File: KBA - District Title I Parent and Family Engagement File: KBA - District Title I Parent and Family EngagementPursuant to federal law, the District and the parents of students participating in Title I District programs have jointly developed the following parent and family engagement policy to establish the District's expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement. The policy shall be implemented by the superintendent or designee according to the timeline set forth in the policy and incorporated into the District's Title I plan.
Involvement with Title I planning
The District shall hold an annual meeting for parents and families of students in Title I programs, as well as school Title I staff, principals of schools receiving Title I funds and other interested persons to discuss the Title I program plan, review implementation of the Title I plan, discuss how Title I funds allotted for parent and family engagement activities shall be used, and invite suggestions for improvement.
District support for parent and family engagement
The District shall provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist participating schools in building the capacity for effective parent and family engagement to improve student academic achievement and school performance.
This coordination, assistance and support shall include:
the District will appoint annually a District Parent Advisory Council to provide advice on all matters related to parent and family engagement in programs supported by Title I fund.
the District Title I staff will consult annually with the Title I Parent Advisory Council regarding annual goals to improve parent and family engagement in the Title I program.
the District, at least annually, will allocate resources on an as needed basis for parent and family engagement activities beyond the minimum annual legal requirements.
providing professional development regarding parent and family engagement strategies, which may be provided jointly to teachers, principals, early childhood educators, and parents and family members.
engaging in activities and strategies to promote student achievement and learning at home, such as positive phone calls home and weekly data sharing folders
supporting programs that reach parents and family members at home, in the community and at school
disseminating information on best practices focused on parent and family engagement, especially best practices for increasing the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents and family members
Coordination of parent involvement activities with other District programs
The District shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement programs and activities with District preschool and other relevant federal, state, and local laws and programs (including public preschools), and conduct other activities such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their students.
Student learning
The District shall coordinate and integrate Title I parent and family engagement strategies with those of other educational programs in the District. The purpose of this coordination shall be in improve the academic quality of the school served, including identifying challenges to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by law, particularly by parents who:
are economically disadvantaged
have disabilities
have limited English proficiency
have limited literacy
are of any racial or ethnic minority background
are parents of migratory children
The District Title I Director or designee will document, at least annually, information gleaned from District staff involved with other educational programs. This effort will be used to identify any perceived barriers in accessing District programs by parents who fit any of the descriptions outlined above.
The District shall provide to parents, as appropriate, information to help them understand the District's achievement standards, state and District academic assessments, the requirements of Title I, how to monitor students' academic progress and how to work with school staff to improve the achievement of students. The District shall develop written materials and training for staff to help parents work with students to improve student achievement.
The District shall provide, but not be limited to, providing support and training in the following areas; basic literacy skills, technology skills, Colorado State content standards, how to monitor state and local academic assessments, on an as needed basis. Need will be determined via parental input.
School-based parent involvement activities
Parent involvement is an important component of an effective school. Being a rural school District and community allows for a great deal of interaction and communication with parents. This occurs because of many varieties of school and community activities that frequently bring teachers, parents, and students in contact with each other.
Our District will encourage parents to collaborate with the District and the school by:
promoting and supporting parenting skills for parents in need
enabling parents to become volunteers at school at all levels
soliciting parents as full partners in the decisions that affect children and families of District schools
ensuring that communication between home and school is regular, two-way and meaningful
encouraging parents to play an integral role in assisting student learning
welcoming parents in the school and seeking and supporting their assistance
promoting community collaboration to utilize resources to strengthen schools, families and student learning.
Method of communicating with parents
All information related to school and parent programs, meetings and other activities shall be sent to parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.
Communications and information will be shared with parents in the following ways:
sometime during the first semester, the District will prepare and disseminate a report to all parents of children attending the school, showing how the District did on State Assessments compared to the state and whether the District has been identified for school improvement
if the District is identified for school improvement, letters will then be distributed to parents explaining CHOICE (transportation, supplemental educational service).
parent meetings are to be scheduled near the beginning of the year to discuss the Title I Program as well as other services available to help students improve achievement
by encouraging parent/school compacts
workshops, in-services, speakers and programs may be provided to help meet the needs of parents promoting an open door policy for parents and/or families to visit the school, the Title I program as well as other programs outlined in this policy
parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled regularly through the year to discuss the needs and progress of each individual student
informal communications throughout the year, telephone, contact with parents through various school activities (sports, concerts, assemblies, etc.).
Annual evaluation
The District shall conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members and the District Parent Advisory Council, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this policy. Effectiveness shall be measured in part by improvements in student academic achievement and in school performance. The evaluation shall address the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. The evaluation shall specifically address challenges to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by law, particularly by parents who:
are economically disadvantaged
have disabilities
have limited English proficiency
have limited literacy
are of any racial or ethnic minority background
are parents of migratory children
The District shall use the findings of the evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family engagement and to revise, if necessary, this policy.
The District shall provide such other reasonable support for parent and family engagement activities as parents may request.
Development of school-level Title I parent involvement policy
Each school receiving Title I funds shall jointly develop with, and agree on, and distribute to parents and family members of students participating in the Title I program (hereafter referred to as "parents") a written School-Level Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy establishing the district's expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement in accordance with the requirements of federal law.
The policy shall contain a school-parent compact or agreement that outlines how parents, school staff and students will share the responsibility of improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help students. At a minimum, the compact shall include the provisions contained in the sample exhibit (KB-E-1) attached to this policy.
LEGAL REFS.: 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act)
Title I, Part A, Section 1115 (Targeted Assistance Program must include parent involvement strategies)
Title I, Part A, Section 1116 (a) (parent and family engagement policy
Title I, Part A, Section 1112 (parent role in the development of district Title I)
Title I, Part A, Section 1112 (e) (information for parents concerning teacher qualifications, assessments, and language instruction)
Title I, Part C, Section 1304 (c) (3) (parent involvement in projects and programs for the education of migratory children)
Title I, Part A, Section 1114 (b)(2) (parent involvement and notifications in Districts using Title I funds for the education of migratory children)
C.R.S. 22-7-101 et seq. (Education Accountability Act of 2009)
CROSS REFS.: ADA, School District Educational Objectives
AE, Accountability/Commitment to Accomplishment
AEA, Standards Based Education
IHBIB, Primary/Pre Primary Education
KD, Public Information and Communications
Adopted: October 27, 2004
Revised: April 24, 2012
Revised: Revised June 28, 2018