Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy
Maple Elementary School
2019-2020
Maple Elementary School developed this written Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy with input from Title I parents. This policy will be reviewed and updated each fall in conjunction with the development of the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). The Maple School Site Council (SSC) reviewed the template containing the required elements provided by the California Department of Education, during a SSC Meeting in Fall, 2019. Parents from Maple provided feedback on the needs and priorities of our school community at a fall meeting set up to discuss Title I. Maple staff also provided feedback on the parent and family engagement policy. The final Parent and Family Engagement Policy reflects stakeholder input from our parents, our SSC, and our staff. School Site Council reviewed the final draft of our Parent and Family Engagement Policy in November, 2019. Changes were made, and the SSC approved the final draft. The final draft will be submitted to the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) Board of Education for approval. The policy will be posted in English and Spanish on our school website, and its contents will be discussed at the annual Title I meeting held each fall. The policy describes the means for carrying out the following Title I parental involvement requirements [20 USC 6318 Section 1118(a)-(f) inclusive].
Involvement of Parents in the Title I Program
To involve parents in the Title I Program at Maple Elementary, the following practices have been established:
· The school convenes an annual meeting to inform parents of Title I students about Title I requirements and about the right of parents to be involved in the Title I program. This meeting is held during a Parent Coffee, focused on providing information on Title I, the Parent and Family Engagement Policy, and the School Parent Compact. All parents are notified of this meeting through a flyer sent home, and our weekly digital newsletter, and announcements at our Monthly Parent Committees.
· Our SSC meets monthly to review our Title I program and monitor the effectiveness of its implementation and budget. SSC meetings are open to the public, and all parents are notified of meetings at least 72 hours before they are held. Agendas and past minutes are posted. School Site Council meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month, from 2:50 pm-3:50 pm.
· The school involves parents of Title I students in an organized, ongoing, and timely way in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s Title I program and the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy. Each month the progress, development, and budget expenditures of the Maple Elementary Title I program are monitored, reviewed, and modified based on discussion at the SSC meeting. This includes information on student data provided to the SSC by the Academic Specialists, all of whom are credentialed teachers and focus on literacy and math. The classroom teachers also inform the SSC on the organization of teacher time to provide students with necessary instruction and intervention, while still having an opportunity to collaborate on instructional strategies within and across the grade levels. The SSC is integral to the development and monitoring of the SPSA which outlines the Maple Elementary Title I program.
· The school provides parents of Title I students with timely information about Title I programs. Parents receive information about the Maple Elementary Title I Program in the Fall, at SSC meetings, at various monthly parent committee meetings, at parent-teacher conferences, in our weekly digital newsletter, and through written communications via the teacher, school, and CVUSD websites.
· The school provides parents of Title I students with an explanation of the curriculum used at the school, the assessments used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet. Specific to Maple Elementary, students are assessed using grade level reading passages and phonics based testing using CVUSD benchmarks and passages from adopted curriculum, CVUSD trimester assessments in writing and in math, Scholastic Reading Inventory and Achieve 3000 reading Lexiles, and publisher-created assessments in all content standards. Additionally, students participate in Learning Enrichment and Academic Development (L.E.A.D.) time to build English Language Arts and Math skills based on assessment data. Maple students are able to participate in multiple opportunities for enrichment during recess, school-wide enrichment days and assemblies, after school events, and skills maintenance through digital software for home and school. Each year parents are encouraged to become knowledgeable about all of these areas through attendance at the annual Title I meeting, Back to School Night held in September, Open House Night held in May, regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences and individual Student Study Team meetings. The school also sends home resources for parents and has links on the school and district websites.
· Parent education classes are also provided on topics including how to help students with reading and math. Additionally, parents receive information through the school website, digital newsletter, the school handbook, emails/notes from the classroom teacher, periodic notifications from the school and the district, as well as trimester report cards. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s classroom teacher via email or telephone to schedule a private conference before or after school for clarification or questions regarding the school curriculum, assessment, or proficiency levels as they pertain to their children.
· If requested by parents of Title I students, the school provides opportunities for regular meetings that allow the parents to participate in decisions relating to the education of their children. Parents are encouraged to participate in the regularly scheduled annual Title I meeting as well as regularly scheduled SSC, English Language Advisory Council (ELAC), Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, Special Education District Advisory Council (SEDAC), Parent Coffees, and School Study Team (SST) meetings. Additional meetings may be scheduled based on parent request as determined by parent and program need.
School-Parent Compact
Maple Elementary School distributes to parents of all students a Title I School-Parent Compact each fall. The compact outlines how parents, the 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
The School-Parent Compact was reviewed by the SSC as part of the development and monitoring of the Maple Elementary School Plan for Student Achievement.
Building Capacity for Involvement
With our Title I program in mind, Maple Elementary School engages all parents in meaningful interactions with the school. We support 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 California State Standards, assessments, and how to monitor and improve the achievement of their children. Grade level curriculum and assessment and proficiency standards are reviewed, and strategies for parents to assist their children are discussed each year at Back to School Night by each classroom teacher. Student progress toward proficiency is monitored and reported to parents on a trimester basis. A parent conference to discuss student progress and ways to support struggling students is held at the first trimester and as needed at any time throughout the year. Parents receive guidance and suggestions for ways to assist their child via teacher website information, home to school communication, the digital newsletter, and scheduled parent trainings. Brochures and other printed and digital support materials are provided at no cost to support parents as they work with their children.
· The school provides Title I parents with materials and training to help them work with their children to improve their children's achievement. Parents are invited to participate in training focused on strategies to assist their child academically. With the assistance of parents, the school educates staff members about the value of parent contributions and on how to work with parents as equal partners. Parents collaborate with Maple staff members to better understand programs offered for their children, and how to support them in being successful at school. Feedback and additional ideas from parents are welcomed. .
· The school coordinates and integrates the Title I parental involvement program to encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children. Maple Elementary’s Bilingual Facilitator communicates with families, and helps parents become more involved at school. She also provides a vital link to community and District resources. Maple has added an Academic Specialist to help supplement how our English Language Learners access language and content learning in the classroom. Our Bilingual Facilitator and Office Assistant III provide translation and interpretation for students and families.
· The school distributes information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities to Title I parents in a format and language that the parents understand. Information regarding programs, meetings, and other activities is distributed in writing through home-school communications, through a parent link email system, through the school’s digital newsletter, on the school marquee at the front of the school, and via the school website. The school also maintains a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter.
· The school provides support for parental involvement activities requested by parents. Our Maple Elementary School Site Council allocates the funding and monitors the implementation of parent involvement activities as reflected our school plan.
· Teachers and school staff are informed about parent engagement opportunities at staff meetings, the weekly staff newsletter, yearly SPSA planning, and through participation in parent-teacher stakeholder groups, including our Parent Faculty Association(PFA) and School Site Council. The Maple Leadership Team also discusses ways to improve and build parent participation and engagement on campus.
Accessibility
Maple Elementary School fosters an educational partnership with parents and provides opportunities for the participation of all parents, including parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory students. Information and school reports are provided in a format and language that parents understand. Written, oral, and electronic information is provided in both English and Spanish. Translators are provided at school meetings and parent conferences as needed.
Maple Elementary School’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy will be in effect for the 2019-20 school year.
The school will distribute the policy to all parents by December 20, 2019.