Cross Creek Elementary School Parent Involvement … Creek Parent Involvement Policy... · Web...

Revised 5/22/2015

Cross Creek Elementary School Parent Involvement Policy

2015-2016

Cross Creek Elementary School recognizes that parent involvement is critical to the success of improving student achievement. Cross Creek's goal is to provide environments at school and at home that encourage development of the whole child, especially with regards to each child's academic development. Cross Creek believes that parents should become involved in any decision-making process concerning their child. With the guidance and assistance of the parent involvement coordinator, school secretary, administrators, and teachers parent meetings, conferences, and/or workshops are offered throughout the school year on various topics using flexible times. Our parents are notified of all meetings, conferences, and/or workshops by school newsletters, newspaper articles, community public service announcements, postcards, letters, fliers in students' weekly take-home folders, and/or telephone calls. In addition to receiving notification of upcoming meetings, our parents also receive written and/or verbal information concerning upcoming school or system wide activities, school programs, Cross Creek's Parent Involvement Policy, results of the annual school review, opportunities to volunteer in school, individual student assessment results, and the interpretation of those results, a description and explanation of the school curriculum in the Parent and Student Handbook provided at the beginning of each school year, and results of parents surveys.

Although most of the responsibility for "getting the word out" to parents falls on the Parent Involvement Coordinator, Cross Creek realizes that the overall aim of connecting home and school can only be successful if everyone (administrators, teachers, other faculty and staff, community members, parents, and students) join the effort to encourage and promote student achievement.

Cross Creek recognizes how important Parent Involvement is to the academic success of all students. Cross Creek's revised Parent Involvement Policy embodies six standards based on Joyce Epstein's six types of involvement:

Standard I: Planning and Decision Making: Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review and improvement of programs, and include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.

Standard II: Communication: Provide parents with appropriate information regarding programs and services.

Standard Ill: Volunteering: Recruit and organize parent help and support.

Revised 5/22/2015

Standard IV: Parenting: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.

Standard V: Learning at Home: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, conferences, and planning.

Standard VI:Collaborating with the Community: Utilize resources and services from the communities to strengthen school programs, family practices and student learning.

For each of the six standards, Cross Creek Elementary will be implementing a set of strategies which are designed to increase and expand the parent involvement activities within our school.Part I: General Expectations:A. Cross Creek Elementary School agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:

• The school system 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 1111 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 system will work with its schools to ensure that the required school level parental involvement policies meet the requirements of section 1118(b) of ESEA, and each include, as a component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1118(d) of the ESEA.

• The school system will incorporate this system-wide parental involvement policy into its LEA plan developed under section 1112 of ESEA.

• In carrying out the Title I, Part A parental involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the school system 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 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 system plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school system will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school system submits the plan to the Georgia Department of Education.

• The school system will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the minimum 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.

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• The school system will be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement, a n d e x p e c t s 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-

1. Parents play an integral role in assisting their child's learning;2. Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education at school;3. 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; and4. The carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of ESEA.

Part II: Implementation E fforts:1. Cross Creek Elementary School will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its school wide parental involvement plan under section 1118 of ESEA:Parents from each system Title I school are involved in the planning, review, and improvement of parent involvement programs and activities. The advisory board reviews surveys in the spring and uses results to improve the parent involvement program. Ideas and suggestions are researched and discussed with parents, teachers, and administrators. Teachers and administrators are encouraged to review and respond to parent suggestions.

2. Cross Creek Elementary School will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of ESEA:The goal of Cross Creek Elementary School is to increase student achievement of all students, including every subgroup of students. Parents, teachers, and administrators receive written and verbal information on the College and Career Ready Performance Index status of the schools including Reward, Alert, Focus, or Priority if appropriate. Written information is provided in a format, to the extent practicable, in a language that the parents can understand.

