Parent Involvement Policy

Fair Street IB World School

Parent Involvement Policy

2011-2012

 

Revised May 2, 2011

 

 

FAIR STREET IB WORLD SCHOOL

 

Title I Parent Involvement Policy

 

The Gainesville City School System (GCSS) Title I Program promotes the belief that all children can learn and acknowledges that parents share the system’s commitment for the educational success of all students.  We recognize that a student’s education is a responsibility shared by system, school, family, and community.

 

The Title I District staff and the Title I Schools work jointly to provide opportunities for the regular involvement of parents.  To ensure both, maintenance and effectiveness of the Parent Involvement Program mandate, the system provides opportunities for parents to become involved in the child’s education that include, but are not limited to the following:

 

Collaborating Partners

 

 

Pre-Kindergarten

 

Fair Street IB World School hosts state-funded pre-kindergarten program.  Parent involvement activities are combined with Title I parent involvement efforts.

 

Community Providers

 

Fair Street IB World School parent coordinator, Veronica Portillo assists in the coordination of community services from state and local agencies such as the Health Department, Boys and Girls Club of Hall County, Georgia Mountains YMCA, Gainesville Parks and Recreation, Department of Family & Children Services, Gateway House, Gainesville Gang Task Force, the United Way, and other local agencies.

 

 

LEA Responsibilities for Parental Involvement

 

Annual Evaluation

 

Fair Street IB World School annually surveys parents in the spring to determine the effectiveness and appropriateness of the parent involvement program. The annual evaluation instrument focuses on identifying barriers to parent participation. In addition, schools document parental contacts and activities and submit this report along with the survey to the system level parent coordinator.  A survey data analysis report is generated by each school and results are shared with parents and staff. Information and feedback received from the activities and survey is used to propose new strategies to improve the effectiveness of the parent involvement program.

 

Plan for Involvement of Parents in School Activities

 

Fair Street IB World School outlines a system parent involvement plan designed to invite parents to become full partners in the education of their children through volunteering, parent workshops, English classes, newsletters, PTA/PTO, and School Governance Council.

 

Parental Input/Allocation/Distribution of Funds

 

Parent input on parenting activities and school improvement is welcomed and based on established needs as identified in the parent assessment surveys.  No less than one percent of GCSS Title I funds are allocated and expended as outlined by regulations identified and detailed in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001.

 

 

Local School Responsibilities for Parental Involvement

 

Title I School Parental Involvement Policy/Plan

 

Fair Street IB World School has a plan for parental involvement.  The plan is developed using feedback from parent surveys and feedback.  Strategies to increase/improve parental participation are included as part of the school’s Title I Plan.  The policy is reviewed annually and updated as the school’s needs change. Fair Street has a bi-lingual parent coordinator to ensure that limited English proficient parents have every opportunity for full participation in all levels of the school’s operation.

 

Annual Meeting/Parental Comments/Amendment

 

Parents receive information about their rights as parents to be involved in their child’s education through parental meetings, newsletters, and fliers.  All parent comments regarding parental involvement in the school are addressed, and the parent involvement policy is reviewed and amended based on the changing needs of the school, children, and parents.

 

Flexible Meetings

 

Parent meetings are offered at varied times during the day and evening to accommodate parents’ schedules.

 

Involving School Councils in Planning and Review

 

School Councils, which have parent representatives, annually review our school Parent Involvement Policies in the spring.  Parent surveys/evaluation instruments are used to solicit feedback from parents for policy revisions.

 

 

Timely Communication and Information to Parents

 

Opportunities are provided throughout the year for parents to receive information about school programs, a description of the curriculum, student assessment, student academic progress, and expected student proficiency at each grade level. Parents are provided opportunities to participate in parent-teacher conferences including parents of special needs students who participate in support team (SST) meetings, individual education plan (IEP) meetings, response to intervention (RTI) meetings and Tribunal meetings. Parents of Spanish speaking ELL (English Language Learner) students are provided written/oral information from the bilingual parent coordinator in their native language.  In addition, information is provided on the individual school and district web sites and in student handbooks/agendas.

 

Description and Explanation of the Curriculum

 

A description and explanation of the curriculum is given to parents at back to school nights, during parent orientation meetings, and parent-teacher conferences.  Translation is provided at these meetings for LEP parents.  In addition to these meetings, information is also provided on our school and district websites and in student handbooks/agendas.

 

Strategies for School Improvement

 

Fair Street is responsible for the completion of a School Improvement/Title I Plan.  The plan includes a needs assessment, schoolwide reform strategies, professional development, transition plan from one critical grade to the next, measurement with regard to teachers in the decision making process and how to assist students that experience difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards.  Should Fair Street be identified as Needs Improvement, our school leadership team researches the current instructional programs and develops strategies for improvement based on scientifically based research. 

 

Opportunities for Regular Parent Meetings

 

The inclusion of parents in all educational areas affecting their children is a goal of Title I.  Parents are encouraged to respond to surveys so that days, times, and content of parental workshops and programs are appropriate and accommodating.  Workshops and programs are provided for parents at both the school and community level. 

 

Shared Responsibilities for High Student Achievement

 

Fair Street plans address the commitment to providing high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective environment so students can meet the state’s academic standards.  Fair Street has a school-parent compact on file in the office. The school-parent compact provides opportunities for positive communication between parents and school personnel.  The compact is learning-oriented and outlines a plan of action with detailed responsibilities of our school, student, and parent for the purpose of accomplishing high student achievement.

 

Communication between Home and School and Frequent Reports to Parents about Progress

 

Fair Street communicates with parents through newsletters, letters, student agendas, telephone contacts, home visitations, and conferences.  Parents receive frequent reports on student progress through progress reports, report cards, home visits, conferences, letters, and Power School.  Parents are given reasonable access to school staff via requested conferences (teacher or parent), school visits and volunteering.

 

Ways Parents can Monitor Their Child’s Progress and Work Collaboratively with Educators to Improve the Academic/Behavior Performance of Their Child

 

Parents are able to monitor their child’s progress and performance through regular contact with the school e.g. conferences, classroom visits, participation in school activities, reviewing all progress reports and report cards, and through Power School.  Parents also are able to monitor homework assignments through student agendas, monitor and assist with homework, and work with teachers to improve the overall academic achievement of their children.

 

Involving Parents in Decisions Relating to the Education of Their Child

 

Fair Street involves parents in decision making through membership on the School Governance Council, school-wide planning committees, surveys and the PTA/PTO.  In addition to parent-teacher conferences parents are invited to take an active part during SST/IEP and Tribunal meetings.  Parents are also involved through their feedback on surveys and needs assessments which address program evaluation.

 

School’s Responsibility to High Quality Curriculum

 

Expectations and strategies provide a high quality curriculum for students and is outlined in the school improvement plan.  The strategies to be implemented have been taken from scientifically-based research programs with proven success that can be generalized to a specific student population.

 

Building Capacity for Involvement

 

Fair Street IB World School provides opportunities to assist parents in supporting and monitoring their child’s progress at home.  Parent training includes such topics as “How to Read to Your Child”, “How to Support Your Beginning Reader”, “You, Your Child, and Math”, “Reading Your Child’s Signals”, “Responding to Your Child’s Needs”.  Our school has lending libraries in the Parent Resource Center.  Parents are encouraged to visit the center and check out materials to work with their child at home.  Fair Street IB World School’s Parent Center offers The Rosetta Stone English Program to non-English speaking parents. Parents are referred by teachers, counselors, and parent coordinator to community programs for assistance. Fair Street IB World School has a parent resource center with hours of operation posted. 

 

 

Opportunities are Provided for Parents to Learn About

 

National Education Goals (NCLB Act of 2001)

 

Through parent meetings, links on school/district web sites, the local media, letters, and conferences parents learn about NCLB.  If a school is classified as a needs improvement school, parents are notified in writing and through the local news media of their rights under the law.

