6172.4

Instruction

Title I Parent Involvement

The New Hartford Board of Education endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I and No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and the Board strongly encourages the regular participation by parents of Title I eligible children in all aspects of their educational program. The Board of Education believes that the education of children is a cooperative effort among the parents, the school, and the community.  The word  parent,  for this policy, also includes guardians and other family members involved is supervising the child s schooling.

Pursuant to No Child Left Behind, the District will develop, with parents  input, and distribute to parents of children participating in the Title I program, a complete parent involvement policy. Parents with children in Title I programs will be invited to the Board s public discussion of the policy and will be encouraged to make any amendments to it at that time.  In addition, the parent involvement policy will be summarized and distributed to all parents in the schools  Parent/Student Handbooks at the beginning of the school year.  District teachers and paraprofessionals will also receive the parent involvement policy and other significant policy enhancements resulting from NCLB.

At the required annual meeting of Title I parents, parents will have opportunities to participate in the design, development, operation and evaluation of the program for the next school year.  In addition to the required annual meeting, at least one additional meeting shall be held   scheduled at various times of the day or evening   for parents of children participating in Title I programs. These meetings shall be used to provide parents with:

1.  Information about the specific intervention and remediation programs provided in our District using Title I funds;

2.  A description and explanation of the curriculum in use, and the ways a student s academic progress is measured during the school year;

3.  The meaning of the Connecticut Mastery Test s goals and proficiency levels which students are expected to meet;

4.  Opportunities to share suggestions with the staff and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children; and

5.  The ways that parents can bring their concerns to the Principal and Superintendent if they are dissatisfied with the school s Title I program.

Parents of children participating in New Hartford s Title I programs shall receive from the program s staff an explanation of the reasons which support their child s selection for the program, a set of learning objectives that will be addressed in the program, and a description of the services to be provided.  Opportunities will be available throughout the year for parents to meet with the classroom teacher or the teacher in charge of Title I programs to discuss their child s progress. Parents will also receive guidance as to how they can assist in the education of their children at home.

Each school in the District receiving Title I funds shall jointly develop with parents of children served in the program a  School-Parent Compact  outlining the manner in which parents, and school staff share the responsibility for improved academic achievement of every student in the program.

The  School-Parent Compact  shall:

1.  Describe the school s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment enabling children in the Title I program to meet the State s academic achievement standards;

2.  Indicate the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and television watching, volunteering in the classroom; making positive use of extra-curricular time; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their child s education.

3.  Address the importance of parent-teacher communication on an on-going basis, with parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to parents on students  progress, and reasonable access to staff;

4.  Encourage parents to become involved in the School Improvement Plan process at their child s school.

The Board of Education is committed to annually evaluating the parent involvement activities described in this policy and to addressing any barriers to greater parental participation   including language barriers or radical/ethical barriers to parents participating fully in the life of their children s education.

(cf. 1110.1   Parent Involvement)

(cf. 6161.3   Comparability of Services)

Legal Reference:  Improving America s Schools Act, P.L. No. 103-382, Sec. 1112 Local Education Agency Plans.

Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), P.L. 103-382.

PL 107-110,  No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,  Title I  Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Sec. 1118.

Policy adopted:  June 3, 2008