Title I Parent Involvement Policy
for PS 204
Section I: Title I Parent Involvement Policy
Educational research shows a positive correlation between effective parental involvement and student achievement. The overall aim of this policy is to develop a parent involvement program that will ensure effective involvement of parents and community in our school. Therefore PS 204, [in compliance with the Section 1118 of Title I, Part A of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act], is responsible for creating and implementing a parent involvement policy to strengthen the connection and support of student achievement between our school and the families. PS 204's policy is designed to keep parents informed by actively involving them in planning and decision-making in support of the education of their children. Parents are encouraged to actively participate on the School Leadership Team, Parent Teacher Association, and Title I Parent Advisory Council, as trained volunteers and welcomed members of our school community. PS 204 will support parents and families of Title I students by:
- providing materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their achievement level (e.g., literacy, math and use of technology);
- fostering a caring and effective home-school partnership to ensure that parents can effectively support and monitor their child's progress;
- providing assistance to parents in understanding City, State and Federal standards and assessments;
- sharing information about school and parent related programs, meetings and other activities in a format, and in languages that parents can understand
- providing professional development opportunities for school staff with the assistance of parents to improve outreach, communication skills and cultural competency in order to build stronger ties between parents and other members of our school community;
PS 204's Parent Involvement Policy was designed based upon a careful assessment of the needs of all parents/guardians, including parents/guardians of English Language Learners and students with disabilities. `Our school community will conduct an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent involvement policy with Title I parents to improve the academic quality of our school. The findings of the evaluation through school surveys and feedback forms will be used to design strategies to more effectively meet the needs of parents, and enhance the school's Title I program. This information will be maintained by the school.
In developing the PS 204 Title I Parent Involvement Policy, parent members of the school's Parent Teacher Association, as well as parent members of the School Leadership Team, were consulted on the proposed Title I Parent Involvement Policy and asked to survey their members for additional input. To increase and improve parent involvement and school quality, PS 204 will:
- actively involve and engage parents in the planning, review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the school's Title I program as outlined in the Comprehensive Educational Plan, including the implementation of the school's Title I Parent Involvement Policy and School-Parent Compact;
- engage parents in discussion and decisions regarding the required Title I set-aside funds, which are allocated directly to schools to promote parent involvement, including family literacy and parenting skills;
- ensure that the Title I funds allocated for parent involvement are utilized to implement activities and strategies as described in our Parent Involvement Policy and the School-Parent Compact;
- support school-level committees that include parents who are members of the School Leadership Team, the Parent-Teacher Association and Title I Parent Advisory Council. This includes providing technical support and ongoing professional development, especially in developing leadership skills;
- maintain a Parent Coordinator to serve as a liaison between the school and families. The Parent Coordinator or a dedicated staff person will provide parent workshops based on the assessed needs of the parents of children who attend our school and will work to ensure that our school environment is welcoming and inviting to all parents. The Parent Coordinator will also maintain a log of events and activities planned for parents each month and file a report with the Central Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy (OFEA);
- conduct parent workshops with topics that may include: parenting skills, understanding educational accountability grade-level curriculum and assessment expectations; literacy, accessing community and support services; and technology training to build parents' capacity to help their children at home;
- provide opportunities for parents to help them understand the accountability system (e.g., NCLB/State accountability system, student proficiency levels, Progress Report, Quality Review Report, Learning Environment Survey Report;)
- host the required Title I Parent Annual Meeting on or before December 1st of each school year to advise parents of children participating in the Title I program about the school's Title I funded program(s), their right to be involved in the program and the parent involvement requirements under Title I, Part A, Section 1118 and other applicable sections under the No Child Left Behind Act;
- schedule additional parent meetings (e.g., quarterly meetings, with flexible times, such as meetings in the morning or evening, to share information about the school's educational program and other initiatives of the Chancellor and allow parents to provide suggestions;
- translate critical school documents and provide interpretation during meetings and events as needed
PS 204 will further encourage school-level parental involvement by:
- holding an annual Title I Parent Curriculum Conference;
- hosting educational family events/activities during Open School Week and throughout the school year;
- encouraging meaningful parent participation on School Leadership Team, Parent-Teacher Association and Title I Parent Advisory Council;
- supporting or hosting OFEA District Family Day events;
- establishing a Parent Resource Center or lending library; instructional materials for parents.
- providing written and verbal progress reports that are periodically given to keep parents informed of their children's progress;
- developing and distributing a web publication designed to keep parents informed about school activities and student progress
This Parent Involvement Policy (including the School-Parent Compact) was distributed for review by Michele Bennett on October 21, 2016.
This Parent Involvement Policy was updated on October 21, 2016.
The final version of this document will be distributed to the school community on November 3, 2016 and will be available on file in the Parent Coordinator's office.
A copy of the final version of this policy will also be submitted to the Office of School Improvement as an attachment to the school's CEP and filed with the Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy.