PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

po2281Adopted December 12, 2005Revised October 14, 2019

2281 -  PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

The School Board recognizes that each student's education is a responsibility shared by the school and the family. Meaningful family support is critical if a student is to achieve his/her potential.

In order to foster meaningful family involvement, the Board directs the Superintendent to establish a program that both encourages and facilitates parent/family members involvement in their child's educational program.

This policy shall serve as the School Corporation policy, as well as the Parent and Family Engagement policy for each school in the Corporation.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), defines the term "parent" to include a legal guardian or other person standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare).

In accordance with the statute, the term "family" is used in order to include a child’s primary caregivers, who are not the biological parents, such as foster caregivers, grandparents, and other family members and responsible adults who play significant roles in providing for the well-being of the child.

In developing the program, the Superintendent should ensure that the following factors are addressed:

As appropriate to the situation, opportunities are available for the parents and family members to participate in making decisions about their child's educational program and procedural matters that affect the way the child functions in school.

The following practices, organized under six (6) categories, are based on the State Board of Education’s Parent and Family Involvement Policy, the National PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.

BEST PRACTICES BY CATEGORY

  1. Create a welcoming school climate.
  2. Establish effective school-to-home and home-to-school communication.
  3. Strengthen families’ knowledge and skills to support and extend their children’s learning at home and in the community.
  4. Provide families information related to child development and creating supportive learning environments.
  5. Engage families in school planning, leadership and meaningful volunteer opportunities.
  6. Connect students and families to community resources that strengthen and support students’ learning and well-being.
  7. Provide high ability services and collaboration – Counselors/Teachers and Parents/Family Members.
  8. Provide family engagement efforts and community participation.

CREATE A WELCOMING SCHOOL CLIMATE

  1. Provide a personal greeting and welcome packet for all parents and family members visiting the school, including a community services directory, important school contact information, school calendar and coupons to local businesses.
  2. Have teachers make personal contacts with families through e-mail, phone calls or home visits.
  3. Hold an open house, prior to school opening, at which families can meet their children’s teachers, tour the school building and meet other parents/family members.
  4. Provide transportation and childcare to enable families to attend school-sponsored, family-involvement events.
  5. Offer translators to welcome and assist families during school activities.

ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE SCHOOL-TO-HOME AND HOME-TO-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION.

  1. Provide printed information for parents and family members on homework policies and on monitoring and supporting student work at home.
  2. Send home folders of student work weekly or monthly for parent/family member review and comment.
  3. Develop electronic grade booklets so families can frequently monitor their children’s progress.
  4. Clearly communicate school policies to all families in their home language.
  5. Establish formal mechanisms for families to communicate to administrators and teachers as needed (e.g., direct phone numbers, e-mail addresses, weekly hours for families to call or meet).
  6. Create a families “suggestion or comment” box (electronic and onsite) for families to anonymously provide their questions, concerns and recommendations.

STRENGTHEN FAMILIES’ KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO SUPPORT AND EXTEND THEIR CHILDREN’S LEARNING AT HOME AND IN THE COMMUNITY

  1. Provide training and materials for parents and family members on how to improve children’s study skills or learning in various academic subjects.
  2. Make regular homework assignments that require students to discuss with their families what they are learning in class.
  3. Provide a directory of community resources and activities that link to student learning skills and talents, including summer programs for students.
  4. Offer workshops to inform families of the high expectations and standards children are expected to meet in each grade level. Provide ways for families to support expectations and learning at home.
  5. Engage families in opportunities to work with their children in setting their annual academic, college and career goals.

PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH INFORMATION RELATED TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CREATING SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

  1. Provide workshops and materials for parents and family members on typical development and appropriate family and school expectations for various age groups.
  2. Print suggestions for parents and family members on home conditions that support learning at each grade level.
  3. Partner with local agencies to provide regular parenting workshops on nutrition, family recreation or communication.
  4. Have school personnel make home visits at transition points such as preschool and elementary, middle and high school to help families and students understand what to expect.

ENGAGE FAMILIES IN SCHOOL PLANNING, LEADERSHIP AND MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

  1. Create roles for parents and family members on all decision-making and advisory committees, properly training them for the areas in which they will serve (e.g., curriculum, budget or school safety).
  2. Provide equal representation for parents and family members on school governing bodies.
  3. Conduct a survey of parents and family members to identify volunteer interests, talents and availability, matching these resources to school programs and staff-support needs.
  4. Create volunteer recognition activities such as events, certificates and thank-you cards.
  5. Establish a parent/family member telephone tree to provide school information and encourage interaction among parents/family members.
  6. Structure a network that links every family with a designated family representative

CONNECT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT STUDENTS’ LEARNING AND WELL-BEING

  1. Through school-community partnerships, facilitate families’ access to community-based programs (e.g., health care and human services) to ensure that families have resources to be involved in their children’s education.
  2. Establish school-business partnerships to provide students mentoring, internships and onsite, experiential learning opportunities.
  3. Connect students and families to service-learning projects in the community. Invite community partners to share resources at annual open houses or parent-teacher conferences.

PROVIDE HIGH ABILITY SERVICES AND COLLABORATION – COUNSELORS/TEACHERS AND PARENTS/FAMILY MEMBERS

  1. School counselor and the high ability services coordinator or teacher of high ability students can plan and conduct a series of family education opportunities that will help parents and family members understand and support these children.
  2. Provide families information regarding programs or services available for high ability and/or gifted learners in the district or region.
  3. Provide families information about gifted children, their needs and characteristics.
  4. Create a guided discussion forum for families to enhance their parenting skills and discuss social, emotional and academic needs of high ability children.

PROVIDE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

  1. Support the establishment of a parent/family member advisory council, committee, task force or group.
  2. Support students and family membership in the school community.
  3. Invite parents and family members of students with disabilities to participate on school decision-making committees.
  4. Foster effective communication with families focused on student learning and developing.

© Neola 2019