TITLE I PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY
WYOMISSING AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center
Purpose
The Wyomissing Area School District recognizes that meaningful parent and family engagement contributes to the achievement of state academic standards by students participating in Title I programs. This policy, developed by Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center in collaboration with and agreed to by parents and family members, describes how parents and family members will be engaged at the school level.
Components
The school complies with federal law related to the engagement of parents and family members by detailing how the school will:
1. Involve parents and family members in the planning, review and improvement of the school’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy:
· Parents and family members will be given the opportunity to review and make suggestions for revisions to both the School-Parent Compact and the Parent & Family Engagement Policy during Title I Parent meetings, conferences and events scheduled throughout the school year.
2. Convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time:
· To which all parents and family members of participating children shall be invited, and encouraged to attend;
· To inform parents and family members of their school’s participation as a Title I school; and
· To explain the requirements and the rights of parents and family members to be involved.
· The Title I Parent Meeting(s) took place on place on May 22, 2023 and took place on November 20 & 21, 2023 for the 2023-24 school year.
3. Offer a flexible number of meetings in the morning and/or the evening, and may provide Title I funds, if sufficient, to facilitate parent and family member attendance at meetings through payment of transportation, child care costs and/or refreshments.
· Title I Family Engagement events take place at strategic times throughout the school year. All participating students and family members are invited to these events.
4. Involve parents and family members, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the Title I program, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s parent and family engagement program:
· Parents and family members will be given the opportunity to review and make suggestions for revisions to the School-Parent Compact, Parent & Family Engagement Policy, and overall Title I Program during Title I Parent meetings, conferences and events scheduled throughout the school year. Additionally, an annual survey will be administered to all stakeholders in the second semester of the school year to gather input in regards to overall Title I programming.
5. Provide parents and family members of participating children with timely information about the Title I program:
· Regular communication takes place between Title I teachers, MTSS coordinator and the parents/family members of participating students.
6. Provide parents and family members of participating children with a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessments used to measure student progress, and the achievement levels of the state academic standards:
· Progress towards meeting Pennsylvania Core Academic Standards shall be monitored and reported at quarterly intervals to parents/family members.
7. Provide, if requested by parents and family members, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions.
8. Create a school-parent and family compact developed jointly with parents and family members outlining how parents and family members, the entire school staff, and students will share in the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and the parents and family members will build and develop partnerships to help children achieve the state’s academic standards. The compact shall:
· Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables children in Title I programs to meet the state academic standards, and the ways in which each parent and family member will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning; volunteering in their child’s classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time and
· Address the importance of communication between teachers and parents and family members on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum:
o Teacher conferences with parents and family members in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement;
o Frequent reports to parents and family members on their children’s progress;
o Reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and observation of classroom activities; and
o Ensuring regular two-way, meaningful communication between parents and family members and school staff, in a language that parents and family members can understand.
9. Provide assistance to parents and family members in understanding the state academic standards, state and local academic assessments, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with teachers to improve the achievement of their children:
10. Provide materials and training to help parents and family members to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology including education about the harms of copyright piracy, as appropriate, to foster parent and family involvement:
· A Title I parent resource center is available at the Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center to provide materials and resources to address these needs. Title I teachers and the coordinator work with parents/family members to meet the individual learning needs of Title I students.
11. Educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff, with the assistance of parents and family members, in the value and utility of contributions of parents and family members, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents and family members as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and family members and the school.
12. To the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate, and integrate parent and family member involvement programs and activities with other federal, state, and local programs including public preschool programs, and conduct other activities that encourage and support parents and family members in more fully participating in the education of their children:
· Title I Family Engagement Events are regularly scheduled through the school year at convenient times/locations for participating students and families.
13. Ensure that information related to school and parent and family member programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents and family members of participating children in a format and in a language the parents and family members can understand:
· Title I staff work with the ESL staff at all buildings to ensure that effective communication occurs in a format and language parents and family members can understand.
14. Provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members (including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children):
15. Ensure distribution of the policy to all parents and family members with a child participating in a Title I program by the following means:
· All families of students at the Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center are sent a letter at the beginning of the school year detailing the school’s involvement in Title I programming.
· Title I policies and programming details are regularly revised and posted on the school website.
· Participating Title I families receive updated policy and programming information on a regular basis through the school MTSS coordinator and Title I teachers.
Delegation of Responsibility
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy, plan and programs comply with the requirements of federal law.
The building principal and/or Title I staff shall notify parents and family members of the existence of Title I programs and provide:
1. An explanation of the reasons supporting their child’s selection for the program.
2. A set of goals and objectives to be addressed.
3. A description of the services to be provided.
4. A copy of this policy and the School-Parent and Family Compact.
Each school with a Title I program shall provide communications, information and school reports to parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children, in a language and format they can understand.