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    TITLE I PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY

    Tyrone Area Elementary School

     

    Date Reviewed - 11/13/23

    Purpose

    This policy, developed by Tyrone Area School District in collaboration with and agreed to by parents and family members, describes how parents and family members will be engaged at the school level.

    Components

    The school complies with federal law related to the engagement of parents and family members by detailing how the school will:

    1. Involve parents and family members in the planning, review and improvement of the school’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy:
    • Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the Annual Parent and Family Engagement meeting. During the meeting, the Parent and Family Engagement policy will be discussed and reviewed.
    1. Convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time:
    • To which all parents and family members of participating children shall be invited, and encouraged to attend;
    • To inform parents and family members of their school’s participation as a Title I school; and
    • To explain the requirements and the rights of parents and family members to be involved.
      • The annual meeting takes place after-school hours to ensure that parents and families are able to attend.
      • During the annual meeting, an overview of Title I is provided.
      • All parents and families are encouraged to participate and ask questions during the annual meeting.
    1. Offer a flexible number of meetings in the morning and/or the evening, and may provide Title I funds, if sufficient, to facilitate parent and family member attendance at meetings through payment of transportation, child care costs and/or refreshments.
      • The annual meeting takes place after-school hours to ensure that parents and families are able to attend.
      • Title I sponsored events take place after-school hours and on various days of the week. Often, events offer food and refreshments for attendees.
    1. Involve parents and family members, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the Title I program, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s parent and family engagement program:
      • During the annual meeting, an overview of Title I is provided.
      • Information about Title I is provided to families at all Parent and Family Engagement events throughout the school year.
      • Parents are asked to complete an annual survey where thoughts and ideas about our programing are collected.
    1. Provide parents and family members of participating children with timely information about the Title I program:
    • Information is provided during various Parent and Family Engagement events. Events may include:
      • Meet the Teacher Night
      • Family Fun Night
      • BINGO for books
    1. Provide parents and family members of participating children with a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessments used to measure student progress, and the achievement levels of the state academic standards:
    • The curriculum and academic assessments used are explained throughout the school year in various ways. Examples include:
      • The Principal presentation on Meet the Teacher Night
      • Data Sheets with a description of each assessment provided to parents at the completion of each assessment cycle
    1. Provide, if requested by parents and family members, 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.
    • The Tyrone Elementary PTO meets monthly. All families are invited to attend.
    • At the monthly PTO meeting, the Federal Programs Coordinator is present to discuss Title I.     
    1. Involve parents and family members in the joint development of the Schoolwide Program Plan in accordance with federal law. [Note: applies only to Title I schools operating a Schoolwide Program].
    • The Schoolwide Program Plan is developed and revised at the annual Title I meeting. All parents and families are invited to attend.
    1. Create a school-parent and family compact developed jointly with parents and family members outlining how parents and family members, the entire school staff, and students will share in the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and the parents and family members will build and develop partnerships to help children achieve the state’s academic standards. The compact shall:

    • Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables children in Title I programs to meet the state academic standards, and the ways in which each parent and family member will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning; volunteering in their child’s classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time and

    • Address the importance of communication between teachers and parents and family members on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum:

    -Teacher conferences with parents and family members in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement;
    -Frequent reports to parents and family members on their children’s progress;
    -Reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and observation of classroom activities; and
    -Ensuring regular two-way, meaningful communication between parents and family members and school staff, in a language that parents and family members can understand.

    • Parents will be invited to provide feedback and suggest changes to the compact during the annual meeting. All parent suggestions will be considered.
    1. Provide assistance to parents and family members in understanding the state academic standards, state and local academic assessments, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with teachers to improve the achievement of their children:
    • Data Sheets are provided to parents at the completion of each assessment cycle. A description of the assessments is included to increase parent understanding.
    • Parents are invited to attend a conference with the teacher at least one time per year. During the meeting, teachers explain the report card and grade level expectations.
    1. Provide materials and training to help parents and family members to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology including education about the harms of copyright piracy, as appropriate, to foster parent and family involvement:
    • During all Parent and Family Engagement events, parents and families are provided with information that pertains to Title I services.
    • Materials and training opportunities are provided throughout the year during various events, which may include:

                -Wonderful Wednesday (PreK)

                -BINGO for Books

    1. Educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff, with the assistance of parents and family members, in the value and utility of contributions of parents and family members, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents and family members as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and family members and the school:
    • Teachers and staff members are trained regularly through PLC meetings using SPAC skits.
    • Teachers and staff are presented with information that assists them in working with families in a collaborative manner to prepare for parent-teacher conferences.
    1. To the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate, and integrate parent and family member involvement programs and activities with other federal, state, and local programs including public preschool programs, and conduct other activities that encourage and support parents and family members in more fully participating in the education of their children:
    • The school district will include all families in school-wide events, when feasible. Events may be sponsored by local, state or federal programs, based on appropriateness.
    1. Ensure that information related to school and parent and family member programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents and family members of participating children in a format and in a language the parents and family members can understand:
    • All invites are translated into the home language for families that speak English as their second language.
    • Documents are translated using support from individuals whom are fluent in the native language when possible.
    1. 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):
    • All families are invited to participate in Title I programs and events. Information is provided to the school community in a variety of ways including, but not limited to:

                                  -Flyers (translated)

                                  -School website

                                  -District Facebook page

                                  -School messenger system

    1. Ensure distribution of the policy to all parents and family members with a child participating in a Title I program by the following means:
    • The Title I School Parent and Family Engagement Policy is available to all families on the district website.
    1. Support programs that reach parents and family members at home, in the community and at school using set aside funds:
    • The district has used funds to purchase and maintain subscriptions to Seesaw to ensure that teachers and parents have a tool to enhance the communication process.
    • All parents and families have access to view student work on a daily basis and can contact teachers easily.
    • Seesaw allows for consistency among the grade levels and simplicity in communication format for families.

    Delegation of Responsibility

    The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy, plan and programs comply with the requirements of federal law.

    The building principal and/or Title I staff shall notify parents and family members of the existence of Title I programs and provide:

    1. An explanation of the reasons supporting their child’s selection for the program.
    2. A set of goals and objectives to be addressed.
    3. A description of the services to be provided.
    4. A copy of this policy and the School-Parent and Family Compact.

    Each school with a Title I program shall provide communications, information and school reports to parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children, in a language and format they can understand.