Title 1

Title I School Parental Involvement Policy

West Warwick School Department

John F. Horgan Elementary School

Research demonstrates that when schools effectively involve parents, there is a positive impact on student success (Rioux and Berla, 1994; Flaxman and Inger, 1991; Henderson and Berla, 1994). Under the Elementary and Secondary School Act (ESEA), each school district shall develop, agree upon, and distribute to parents of participating Title I students, a written parental involvement policy that is part of their local district plan.

This policy has three components: (1) policy involvement; (2) shared responsibilities for high student performance; and (3) building capacity for involvement. These components recognize the full range of roles that parents can play in their children’s education as well as the need for parents and schools to develop a partnership and ongoing dialogue around student achievement.

This parental involvement policy was developed and implemented in consultation with parents and teachers of participating schools. On an annual basis, the written parental involvement policy will be assessed to review policy effectiveness.

The following activities are implemented in order to meet the parental involvement requirements:

I. POLICY INVOLVEMENT

  • Convene annually, a public meeting to which all parents of eligible and participating children must be invited to discuss the programs and activities provided by Title I funds. The Parent-School compact may be reviewed and discussed at this time.

  • Offer a flexible number of meetings, such as in the morning or evening, to plan with and inform parents about Title I activities.

  • Solicit parents’ suggestions in the planning, development, operations, design, and implementation of the program.

  • Provide timely responses to parents; recommendations and questions.

  • Dedicate time annually to review effectiveness of Title I Program activities through various opportunities (i.e., focus groups, SIT meetings, parent surveys, student achievement data, etc.).

II. SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT PERFORMANCE

  • Develop a Parent-School Compact describing the mutual responsibilities of parents, school, and students. Indicate how they will share the responsibility for high student performance.

  • Introduce and distribute the Parent-School Compact upon opening of the school year. Encourage teacher, parent, and student to sign as a commitment to the document’s ideals.

  • Discuss and review compact throughout the school year as opportunities are presented.

  • Forge a partnership between parent, teacher, and student in support of high student performance.

  • Share with the parents, school performance profiles and individual student assessments.

III. BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT

  • Provide assistance to participating parents in understanding state content and performance standards (CCSS), state and local assessments (PARCC), and Title I requirements.

  • Provide assistance to participating parents about monitoring their children’s progress, working with educators to improve the performance of their children, and providing information on how parents can participate in decisions relating to the education of their children.

  • Provide materials and training, such as literacy training, to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s achievement.

  • Educate teachers, principals, and staff, with the assistance of parents, on how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners.

  • Conduct other activities, as feasible, such as parent information centers and other opportunities for parents to learn about child development and child rearing, that are designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their children.

  • Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings and other activities are sent to the home of participating children in the language parents understand.

Parent's Right to Know

ESSA requires all schools receiving federal funds to notify parents of their right to know the qualifications of staff who teach and work with their children. Our school qualifies for federal funds through Title I which we use to provide personnel, programs, and materials.

We are notifying you of your right to request information about the professional qualifications of the teachers and/or teacher aides who teach your child. Let me assure you that all of our teachers have at least a Bachelors Degree and certification to teach. All our teacher aides have fulfilled the requirements for teacher aides/paraprofessionals established by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE).