McDowell County Schools

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Parent Involvement

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Title I Team

To make sure there is effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership with parents and the community, each Title I school and district will assist to improve student achievement:

1.       Provide to parents of Title children assistance in understanding the State academic standards, the state and local academic assessments, the parent and family engagement rights of Title I, how to monitor their child’s progress, and work with their child’s teachers to improve the academic success of their child.

2.       Provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement. This could be literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement.

3.       Educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and schools.

4.       When possible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs, and conduct activities together, such as parent resource centers, which encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.

5.       Ensure when possible that information related to the school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.

McDowell County Schools parent and family engagement policy may include additional paragraphs listing and describing other discretionary activities that the school district, in consultation with its parents, chooses to undertake to build parents’ capacity for involvement in the school and school system to support their children’s academic achievement, such as the following discretionary activities:

1. Involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals and other educators to improve the effectiveness of that training.

2. Provide necessary literacy training for parents from Title I, Part A, funds, if the school district has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for that training.

3. Pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.

4. Train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents.

5. In order to maximize parental involvement and participation in their children’s education, arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend those conferences at school.

6. Adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement.

7. Establish a district parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in Title I, Part A, programs.

8. Develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based organizations, in parental involvement activities.

9. Provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities identified under section 1116 as parents may request.

2024-2025

McDowell County Schools are committed to the goal of providing quality education for every child in this district. We want to establish partnerships with parents and with the community. Everyone gains if the school and home work together to support high achievement of our children. We can’t do this job alone. Parents and families play an extremely important role as children’s first teachers. Their support for their children and for the school is critical to their children’s success at every step along the way. Relationships are critical for student success.

 McDowell County Schools agrees to implement the following requirements:

1.       The school district will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the engagement of parents and family members in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1116 of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).   Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

2.       Consistent with section 1116, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent and family engagement policies meet the requirements of section 1116(b) of the ESSA, and each include, as a component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1116(d) of the ESSA.

3.       In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, limited literacy, disabilities, of migratory children, who are economically disadvantaged, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background, including providing information and school reports required under Section 1111 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.

4.       The school district will incorporate this district wide parent and family engagement policy into its district plan developed under section 1112 of the ESSA.

5.       The school district with a Title I, Part A, allocation of over $500,000, will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent, and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools. 

6.       The school district will be governed by the following definition of the term “parent” includes legal guardian or other person standing in place of a parent (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare).

7.       Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring—

a.       that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

b.       that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;

c.       that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;

d.       the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1116 of the ESEA.

1.       McDowell County Schools will engage parents and families who have Title I students in developing/revising the district policy.

·         McDowell County Schools will engage parents and families to develop and revise the policy annually during the April Family Advisory Council Meeting. The agenda will be posted in advance and print for families to be aware of the opportunity to provide input.

·         Families may provide input throughout the school year via email notice provided on district LEA Title I website/social media announcements.

2.       McDowell County Schools will take the following actions to engage the parents and families in jointly developing the district Title I plan {Section 1112] as part of the consolidated plan and the development and review of the Schoolwide or Title I Targeted Assistance Plan. If applicable the Comprehensive Support and Improvement and the Targeted Support and Improvement plan in the schools’ identified for improvement plans. [Section 1111(D) (1)(2)

·         McDowell County Schools will engage parents and families to develop the district LEA and consolidated plan during the April Family Advisory Council Meeting. The agenda will be posted in advance and print for families to be aware of the opportunity to provide input.

·         Family input provided on school level family surveys will be evaluated and analyzed as the district LEA consolidated plan is developed.

·         Families of Comprehensive Support Schools provide input via an electronic survey that the district leadership and school leadership team use for planning.

3.       McDowell County Schools will coordinate technical assistance and other support that is necessary to build the capacity of staff in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. This could include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders and philanthropic organizations or individuals with experience in effectively engaging families in education.

·         McDowell County Schools provides regular, meaningful technical assistance and professional development to all stakeholders to assist with building effective parent and family engagement.

·         Community and business partners are invited and attend the monthly Family Advisory Council Meeting to collaborate and strengthen partnerships with families and the LEA.

4.       McDowell County Schools will coordinate and integrate with federal, state and local programs, including public preschool programs, to implement effective parent and family engagement strategies that improve student achievement and school performance.

·         McDowell County Schools collaborates fully with Coalfield CAP Headstart, Birth to Three, and local daycare facilities to provide effective parent and family engagement strategies. Professional development opportunities are offered to all community organizations affiliated with preschool programs.

5.       McDowell County Schools will take the following actions to conduct, with the engagement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policy (programs/activities) in improving the academic achievement of Title I students and the schools.

Reviewing and evaluating the parent and family engagement activities/programs.

a.       Identify barriers and the needs of parents and family members that keep them from participating in their child’s education especially the economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited English proficiency or any racial or ethnic minority.

b.       Identify the needs of the Title I parents and family members to assist the learning of their children and the teachers and school staff.

c.       Identify strategies to support successful school and family interactions.

Annually in May of each school year, the district holds a joint evaluation meeting where families and parents are invited to join together from each Title I school to provide feedback and input on strengthening partnerships, identify barriers at both school and district levels, develop strategies and improve our Title I Program. Title I Staff and school administrators also provide valuable insight and review compliance expectations.

6.       McDowell County Schools use the findings of the evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family engagement as necessary and to revise the parent and family engagement policy as necessary.

·         Annual Family and Parent Title I School surveys provide a wealth of information on how we can make family engagement more effective to meet the needs of our families. This data is used in addition to meeting feedback, staff input, as well as input from the end of the year evaluation meeting with representation from all Title I Schools.

7.       McDowell County Schools will involve parents in activities at the McDowell County Schools. This could be establishing a parent advisory board that represents the population of Title I parents and family members, that develops, evaluates and reviews or revises the parent and family engagement policy.

·         McDowell County Schools meets monthly with the Family Advisory Council for our district.

8.       McDowell County Schools will involve parents and family members of the children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent reserved goes directly to Title I schools.

McDowell County Schools will meet the requirements of parent and family engagement of Title I, to the extent practicable, we will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with children with limited English proficiency, parents with children with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents can understand.

·         McDowell County Schools ensures that all families of all children have the opportunity for parent participation. The Special Education Director as well as the EL Coordinator for the district is involved in the planning and monitoring of this policy. MCS ensures that all information including reports are translated into their home language if needed.

·         Homeless liaison and Foster Care liaison of the LEA ensure that families are connected with the resources they need to be successful and provide immediate support and information to families as needed.

The McDowell County Schools Parent and Family Engagement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I programs, as evidenced by meeting minutes and sign-in sheets.

On April 30, 2024 the McDowell County Schools Parent and Family Engagement Policy will be in effect for the period of the school year.

McDowell County Schools will distribute this policy to all parents of participating Title I children and make it available to the community. The district will share this policy on the LEA website and within the MCS county calendar with every child at the beginning of the school year (as new enrollees enroll).