this policy, and the revision of parent involvement policies necessary for more effective involvement.
 
Ref:
20 USC §6318(a)(2); 7801(38 Every Student Succeeds Act (§1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act)  U.S. Department of Education, Parental Involvement, Title I, Part A, Non-Regulatory Guidance, April 23, 2004

Adopted by the Board of Education:  August 30, 2018