505.8 - Parent and Family Engagement

Parent and family engagement is an important component in a student’s success in school.  The board encourages parents and families to become involved in their child’s education to ensure the child’s academic success.  The board will:

1. This jointly developed and agreed upon written policy is distributed to parents and family members of participating Title I children through the Parent Handbook which is made available online to every family. (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2))
2. The district will provide technical assistance and support in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance through professional development regarding parent and family engagement. The district will partner with community groups as a means to engage families more creatively and successfully. (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(B))
3. The district will work to find ways to work cooperatively with other Federal, state, and local programs. The Title I program will work with local public preschool programs, local library programs, and special education program (IDEA). (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(C))
4. The district conducts a bi-annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness for the parent and family engagement policy. The evaluation includes parents in a meaningful manner. The evaluation tools and methods identify the type and frequency of schoolhome interactions and the needs parents and families have to better support and assist their children in learning. The surveys focus on parent understanding of the program, progress of students, and suggestions to strengthen the program. (ESSA Section 1116(a)(2)(D)(i-iii))
5. The district uses the findings for the annual evaluation to design evidenced based strategies for more effective parent and family engagement. The evaluation results will help uncover best practices that are working and adapt those ideas to the district needs. (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(E))
6. The district involves parents and family members in activities of the school. The district has established a parent advisory committee comprised of willing and interested parents, who adequately represent the needs to the population; revising; and reviewing the Parent and Family Engagement Policy (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(F))
7. At least one annual meeting will be held to inform parents and family members of the district's participation in the Title I program and to explain the requirements of the program and their right to be involved. Janesville Consolidated School District will hold an annual meeting in the fall. Notification will be sent in the district newsletter. (ESSA, Section 1116(c)(1))
8. Parent and family meetings, including parent conferences, will be held at a variety of times and Title I funds may be used to pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parent and family engagement activities, including transportation, childcare, or home visit expenses to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions. (ESSA, Section 1116(c)(2))
9. The district will involve parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s Title I program through participation in in-person meetings where parents give input and feedback. (ESSA, Section 1116(c)(3))
10. Not applicable. (ESSA, Section 1116(c)(3) and Section 1114))
11. Parents and family members of participating children are given assistance in understanding the Title I program, with timely information about the Title I program. Through annual meetings and parent-teacher conferences, the school will provide parents and family members of participating children with 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 through individual reports given to parents at conference time, and through report cards. (ESSA, Section 1116(c)(4)(A) & (B))
12. If requested by parents, the school will provide opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible. (ESSA, Section 1116(c)(4)(C))
13. If the schoolwide plan under Section 1114(b) is not satisfactory, parents of participating students may comment. Comments may be made in writing to the school principal. Section 1116(c)(5)
14. A jointly developed school/parent compact outlines how parents and family members, the entire school staff, and students all share responsibility for improved student achievement. The compact also describes the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve our local high standards. It is distributed to parents with participating students at the beginning of each school year and is reviewed at the annual meetings. Section 1116(d)
15. Parents will be notified of this policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. The policy will be free of educational jargon. Section 1116(b)(1)
16. In order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the district, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, the district shall:
    
    1. Provide assistance to parents in understanding challenging State academic standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children 
    2. Provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement; 
    3. Educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals and other school leaders, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in 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 school; 
    4. Coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs, and conduct other activities that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children; 
    5. Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand;
    6. Provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request. (ESSA Section 1116(e)(1-14))
17. The school, to the extent practicable, will provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members (including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children) by providing information and school reports required under section 1111 in a format and language the parties can understand. (Section 11116(f))

The board will review this policy annually.  The superintendent is responsible for notifying parents and families of this policy annually or within a reasonable time after it has been amended during the school year.  The superintendent may develop an administrative process or procedures to implement this policy. 

 

 

Legal References:  20 U.S.C. §6318

Cross References:  903.2    Community Resource Persons and Volunteers

Approved:   11/12/18                  
Reviewed    11/15/21              
Revised   11/12/18