3. Cross Creek Elementary School 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:The Cross Creek Elementary School Parent Involvement Coordinator works with the Title I Director in providing coordination, technical assistance, and other support services in planning and implementing effective parent involvement. The Parent Involvement Coordinator provides assistance at Title I schools by meeting with parents

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individually and in groups, by providing transportation and child care when appropriate at parent workshops, and by providing translation of information when needed.

4. Cross Creek Elementary School will coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies under other programs. Parental Involvement activities at the system level are a coordinated effort between our five school-wide title programs. Title I Part A activities are also coordinated with the Early Intervention Program (EIP), Migrant Program, English to Speakers of Other Languages Program (ESOL), Special Education, and our Preschool Program. In addition, Parent Involvement activities are coordinated with community-wide programs such as Family Connections, Thomasville Resource Center, Business Education Exchange Partnerships (8.E.E.), and Hands on Thomas County.

5. Cross Creek Elementary School 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 system 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.

A Parent Advisory Council meeting is held each fall and spring to review the content and effectiveness of parent involvement on the quality of our Title I school-wide programs. Parents, administrators, and the parent involvement coordinator from each Title I school, along with system administrators participate in these yearly meetings.Information is gathered and recorded from parents concerning barriers to parental involvement in all subgroups including economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited English proficient, limited literacy, and racial or ethnic minorities. Parents are also encouraged to complete surveys from the parent involvement coordinator. Results from these annual reviews and from the surveys are used to plan and implement parent involvement policies and activities for the following school year.

Revised 5/22/2015

Cross Creek Elementary School will build the school's 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 system will, with the assistance of its Title I, Part A allotment, provide assistance to parents of children served by the school system or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described in this paragraph --

• Georgia's academic content standards,• Georgia's student academic achievement standards,• Georgia and Thomas County academic assessments including alternate assessments,• Requirements of Title I Part A,• Monitoring student progress, and• Working with educators.

Parents are provided a handbook at the beginning of each school year that describes and explains the school curriculum. Written information and parent workshops are provided to explain assessments used to measure student progress and proficiency. Report cards are sent home to parents, and family nights are held quarterly. School newsletters and the system monthly publications are available to parents in print and on the system website.

B. Cross Creek Elementary School will 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. This is accomplished by promoting literacy training and the use of technology through workshops and through collaborative efforts with Southwest Georgia Technical College. Each Title I school also has a parent resource center with a variety of free materials and items that can be borrowed. One computer is available for parent use in the parent resource room; others are available with prior approval.

C. Cross Creek Elementary School will, with the assistance of 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 providing professional learning opportunities and printed material throughout the school year for administrators, faculty, and staff to develop an understanding of the value of parental involvement. In addition, the knowledge of how to reach out to parents and the ability to establish partnerships

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between parents and schools are promoted through professional learning and printed material. Certified and classified school personnel are reminded that parents are equal partners in the education process. Learning opportunities are not limited to local events but may include participation in regional, state, or national conferences.

D. Cross Creek Elementary School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with Head Start, public preschool and other programs, and conduct additional activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children as deemed appropriate.

E. Cross Creek Elementary School endeavors to provide information related to the school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities, 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. The school system has made available training and access to the translated documents for all required notifications in print and obtainable through the Internet. Also the Google Translate feature, available on the school and system webpages, will translate any page or document posted online. Staff will use Language Line, which provides translation services for parent conferences over the phone.

Revised 5/22/2015/

Part Ill: Discretionary Activities: A. Cross Creek Elementary School provides additional discretionary activities for parental involvement that the school system, 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 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 system 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;• Maximizing parents' involvement and participation in their children's education by arranging school meetings

at a variety of times, or by conducting in-home conferences between teachers or other educators who work directly with participating children whose parents are unable to attend those conferences at school;

• Adopting and implementing model approaches to improving parental involvement;• Establishing a system-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.

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DatJ

Date

Su

Part I V: A doption:

Adoption of Cross Creek Elementary School's Parent Involvement Policy

Cross Creek Elementary School's Parental Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs and Cross Creek's administrators. The policy was adopted by the Cross Creek Elementary School/Thomas County Schools on July 31.2015 and will remain in effect for 2015-2016. The school district will make this policy available on the school's homepage for all parents of participating Title I students on or before September 4. 2015. Copies of this policy will be given to all Cross Creek parents, and extra copies will be available in the front office.

