1110.1 1110.1Community Relations
Communication with the Public
Parent Involvement
Considerable experience and related evidence indicates that meaningful involvement of parents, guardians, and other care-givers in the schooling of children improves the quality of education significantly. The Board of Education believes that closer connections of parents and others responsible for the home care of the children with our schools can result in enhanced academic performance, improved behavior, and reduced absenteeism.
Therefore, all parents, guardians, and care-givers of students enrolled in our school district are encouraged to take an active role in the education of their children.
Further, the Board of Education believes that the professional staff must take whatever steps are necessary to facilitate a broad variety of opportunities for parents to connect frequently with the schools in which their children are enrolled, and with the overall system. These steps should include the following:
• Parenting skills should be promoted and supported.
• Communication between home and school should be regular, two-way and meaningful. (Such communication may include monthly newsletters, electronic communications, required regular contact with all parents, two required flexible parent-teacher conferences for each school year and drop in hours for parents, home visits and use of technology, including but not limited to, homework hotlines.
• Parents should play an integral role in assisting student learning.
• Parents should be welcome in every school and their support and assistance sought.
• Parent input should be sought regarding decisions that affect children and families.
• Community resources should be made available to strengthen school programs, family practices and student learning.
• 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.
The Superintendent will report annually to the Board of Education on parent involvement activities.
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-221(f) Boards of Education to prescribe rule(s), policies, and procedures as amended by PA 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:
1110.1
Community Relations
Communication with the Public
Parent Involvement (Version #2)
The Board of Education recognizes that a child's education is a responsibility shared by the school and family during the entire period the child spends in school. To support the goal of the school district to educate all students effectively, the schools and parents must work as knowledgeable partners.
Although parents are diverse in culture, language, and needs, they share the school's commitment to the educational success of their children This school district and the schools within its boundaries, in collaboration with parents, shall establish programs and practices that enhance parent involvement and reflect the specific needs of students and their families.
To this end, the Board supports the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of a parent involvement program in each school, which will involve parents at all grade levels in a variety of roles. The parent involvement programs will be comprehensive and coordinated in nature. They will include, but not be limited to, the following components of successful parent involvement programs:
• Communication between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful.
• Such communication may include monthly newsletters, required regular contact with all parents, two flexible parent-teacher conferences for each school year [required beginning July 1, 2010], and drop in hours for parents, home visits and use of technology.)
• Responsible parenting is promoted and supported.
• Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning.
• Parents are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought.
• Parents are full partners in the decisions that affect children and families.
• Community resources are made available to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning.
The Board of Education supports professional development opportunities for staff members to enhance understanding of effective parent involvement strategies. The Board also recognizes the importance of administrative leadership in setting expectations and creating a climate conducive to parental participation.
In addition to programs at the school level, the Board of Education supports the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of a program to involve parents in the decisions and practices of the school district, using to the degree possible the components listed above.
Engaging parents is essential to improved student achievement. This school district shall foster and support active parent involvement.
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-221 Boards of Education to prescribe rules, policies, and procedures as amended by P.A. 97-290 and by PA 10-111, An Act Concerning Education Reform in Connecticut.
Policy adopted:
1110.1
Community Relations
Communication with the Public
Parent Involvement and Responsibilities (Version #3)
The Nutmeg Board of Education recognizes parents are important participants in the education of children. Parent involvement in a child's education is a major factor in improving school effectiveness, the quality of education, and a child's academic success. Therefore, the Nutmeg Public School System will promote an environment in which parents are valued as primary influences in their children's lives and are essential partners in the education of their children.
The Nutmeg Board of Education will involve parents in the development of a Title I plan and the process of school review and improvement. This will be accomplished by holding school meetings at varying times during the day and varying locations. These plans will be shared with parents through written communications and meetings, which allow input from parents. The district's administrators will work to plan effective parent involvement activities. At District Wide Meetings, Principals will share information about their school's activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. The School System will coordinate their efforts with Nutmeg’s Head Start, Pre-School and Daycare Programs through regular meetings of the School Readiness Council.
All parents/families and educators should make family involvement in education a priority. Thus, the Board of Education commits to providing support, coordination and training for school staff and parents to implement and sustain appropriate parent involvement. The District shall also provide information and training to staff on the contribution parents can make to the educational process.
Teachers, parents and administrators need to work together to ensure the success of all students. Communication is a key component in this collaboration. Thus, the Board of Education commits to the establishment of effective two-way communication between all parents/families and schools, respecting the diversity and differing needs of families. The Board of Education established a Home-School-Community Partnership Program to provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to facilitate parental involvement activities and communication.
Conditions in the home significantly influence a child's achievement in school. Parents and family members, as their primary teachers, play a vital role in the intellectual, social and emotional growth of their children. Thus, the Board of Education is committed to support parent involvement programs, which include parent education, providing materials and activities that will assist parents/families in supporting classroom learning and their children's achievement. Assistance will be provided for parents in understanding the State's academic standards, assessments and how to monitor a child's progress.
Families need to be included in the workings of schools in many different ways, to make them feel an essential part of the educational process. Thus, the Board of Education will commit to seeing that the schools develop new and more meaningful ways for parents to be actively involved in their children's education.
Improved student achievement must be the shared responsibility and ultimate goal of parents, teachers, the school system as a whole and the community at large. The Enfield School System will follow a course of action that will make parent involvement an ongoing process that is viewed as a valuable resource in all children's education.
The Board will annually review this policy with Administrators and parents and survey all partners to evaluate its content and effectiveness. Principals will present their efforts throughout the year and discuss plans for the upcoming year. Principals and parents will discuss barriers to parent involvement along with possible solutions. Special attention will be paid to identify and involve any group of parents not participating. These discussions and findings may be used to revise this policy.
The District shall ensure that information communicated to parents is in an understandable format and is adaptable if needed. Parents will be consulted in order to achieve this goal.
Policy adopted: