Public Notices from the Forest Area School District's
Title I Programs
Expectations and Implementation | No Child Left Behind | Parent Involvemenet Policy |
Reading Connection | School-Parent Compact
Title I Expectations and Implementation
PART I. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
The Forest Area School District 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 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 district wide 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 one percent reserved goes directly to the schools if the Title I allocations are over $500,000.
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:
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 .
• The school district will inform parents and parental organizations of the purpose and existence of the Parental Information and Resource Center in the State; i.e. SPAC.
PART II. DESCRIPTION OF HOW DISTRICT WILL IMPLEMENT REQUIRED DISTRICT WIDE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS
1. The Forest Area School District will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its district wide parental involvement plan under section 1112 of the ESEA:
Section II—Policy Development, Dissemination, and Evaluation
The district shall develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to, parents of participating children this written parent involvement policy. The policy shall be incorporated into the local district’s LEA plan developed under ESEA, establish the school district’s expectations for parent involvement, and describe how the district will implement provisions. ESEA, Section 1118(a)(2)—20 USC 6318(a)(2) If the required district plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school district shall submit any parent comments with the district plan upon submission to the state. ESEA, Section 1118(b)(4)—20 USC 6318(b)(4)
The district authorized the Parent Involvement Policy Committee which included the district and school Parent Advisory Committee to jointly develop this policy. Invited to participate were participating parents, organizations, and community members. Opportunities for engagement were open at different times during the day. Members of the committee reviewed the current district parent involvement policy, checklists and templates provided by the Division of Federal Programs, Department of Education, examined successful and unsuccessful experiences, reviewed the NCLB Act, and cam to consensus on a suggested policy. Members of the committee included school personnel, parents and community members. Members of the committee were exposed to a variety of facilitators during this process including district personnel. On two separate weekends, the district coordinated teams of school personnel and parents—representative of elementary through high school —and participated in the Governor’s Institute for Parental Involvement at the state capital.
In carrying out this policy, the district shall provide, to the extent practicable, 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 in a language such parents can understand. ESEA Section 1118 (f)—20 USC 6318 (f) The district shall also provide speech and hearing interpreters for parent-teacher conferences, Parent Advisory Council meetings, and other activities as requested and deemed necessary.
This parent involvement policy shall be distributed annually to parents. Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that parents can understand. The policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically—with the involvement of parents—to meet the changing needs. ESEA Section 1118(b)(1)—20 USC 6318(b)(1) The policy will be available to parents at local schools, community agencies and programs that have direct access to parents and they may voluntarily distribute the policy at their sites.
ESEA Section 1118(a)(2)(E)—20 USC 6318(a)(2)(E) The district will annually convene a focus group of parents and community members for this purpose and also distribute a Parent Satisfaction Survey to all parents of participating children. Parents shall work with the District Parental Advisory Council. Results of the survey will be shared with all Parent Advisory Councils and parent leaders.
- The Forest Area School District will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESEA:
The school district will involve parents in activities of the schools [ESEA Section
1118(a)(2)(F)—20 USC 6318(a)(2)(F)], including the process of school review and improvement to assist students in achieving. ESEA Section 1118(a)(2)(A)—20 USC 6318(a)(2)(A) When a school has not met criteria for Adequate Yearly Progress and is identified as in “school improvement” status, each school shall, not later than three (3) months after being so identified, develop or revise a school improvement plan—in consultation with parents, school staff, the school district, and outside experts. The plan shall cover a two-year period and include strategies based on scientifically based research to strengthen core academic subjects, directly address the academic achievement problem that caused the school to be identified, and provide for additional staff development.
ESEA Section 1116(b)(3)(A)—20 USC 6316(b)(3)(A) Parents will be active partners to review the achievement data and assist in directing the school improvement plan. Parents will participate in the implementation, budgeting, execution, and monitoring of the plan. Reports will be made available to parents as the plan progresses.
