NEPN/NSBA Code:  KBF 

PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN TITLE I 

The Lewiston School Committee endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I and encourages regular participation by parents/guardians in all aspects of the school system’s Title I programs. 

For the purpose of this policy, “parents/guardians” includes other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling. 

DISTRICT-LEVEL PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY

In compliance with federal law, Lewiston Public Schools will develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to parents of children participating in Lewiston Public Schools’ Title I programs a written district-level parent involvement policy. 

Annually, parents/guardians will have opportunities to participate in the evaluation of the content and effectiveness of Lewiston Public Schools’ parent involvement policy and in using the findings of the evaluation to design strategies for more effective parent/guardian involvement and to make revisions to the policy. 

SCHOOL-PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY 

As required by law, each school in Lewiston Public Schools that receives Title I funds shall jointly develop with parents/guardians of children served in the program a school parent/guardian involvement policy, including “School-Parent Compact” outlining the manner in which parents, school staff and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting the Maine Learning Results standards. The school policy will be distributed to parents/guardians of children in the school’s Title I programs. 

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 Maine Learning Results academic achievement standards; 

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

3. Address the importance of parent-teacher communication on an ongoing basis, with at a minimum, parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to parents, and reasonable access to staff. 

PARENT INVOLVEMENT MEETINGS 

Each school receiving Title I funds shall convene an annual meeting, to which all parents/guardians of eligible children shall be invited to inform them about the school’s participation in Title I and to involve them in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s Title I programs and the parent involvement policy. 

In addition to the required annual meeting, at least 2 other meetings shall be held at various times of the day and/or evenings for parents/guardians of students participating in Title I programs. 

These meetings shall be used to provide parents with: 

1. Information about programs the school provides under Title I: 

2. 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 level students are expected to meet. 

3. Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children; and 

4. The opportunity to submit comments to the district level if they are dissatisfied with a school-wide Title I program. 

Title I funding, if sufficient, may be used to facilitate parent/guardian attendance at meetings through the payment of transportation and childcare costs.

PARENT RELATIONS 

Parents/guardians of children identified for participation in a Title I program shall receive from the building principal and Title I staff an explanation of the reasons supporting their child’s selection, a set of objectives to be addressed, and a description of the services to be provided. Parents will receive regular reports on their child’s progress and be provided opportunities to meet with the classroom and Title I teachers. Parents will also receive training, materials, and suggestions as to how they can assist in the education of their children at home. 

DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITY 

The Superintendent/designee shall be responsible for ensuring that Lewiston Public Schools’ Title I plan, programs, and parent involvement policies comply with applicable law and regulations and for developing administrative procedures, as needed, to implement this policy. 

Legal References: 20 U.S.C. § 6318 

Adopted: June 7, 2000 

Revised: July 26, 2004 

Reviewed: July 23, 2013 

Reviewed: July 20, 2015

Revised: September 11, 2023