1110.1 1110.1Community Relations
Communications with the Public
Parent Involvement
The Board of Education, based upon overwhelming research, believes that involved parents and families in support of children and their education increases student achievement and success. Therefore, the Board endorses the "National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Program" developed by the National PTA as essential for the district's program to involve parents and families in their child's education.
The standards, designed to help educators incorporate parents, broadly defined to include all adults who play an important role in a child's family life, in their child's learning process are:
1. Communicating
Communication between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful.
2. Parenting
Parenting skills are promoted and supported.
3. Student Learning
Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning.
4. Volunteering
Parents are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought.
5. School Decision Making and Advocacy
Parents are full partners in the decisions that affect children and families.
6. Collaboration with Community
Community resources are used to strengthen schools, families and student learning.
These standards will be used as guidelines to develop meaningful programs at the school and district level as one means to improve student achievement through parent involvement. The Superintendent of Schools shall develop appropriate regulations conducive to achieving a high level of parental involvement in the educational process.
The two required parent-teacher conferences per year, beginning July 1, 2021 and each school year thereafter, can be fulfilled by the District offering parents the option of attending any parent-teacher conference by the use of telephonic, video, or other conferencing platforms.
An additional parent-teacher conference, in addition to the two required conferences shall be conducted during periods when the District provides remote learning for more than three consecutive weeks and one additional parent-teacher conference every six months thereafter for the duration of such period of remote learning.
The District will request from the parent/guardian of each student the name and contact information of an emergency contact person who may be contacted if the student's parent/guardian cannot be reached to schedule a parent-teacher conference required when the District is providing remote learning for a period of three consecutive weeks or more.
In situations in which the teacher is unable to contact a student's parent/guardian after three attempts to schedule the required parent-teacher conference during a period of remote learning provided by the District for three consecutive weeks or more, such teacher is directed to report such inability to the principal, school counselor, or other school administrator designated by the Board of Education. Such principal, counselor, or administrator is to contact the student's emergency contact to determine the student and family's health and safety.
The Board shall utilize the document developed by the State Department of Education (by 12/1/21) that provides information concerning educational, safety, mental health and food insecurity resources and programs available to students and their families.
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-221(f) Boards of Education to prescribe rule(s), policies, and procedures as amended by P.A. 97-290, P.A. 10-111, and P.A. 21-46, An Act Concerning Social Equity and the Health, Safety, and Education of Children.
Policy adopted: May 16, 2006
Policy revised: January 18, 2022
NEW HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
New Hartford, Connecticut
Community Relations
Communications with the Public
Parent Involvement
In order to promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional and academic growth of children, this process will be utilized within each school of the district.
1. Create an Action Team
Parents, educators, administrators, and others deemed appropriate must be represented and involved in reaching a common understanding and in setting mutual goals to which all are committed.
2. Examine Current Practice
Review the current status of parent and family involvement. Survey staff and parents to ensure a clear understanding of the current situation. The "Checklist for Quality Indicators" self-evaluations, developed by the National PTA, are useful tools.
3. Development a Plan of Improvement
Based on the evaluation of current practice, identify first steps and priority issues. Pay close attention to developing a comprehensive, well-balanced plan that includes activity in each of the six standard areas.
4. Secure Support
For optimal success, keep stakeholders--those responsible for implementation, those who will be affected, and those outside the school/program who have influence over the outcome--aware of the plan and willing to lend support to its success. Financial resources need to be determined and budgeted.
5. Provide Professional Development for School/Program Staff
Effective training is essential. The best models for training are those that provide staff with several opportunities to interact with the issues, work together, and monitor and evaluate progress.
6. Evaluate and Revise the Plan
Parent and family involvement is not a one-time goal. It merits a process of continuous improvement and a commitment to long-term success.
The developed plan should include activities in each of the six standards endorsed in the Board of Education policy. Indicators of successful programs for each standard are as follows.
Standard I Communication between home and school is regular, two-way and meaningful.
1. Use a variety of communication tools on a regular basis, seeking to facilitate two-way interaction through each type of medium.
2. Establish opportunities for parents and educators to share partnering information such as student strengths and learning preferences.
3. Provide clear information regarding course expectations and offerings, student placement, school activities, student services, and optional programs.
4. Disseminate report cards and regular progress reports to parents. Provide support services and follow-up conferences as needed.
5. Disseminate information on school reforms, policies, discipline procedures, assessment tools, and schools goals, and include parents in any related decision-making process.
6. Conduct conferences with parents at least twice a year, with follow-up as needed. These should accommodate the varied schedules of parents, language barriers, and the need for child care.
7. Encourage immediate contact between parents and teacher when concerns arise.
8. Distribute student work for parental comment and review on a regular basis.
9. Translate communications to assist non-English speaking parents.
10. Communicate with parents regarding positive student behavior and achievement, not just regarding misbehavior or failure.
11. Provide opportunities for parents to communicate principals and other administrative staff.
12. Promote informal activities at which parents, staff, and community members can interact.
13. Provide staff development regarding effective communication techniques and the importance of regular two-way communication between the school and the family.
Standard II Parenting skills are promoted and supported.
1. Communicate the importance of positive relationships between parents and their children.
2. Link parents to programs and resources within the community that provide support services to families.
3. Reach out to all families, not just those who attend parent meetings.
4. Establish policies that support and respect family responsibilities, recognizing the variety of parenting traditions and practices within the community's cultural and religious diversity.
5. Provide accessible parent/family information and resources to support parents and families with training.
6. Encourage staff members to demonstrate respect for families and the family's primary role in the rearing of children to become responsible adults.
Standard III Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning
1. Seek and encourage parental participation in decision-making that affects students.
2. Inform parents of the expectations for students in each subject at each grade level.
3. Provide information regarding how parents can foster learning at home, give appropriate assistance, monitor homework, and give feedback to teachers.
4. Sponsor workshops or distribute information to assist parents in understanding how students can improve skills, get help when needed, meet class expectations, and perform well on assessments.
5. Involve parents in setting student goals each year and in planning for post-secondary education and careers. Encourage the development of a personalized education plan for each student, where parents are full partners.
6. Provide opportunities for staff members to learn and share approaches to engaging parents in their child's education.
Standard IV Parents are welcome in the school and their support and assistance are sought.
1. Ensure that office staff greetings, signage near the entrances, and any other interaction with parents create a climate in which parents feel valued and welcome.
2. Survey parents regarding their interests, talents, and availability, then coordinate the parent resources with those that exist within the school and among the faculty.
3. Ensure that parents who are unable to volunteer in the school building are given the options for helping in other ways, at home or place of employment.
4. Organize an easy, accessible program for utilizing parent volunteers, providing ample training on volunteer procedures and school protocol.
5. Develop a system for contacting all parents to assist as the year progresses.
6. Design opportunities for those with limited time and resources to participate by addressing child care, transportation, work schedule needs, and so forth.
7. Show appreciation for parents' participation, and value their diverse contributions.
8. Educate and assist staff members in creating an inviting climate and effectively utilizing volunteer resources.
9. Ensure that volunteer activities are meaningful and built on volunteer interests and abilities.
Standard V Parents are full partners in the decisions that affect children and families.
1. Provide understandable, accessible, and well-publicized processes for influencing decisions, raising issues or concerns, appealing decisions, and resolving problems.
2. Encourage the formation of PTO's or other parent groups to identify and respond to issues of interest to parents.
3. Include parents on all decision-making and advisory committees, and ensure adequate training for such areas as policy, curriculum, budget, school reform initiatives, safety, and personnel. Where site governance bodies exist, give equal representation to parents.
4. Provide parents with current information regarding school policies, practices, and both student and school performance data.
5. Enable parents to participate as partners when setting school goals, developing or evaluating programs and policies, or responding to performance data.
6. Encourage and facilitate active parent participation in the decisions that affect students, such as student placement, course selection, and individual personalized education plans.
7. Treat parental concerns with respect and demonstrate genuine interest in developing solutions.
8. Promote parent participation on school district, state, and national committees and issues.
9. Provide training for staff and parents on collaborative partnering and shared decision making.
Standard VI Community resources are used to strengthen schools, families and student learning.
1. Distribute information regarding cultural, recreational, academic, health, social, and other resources that serve families within the community.
2. Develop partnerships with local business and service groups to advance student learning and assist schools and families.
3. Encourage employers to adopt policies and practices that promote and support adult participation in children's education.
4. Foster student participation in community service.
5. Involve community members in school volunteer programs.
6. Disseminate information to the school community, including those without school-age children, regarding school programs and performance.
7. Collaborate with community agencies to provide family support services and adult learning opportunities, enabling parents to more fully participate in activities that support education.
8. Inform staff members of the resources available in the community and strategies for utilizing those resources.
9. Annually, the Superintendent shall report to the Board of Education on the plan developed and implemented in the district's schools to achieve a high level of parental involvement.
Regulation approved: May 16, 2006
Regulation reviewed: January 18, 2022
NEW HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
New Hartford, Connecticut