 

State’s Content Standards and Student Performance Standards

 

Parents are able to access information on the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) and access the Georgia Department of Education on the LEA web site.  School report card information, disaggregated by subject, ethnicity, and gender is available to parents through the school system office and the Georgia Department of Education web site at www.doe.k12.ga.us

 

School Improvement Process and Corrective Action Process (if applicable)

 

Schools placed in school improvement status will form school improvement committees consisting of administrators, teachers, and parents.  The committees will utilize scientifically-based research strategies and input from parents to revise the instructional program to more effectively meet the needs of the students.  Schools will offer school transfers and/or tutorial programs to students when applicable.

 

Components of a School-Wide Program

 

Fair Street IB World School has School-Wide Programs.  The school established a school-wide planning committee to develop its school-wide plan and parents serve on these committees.  School level plans included strategies for the improvement of parental involvement.

 

State and Local Assessments

 

Information on school performance profiles, individual student assessment results and interpretation of those results, explanation and description of the school curriculum, the assessments used to measure student progress, and the levels of proficiency students are expected to meet, are provided to parents.

 

 

 

 

Recognition of the Value and Utility of Parent Contributions

 

Staff Development on Parent Involvement

 

Staff development is provided to school personnel through conferences, workshops and book studies to educate teachers, student services personnel, administration, and other staff regarding the requirements of parent involvement. Fair Street IB World School has a Parent Involvement Policy on file.

 

Meetings and Home Visitation

 

Parent Involvement Coordinators meet monthly to share ideas and coordinate training programs for parents.  These programs/trainings are offered at varying times during the day/evening to accommodate parents’ schedules.  Parents respond to surveys giving schools the dates, days, times, and how much advance notice is needed to respond to the workshop registrations.  Home visitation is scheduled as needed according to the specified needs of the students/parents.

 

Model Approaches

 

Fair Street has model approaches available to improve parental involvement efforts.  Available for implementation are programs such as “Parents on Board”, “Active Parenting”, “Active Parenting of Teens”, “Parent University”, “Second Step”, and “Parent to Parent”.  Additional resources are available through the GDOE PIRC (Parent Involvement Resource Center) and the USDOE.

 

Roles for Community-Based Organizations

 

Fair Street works with local community groups, businesses, and faith-based groups through the partners in Education Program.  Through these partnerships, schools are able to increase the number of tutors, mentors, reading pals, classroom speakers, and other roles identified by the school to enhance, enrich, and assist in the education of students.  In collaboration with the YMCA and Hall County Schools, Gainesville City Schools wrote and received the 21^st Century Community Learning Center Grant which provides parents with opportunities to participate in various classes that support their ability to further their education.  Classes include technology, ESOL and parenting classes.

 

 

 

 

Reasonable Support

 

Fair Street IB World School recognizes the impact of parental involvement in/on the academic achievement of children; therefore our school makes a reasonable effort to support parents in becoming more involved in their child’s education.

 

 

 

 

Provision for LEP and Disabled Parents

 

Fair Street IB World School, to the extent possible, sends information to parents in a language they can understand.  Some schools hold ESOL Nights to address the specific questions and issues of limited English proficient (LEP) parents.  In addition, Title I personnel work closely with Special Education staff to provide, to the extent possible, for the needs of disabled parents.

 

Accessibility

 

In compliance with parent involvement requirements, Fair Street IB World School provides parents with information regarding meetings, classes and workshops.  Fair Street IB World School has a bilingual parent coordinator and staff to assist parents in parent-teacher conferences, SST meetings, IEP meetings and tribunals to ensure that parents understand and feel comfortable participating on behalf of their child.

 

Parent Resource Centers/Rooms

 

Fair Street IB World School has a parent center with information and materials for parents to become full partners in the education of their children.  In situations where parents are unable to come to the Parent Center, staff is available to bring materials into the home. The resource center hours are posted in the school as well as the school website.