Title I Director of Thomas County Schools

Date

9

Cross Creek Elementary School

Standards and Activities for 2015-2016


Activity/Strategies Timeline Methods/Evaluation Person/Staff ResponsibleSchool Improvement Planning Meeting

May, 2015 School Improvement Plan Sign-In Sheets

Principal (Stanaland) Assistant Principal (Pope)Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis) & Leadership Team Members

School Council TBA Agenda for Meeting Minutes from Meetinq

Principal (Stanaland)

Parent Advisory Committee Meetings

Fall, 2015, Spring, 2016 Agenda, Minutes from Meeting Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis) Title I Director (Dechman)

Academic Booster Executive Meetinqs

August, 2015 Agenda, Minutes Amanda Gandy(President) Principal (Stanaland)

Parent Surveys Spring, 2016 Survey Results Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis) Title I Director (Dechman)Title I Secretary (Whitley) Principal

Parent Involvement Policy Revision May, 2016 Revised copy available in front office and on the school's homepage

Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis)CC Parent (A. Gandy) and Academic Booster Committee

10Standard II: Communication: Provide parents with appropriate information regarding programs and services.

Activity/Strategies Timeline Methods/Evaluation Person/Staff Responsible

Flyers for Special Activities and Workshops

Ongoing Issued to Parents/Guardians in child's Honeybee folders

Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis)

Calendar for Special Activities and Workshops

Beginning of School Year Updates as needed

Issued to Parents/Guardians in child's Honeybee folders and/or Parent-Student Handbook

Assistant Principal (Pope) Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis)

Advertise Restaurant Nights Ongoing Fliers Issued to Parents/Guardians in child's Honeybee folders/ Marquee/ Signs near both entrances to school

PR Coordinator (TBA)Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis)

Volunteer Orientation Fall 2015 Attendance (Roster) Principal(Stanaland) Parent CoordinatorsTitle I Director (Dechman)

Academic Booster Meetings:

• Meet & Greet Cookout

8/11/2015 Attendance (Roster) Booster President (A. Gandy)Principal (Stanaland)Parent Coordinator ( Dennis)

Back to School Blitz August 1, 2015,9:00 am-11:00 amMPMS gym (Rotating Yearly)

Attendance counted by number of bags distributed

Title I Director (Dechman) Promise & Prevention Coalition Family ConnectionsParent Coordinators

Workshop Spring 2015 Attendance (Roster) Parent Coordinators Resource Coordinators Title l Director (Dechman)

Classroom Newsletters Bi-weekly Issued to Parents/Guardians in child's Honeybee folders

Teachers

11Standard Ill: Volunteering: Recruit and organize parent help and support

Activity/Strategies Timeline Methods/Evaluation Person/Staff ResponsibleBEE Readers Weekly/ Monthly Schedule of visits by E-mail

to EIP TeachersParent Coordinator (Dennis)

Intervention Time Volunteers Ongoing daily Evaluation completed by teachers and volunteers

Parent Coordinator (Dennis) Intervention Specialist-2

Volunteers for:

• Workshops• Fundraisers• School Events• Academic Booster

Activities

Ongoing Attendance (Roster) and Volunteer hours

Parent Coordinator (Dennis)

Volunteer Orientation Fall 2015 Attendance (Roster) Title I Director (Dechman) Principal (Stanaland) Parent

Room Parents Ongoing Volunteer Hours TeachersParent Coordinator (Dennis)

12Standard IV: Parenting: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students

Activity/Strategies Timeline Methods/Evaluation Person/Staff Responsible

Reading/Math/Test/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop

Spring 2016 Attendance (Roster) Parent Coordinators Principal (Stanaland)

Back to School Blitz August 1, 2015,9:00 am-11 :00 amMPMS gym (Rotating yearly)



Grandparents' Day September 2015 Attendance (Roster)/ Tickets Parent Coordinator (Dennis) Parent Volunteers

Home Visits Ongoing Document visit and results of visit on Home Visit Form


13Standard V: Learning at Home: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, conferences, and planning.

