Title I School-Level Parent and Family Engagement Policy
Fairhaven
Fairhaven has developed a written Title I parent and family engagement policy with input from Title I parents. Parents provide input during an ELAC and School Site Council meeting each year. It has distributed the policy to parents and family members of Title I students. The policy is distributed at these meetings. The policy describes the means for carrying out the following Title I parent and family engagement requirements (20 USC 6318 Section 1118(c)-(g) inclusive).
Involvement of Parents in the Title 1 Program
To involve parents and family members in the Title I program at Fairhaven, the following practices have been established:
The school convenes an annual meeting to inform parents and family members of Title I students
about Title I requirements and about the right of parents to be involved in the Title I program. This typically occurs at back to School Night during the principal presentation, during ELAC and SSC meetings at the beginning of the year. The school offers a flexible number of meetings such as meetings in the morning or evening and may provide, with Title I funds, transportation and childcare, as such services relate to parent involvement.
The school involves parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the school's Title I programs and the Title I parent and family engagement policy and joint development of the school-wide program plan. The school provides parents of Title I students with timely information about Title I programs during ELAC and SSC meetings.
The school provides parents of Title I students with a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the assessments used to measure student progress, and the achievement of the challenging State academic standards. These topics are described by teachers at Back to School Night, ELAC , SSC and PTO meetings.
If requested by parents, the school provides opportunities for regular meetings that allow the
parents to participate in decisions relating to the education of their children. If the school-wide plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, parents may submit comments on the plan when submitted to the LEA. Parents can participate in decisions and share suggestions at Back to Schoo Night, School Site Council, PTO , and ELAC meetings, through communication via email/phone to the principal and parent surveys.
School-Parent Compact
Fairhaven distributes to parents of Title I students a school-parent compact. The compact, which has been jointly developed with parents, outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement. It describes specific ways the school and families will partner to help children achieve the State's high academic standards. It addresses the following legally required items, as well as other items suggested by parents of Title I students.
· The school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction
· The ways parents will be responsible for supporting their children's learning
· The importance of ongoing communication between parents and teachers through, at a minimum, annual parent-teacher conferences; frequent reports on student progress; access to staff; opportunities for parents to volunteer and participate in their child's class; and opportunities to observe classroom activities
Policies have been created collaboratively with SSC, ELAC and PTO meeting participants input
Building Capacity for Involvement
Fairhaven Elementary engages Title I parents in meaningful interactions with the school. It supports a partnership among staff, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement. To help reach these goals, the school has established the following practices:
· The school provides parents with assistance in understanding the State's academic content standards, state and local assessments, the requirements of Title I, Part A, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve achievement of their children through information provided at Back to School Night, ELAC, PTO meetings and monthly newsletters.
· The school provides parents with materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children's achievement through parent education opportunities, ELAC meetings, monthly newsletters, and provision of a full time bilingual Community Aide.
· The school educates teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, other school leaders, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of parent contributions, and in how to reach out, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school through staff meetings and professional development.
· The school, to the extend feasible and appropriate, coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs, and conducts other activities, such as parent resource centers, to encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children through all parent meetings and newsletters.
· The school ensures that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand through the employment of a full-time bilingual Community Aide, documents and newsletters provided in the their primary language and interpreting services offered at all parent meetings.
· The school is willing to provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request.
Accessibility
Fairhaven Elementary, to the extent possible, provides opportunities for the informed participation of all parents and family members, including parents and family members with limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory students. Information and school reports are provided in a format and language that parents understand with bilingual interpreters and bilingual documents.
Parent Involvement
Our Fairhaven staff is very proud of its instructional program and we also value our devoted volunteers! You are welcomed and encouraged to take part in our parent organizations and volunteer in your child’s classroom. Please feel free to offer any time, energy, and talents you have available. Making a connection between the school and the home will show your child that you believe education is important. If you are interested in volunteering in the classroom, please contact our office staff who will provide you with information regarding registration requirements as required by OUSD.
To Be a Successful Parent Volunteer, please:
- Be punctual and consistent. If you are not able to come at your scheduled time, please call the office or send a note with your child.
- Check in at the office.
- Please leave siblings at home.
- Remember instructional time is always occurring in the classroom. Do not interrupt lessons or engage the teacher in conversations during class time.
- Respect confidentiality.
Thank you! Your help is greatly appreciated!!