Alcorn School District

Districtwide (LEA)

 

PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY

 

PART I.     GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

 

The Alcorn School District agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:

 

  • The LEA will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  Those programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

 

  • Consistent with section 1118, the LEA will work to ensure that the required parental involvement policies meet the requirements of section 1118(b) of the ESEA and that each includes, as a component, a school-parent-student compact consistent with section 1118(b) of the ESEA.

 

  • The LEA plan developed will follow guidelines under section 1112 of the ESEA.

 

  • In carrying out the Title I, Part A parental involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the LEA will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, to include providing information and school reports required under section 1111of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and, including alternative formats upon request, 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 LEA 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 one percent reserved goes directly to the schools required for Title I Part A funds of $500,000 or greater.

 

  • The LEA 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:

 

            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 11118 of

                             the ESEA.

 

PART II.        DESCRIPTION OF HOW DISTRICT WILL IMPLEMENT REQUIRED

                        DISTRICTWIDE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY

                        COMPONENTS.

 

1.  The Alcorn School District will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint

     development of its LEA parental involvement plan under section 1112 of the ESEA:

 

  • Annual Parent Title I Meetings to inform parents of their participation in Title I, the Title I involvement requirements and their rights to be involved
  • Need for the School-Parent-Student Compact
  • Provide all parents with copy of LEA parent involvement policy each year
  • Include survey with policy to obtain feedback from parents
  • Meet with School Advisory Team (SAT) to discuss survey results
  • Hold parent meting to discuss and implement any policy changes

 

2.  The Alcorn School District will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of

     development of the Schoolwide Program Plan under Section 1114.

 

  • Assist Title I schools in meeting with School Advisory Teams to review draft of Schoolwide Program Plan.
  • Hold meeting of District Parent Committee to solicit comments and recommendations regarding District Parental Involvement Policy and Schoolwide Plans.
  • Complete review process annually with District Parent Committee

 

3.  The Alcorn School District will provide the following necessary coordination, technical

     assistance, and other support to assist TitleI, Part A schools in planning and implementing

     effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school

     performance:

 

  • Work with existing School Advisory Teams (SAT);
  • Hold quarterly meetings of District Parent Committee, with the following LEA representation:  Superintendent, Supervisor of Instruction, District Test Coordinator, Response to Intervention (RtI) Coordinator, Special Education Supervisor, Business Manager, two (2) Building Administrators, and two (2) Counselors, two parents from each of seven (7) Title I schools to ensure district is providing necessary learning tools and educational programs in accordance with guidelines of Title I Part A and “No Child Left Behind” legislation.
  • Through input from SATs and school/district administrators, determine professional development needs and training to provide most effective teaching strategies to increase student achievement.  Discussion to include local assessment data and results.
  • Hold parent meetings and parent conferences at different times during the day.
  • Through District Parent Committee format, plan needed topics/training during Parent University sessions/seminars

 

4.  The Alcorn School District, to the extent feasible, will coordinate and integrate parental

      involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies under the following

      other programs:  Head Start, Home Bound Program, 21st Century Community Learning

      Centers Program, private and faith-based pre-school programs.

 

  • Invite program members to participate in parent night meetings held during the school

      year.

  • Invite program members to participate in professional development activities.
  • Organize and participate in joint transition-related training of school staff, Head Start staff and other early childhood development programs.

 

5.  The Alcorn School District 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 LEA 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:

 

  • The District Planning Committee, working with existing School Advisory Teams, will       ensure the LEA is providing the necessary learning tools and educational programs in accordance with guidelines of Title I Part A and “No Child Left Behind.”
  • Invite Student representatives to share ideas with the District Planning Committee;
  • The Curriculum Development Team will facilitate the alignment of current curriculum with developed Title I programs.  The catalyst for integration will be innovative technology to assist the needs of all students;
  • Title I programs/services will be evaluated initially by the School Advisory Team (SAT) on meeting the needs of all students with concentrations in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.
  • Program/policy evaluation findings will be shared with parents via meetings, surveys, and other means of communication, including the Alcorn District website, to work collectively to update and improve policies as needed.
  • Policy will be reviewed annually, at a minimum, by the School Advisory Team and the District Parent Committee.

 

6.  The Alcorn School District will build the schools’ and parents’ 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 LEA 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 –

·         Provide assistance to Title I parents as appropriate in understanding standards, state, and local assessments, the requirements of Part A, monitoring a child’s programs and working with educators by conducting workshops at local school, enlistment of the MS Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) services/programs;

·         Inform parents of the Mississippi Department of Education website and Alcorn District website with its “Parent Resources” link  to provide them information specific to academic standards, assessments, “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB ), and Title I Part A.

·         Parent meetings to discuss academic standards, types of assessments, NCLB, Title I, after-school and extended-school year tutoring programs.

·         Parent meetings and training seminars/workshops held at different times during the day to accommodate parents’ needs.

 

B.  The LEA will 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:

·         Provide basic computer literacy classes to parents;

·         Annually provide a Parent Information Packet that informs them that will help them become educational partners with their child’s school;

·         Provide parent involvement brochures/pamphlets to include, but not limited to topics, such as  helping with homework, becoming reading buddies, parents as the first and most important teacher, involvement activities/strategies, etc.

·         Provide after-school tutoring and extended school year (summer) enrichment for children not reaching proficiency levels.

 

C.  The LEA will, with the assistance of its schools and parents, educate its 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:

·         Annual Parent Title I meetings to inform parents of their participation in Title I, the Title I involvement requirements, and their rights to be involved;

·         Additional meetings that are devoted specifically to addressing an understanding of academic standards, assessment, enrichment and remediation for parents to support their children

·         Communicate to parents updates and changes to federal and state policies, assessments, and mandates of NCLB.

·         Jointly with parents, review school-parent-student compacts outlining how parents, the entire school staff and students share in the responsibility for improved student achievement.

 

D.  The LEA will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental

      involvement programs and activities with Head Start and daycare programs that encourage

      and support parents to more fully participate in the education of their children by:

 

·         Inviting program members to participate in parent night meetings held during the school year.

·         Inviting program members to participate in professional development activities;

·         Organizing and participating in joint transition-related training of school staff, Head Start staff and other early childhood development programs;

·         Conducting meetings involving parents and programs participants to discuss development and assessment needs of individual children.

 

E.  The LEA 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:

  • Mailings
  • Random Phone call reminders
  • Emails
  • Postings on LEA website
  • Newsletters

 

 

Part III.  ADOPTION

 

This districtwide Parental Involvement Policy has been reviewed and developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs.

 

This policy was adopted by the Alcorn School District on the 14th day of October 2008 and will be in effect for the period of one year.

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________

Stacy Suggs, Superintendent of Education

Alcorn School District

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________

Jan Haley, School Board President

Alcorn School District