Activitv/Strateoies Timeline Methods/Evaluation Person/Staff ResponsibleAcademic Booster Meetings/ Meet & Greet Cookout

August 11, 2015 Number in Attendance (Roster) Cross Creek Faculty and Staff

Parent Resource Room Materials Onooino Check-In/Check-Out Forms Parent Coordinator (Dennis)Parent Conferences (including EIP, IEP, and SST Meetings)

Ongoing Sign-up for Conference Document number of and date of Parent Conferences attended

Teachers I


Reading/Math/Test/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop

Spring 2016 Attendance (Roster) Parent Coordinators Principal (Stanaland)

Classroom Newsletters Teacher Websites

Bi-Weekly Signed Honeybee Folder by Parents

Teachers

Facebook Page, School Websites and Teacher Websites

Update Monthly Parent access to each method of communication

Parent Coordinator (Dennis) TeachersTechnology Coordinator

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Standard VI: Collaborating with the Community: Utilize resources and services from the communities to strengthen school programs, family practices and student learning.

Activity/Strategies Timeline Methods/Evaluation Person/Staff ResponsibleBack to School Blitz August 1, 2015,

9:00 am-11 :00 amMPMS gym (Rotating yearly)



BEE Partners & Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

March/April 2016 Attendance (roster) Title I Director (Dechman) Parent Coordinator (Dennis)

BEE Readers Weekly Evaluation by E-mail to EIP Teachers


Family Connections Meeting 3rd Tuesday in each month @11:30 am

Collect information from community businesses or organizations for parents


VOOM 2nd Tuesday in each month @7:45 am

Collect information from community businesses or orQanizations for parents


Restaurant Nights (Papa Johns, Beef O'Brady's)

Monthly Percentage of funds raised is given to the school


15

Cross Creek Elementary School Standards and Activities for 2014-2015


1. School Improvement Planning Meeting 6. Room Parents2. School Council 7. Teacher Appreciation3. Parent Advisory Committee Meetings4. Academic Booster Executive Meetings5. Parent Surveys

Standard II: Communication: Provide parents with appropriate information regarding programs and services.

1. Monthly Chatterbox (Newsletter) 7. Academic Booster Meetings2. Room Parents 8. Back to School Blitz3. Flyers and Calendar for Special Activities and Workshops 9. Reading/Mathffest/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop

4. Advertise Restaurant Nights5. School Programs and Policies Workshop/ Meet & Greet Cookout 10. Volunteer Orientation6. Parent Advisory Committee Meetings

Standard Ill: Volunteering: Recruit and organize parent help and support.

1. B.E.E. Readers 6. Academic Booster Activities2. Intervention Time Volunteers 7. Fundraisers3. Workshops4. Volunteer Orientation 8. Room Parents5. School Events

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Standard IV: Parenting: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.

1. Be There Publicity Campaign for Parents 6. Home Visits2. Back to School Blitz 7. School Programs and Policies Workshop/ Meet & Greet Cookout3. Family Wellness Workshop4. Reading/Math/Test/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop5. Grandparents' Dav

Standard V: Learning at Home: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, conferences, and planning.

1. Academic Booster Meetings 5. School Programs and Policies Workshop/ Meet & Greet Cookout2. Parent Resource Room Materials3. Parent Conferences (including EIP, IEP, and SST Meetings)4. Reading/Math/Test/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop

Standard VI: Collaborating with the Community: Utilize resources and services from the communities to strengthen school programs, family practices and student learning.

1. Back to School Blitz 6. Business After Hours (BAH)2. Business Education Exchange & Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon 7. Community Support Services Workshop3. B.E.E. Readers 8. Restaurant Nights4. Family Connections Meeting 9. Harvey's School Rewards Program5. VOOM

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