- The Forest Area School District 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, such as in ESEA Section 111 8(a)(B)—20 USC 6318(a)(2)(B) and ESEA Section 1118(e)(14)—20 USC 6318(e)(14).
- The district through its website shall make parents aware of parental involvement resource information available from the federally supported Pennsylvania Parent Information Resource Center, 1623 N. 16 th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, Phone: (215) 763-0883 www.papirc.org ESEA 118(g)—20USC6318(g)
- The school will draw from multiple sources of information and materials for parents and school staff. Sources of information include, but not limited to:
- United State Department of Education
- National Center on Family Literacy
- National Coalition of Title I Parents
- National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education
- National Head Start Association
- PA Title I State Parent Advisory Council
- Pennsylvania Department of Education
- Pennsylvania Parent Information Center
- Education Law Center-PA and PA School Reform Network
- Various regional and local community resource
4. The Forest Area School Districtwill coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies under the following other programs: Head Start, Even Start, IU6 Preschool Intervention Program, Warren Forest Early Intervention Coalition by sharing curriculum and resources dealing with readiness skills.
5. The Forest Area 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 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.
Principals, or designees, in each school shall convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend. The purpose of this meeting shall be to inform parents of school policies, Title I offerings, and the right and opportunities for involvement. This involvement includes the planning, review, and improvement of the parent involvement policy. The schools shall offer a flexible number of meetings to accommodate parents’ schedules, and may provide transportation, child care, home visits, or other services related to parental involvement. ESEA Section 1118©(1)(2)(3)—20 USC 6318 ©(1)(2)(3) The district will conduct, with parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academic quality of its schools served. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by this policy (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 district will use the findings to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of its parents), its parental involvement policies.
- The Forest Area School Board 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 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,
- the State’s student academic achievement standards,
- the State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments,
- the requirements of Part A,
- how to monitor their child’s progress, and
- how to work with educators:
1. Forest Area School District parent workshops
2. Provide information in writing in newsletters, news releases, and flyers
3. School postings
4. IU6 Offerings
5. Parent workshops by state providers
6. Open House events
- 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 offering to subsidize parent participation in the following:
1. Parent Awareness Training Conference at Chateau Resorts sponsored by Pennsylvania Association of Federal Program Coordinators
2. SPAC Conference
3. Title I Statewide Parent Conference
4. Consortium of Clarion County Schools to provide parent training workshops
C. The school district 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:
1. Providing funding to attend training and conferences for all district personnel that address the following:
- The value of parent involvement as a research-based practice that leads to school improvement and student achievement;
- The value of parent contributions;
- How to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners;
- How to implement and coordinate parent involvement programs; and
- How to build ties between parents and the school.
- The school district will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Even Start and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children, by:
- Administrative meetings with the organization
- 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:
- Mail and/or send information with students to parents
- Post information in schools
PART III. DISCRETIONARY DISTRICT WIDE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS (Sample Template)
NOTE: The District wide Parental Involvement Policy may include additional paragraphs listing and describing other discretionary activities that the school district, in consultation with its parents, chooses to undertake to build parents’ capacity for involvement in the school and school system to support their children’s academic achievement, such as the following discretionary activities listed under section 1118(e) of the ESEA:
- involving parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of that training;
- providing necessary literacy training for parents from Title I, Part A funds, if the school district has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for that training;
- paying reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions;
- training parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;
- in order to maximize parental involvement and participation in their children’s education, arranging school meetings at a variety of times, or conducting in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend those conferences at school;
- adopting and implementing model approaches to improving parental involvement;
- establishing a district wide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in Title I, Part A programs;
- developing appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based organizations, in parental involvement activities; and
- providing other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under section 1118 as parents may request.]
* * * * *
PART IV. ADOPTION
This District wide 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 Forest Area School District on _ _mm/dd/yy______ and will be in effect for the period of _______. The school district will distribute this policy to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on or before _________________.
(Signature of Authorized Official)
(Date)
*This sample template of a District Wide Parental Involvement Policy is not an official U.S. Department of Education document. It is provided only as an example.
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