Edwards Elementary School

The Family Involvement Policy at Edwards Elementary School is jointly developed with, agreed with, and distributed to all the parents of participating children. We will, to the extent possible, provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, 
parents with disabilities and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in a language that the parent can understand. Furthermore, we will coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities at the school level with other federal, state, and district programs. We will meet to update and revise this policy as needed with a team including parents, community members, school and district administrators, and school faculty and staff personnel. 

Edwards Elementary School adheres to the mandates set forth by The Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act (ESEA), Title I. Those mandates require the following: 
 

• Convene an annual meeting at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school’s participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part and the right of the parents to be involved.

        o Our annual Title I meeting will be held in the fall of each year at Edwards 
           Elementary. All parents and guardians will be invited to attend. 
 

• Offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening

        o Meetings will be held at different times during the school day and evenings for 
           the purposes of providing training for parents as well as distributing information.
 

• Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the Family Involvement Policy involvement and the joint development of the school wide program plan under section 1114(b)(2).

        o Parent Surveys
        o Drafts for Family Involvement Policy and School Compact are sent home 
           encouraging input.
        o Title I Meeting committee which includes parents and community leaders
        o Title I information flyer sent home
 

• Provide parents of participating children:

(A) timely information about programs under this part;
        o Timely information is conveyed to parents through announced meetings and 
           newsletters and notices sent home as appropriate

(B) a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of 
academic assessment used to measure student progress and the proficiency levels 
students are expected to meet; and
        o Assessments, goals (proficiency levels), and curriculum are discussed at the fall 
           annual meeting.
        o Goals and expectations are also addressed during parent-teacher conferences

(C) if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meeting to formulate suggestions 
and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their 
children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible; 
        o Teachers are available as needed for parent conferences to discuss 
           progress or concerns.
        o Parents are given opportunities to participate in decision making.
 

• If the school-wide program plan under section 1114 (b) (2) is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the LEA.

        o Any unsatisfactory parental comments are forwarded to the District Title I 
           Coordinator.
        o Title I Committee meets to address concerns.

The Home School Compact at Edwards Elementary School will be developed jointly with, agreed upon with, and distributed to all parents, students, and the entire school staff. The goal is to share in the responsibility for high student achievement. A team including parents, 
community members, school and district administrators and school faculty and staff will meet annually to review the compact.

        o Surveys are sent home annually for all parents to give feedback and make 
           suggestions
        o Parents are given the opportunity to make comments and suggestions about the 
           School-Parent Compact
        o The Title I committee meets and addresses suggestions and concerns.

To ensure effective involvement of parents, and to support a partnership among the parents, community and school to improve student achievement, we will:

• provide assistance to parents of children served by the school, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the State’s academic content standards, and State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children.

               o A link to the state standards are posted on the school webpage.
               o Flyers and/or letters are sent home explaining assessments.
               o Weekly folders with student’s work, Interim reports, and assessment results help 
                  parents monitor child’s progress.
               o Required parent-teacher conferences are held in the fall to discuss standards, 
                  assessments, and student progress.
               o Teachers and administrators are available for conferences upon request.
 

• Provide materials and training to parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement;

               o Parenting Center provides material for parents on various topics
               o Parenting Workshops are held throughout the year.
 

• 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 the school;

               o A district-wide Title I meeting is held each year consisting of teachers, pupil 
                  services personnel, principals, parents, and others.
               o School level Title I meeting is held in fall for community and parents.
               o Annual staff development is provided in the area of parent communications 
 

• Coordinate and integrate, to the extent feasible and appropriate, parent involvement programs and activities with other federal programs;

               o Work closely with local Head Start and First Steps. 
 

•  Ensure that; information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and activities is sent to parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand

               o All information is parent friendly
               o When needed, information is sent home in a language the parent can understand.
 

•  Provide reasonable support for parental involvement as parents may request.

               o School meetings are arranged at a variety of times 
               o Conduct in-home conferences between educator and parent for those unable to 
                  attend.
               o Encourage parent volunteers
               o Parenting Workshops
               o Open door policy for parents