WEST WARWICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
I. STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
A. West Warwick Public Schools recognizes and values the role of parents in their child’s education. Schools, in partnership with parents and the community working together, ensure a quality education for all children. Everyone benefits when parents, schools, and the community work together.
B. Studies demonstrate:
Parent involvement in their child’s education improves achievement.
Parent involvement is most effective when it is comprehensive, supportive, long-lasting, and well planned.
The benefits of parent involvement are not limited to early childhood or the elementary level; there are continuing positive effects through high school.
School staff and families need the knowledge and skills that enable them to work with one another and with the larger community to support children learning.
C. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the district, through its schools, encourages parent involvement and supports the partnership between the home, school, and community. Each school policy must be based on the six areas identified in the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and be reviewed and evaluated annually and revised when needed.
II. DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Annually review each school’s policy, parent involvement practices, and activities as well as each school’s implementation of this policy. The district will provide guidance, coordination, technical assistance, and other necessary supports to facilitate, plan, and implement parent involvement activities. The district will strengthen the school-family partnership with professional development and training for all school staff as well as for parents and other family members.
B. Ensure compliance with Title I regulations on Parent Involvement by establishing an Action Plan updated on an annual basis.*
C. Utilizing the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships as its foundation, it is the policy of West Warwick Public Schools that all our schools:
Welcome all families into the school community;
Communicate effectively with parents;
Collaborate with parents to support their child’s learning and development;
Empower parents to advocate for their own and other children;
Share the power when making decisions that affect children and families;
Collaborate with community members to connect children, families, and staff with expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.
III. SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Welcome all families into the school community:
Creating a parent-friendly atmosphere
Identifying and actively eliminating barriers that may prevent parents from feeling welcomed and valued
Ensuring positive professional interactions with parents
Valuing the diversity of each family
Reducing racial, ethnic, and economic isolation
Reaching out to traditionally hard-to-reach parents
Connecting parents to staff and other parents
B. Communicate effectively with families:
Promoting school-to-home and home-to-school communication
Establishing multiple ways for sharing information and receiving information
Communicating frequently with parents
Providing information in other languages
Listening to parents
Maintaining confidentiality
Acting professionally and ethically
C. Support student success:
Promoting and supporting responsible parenting
Providing parents with the knowledge and skills to assist with learning
Sharing information about student and school achievement
Recognizing and celebrating achievement
D. Speak up for every child:
Encouraging parents to be advocates for their child
Ensuring equal opportunity for families to participate in school events, activities, and organizations
Informing parents about resources available within the school and community
Providing parents with information and supports to be effective advocates
E. Share the power in decisions that affect children and families:
Welcoming parents to actively participate in school decision-making
Capitalizing on the expertise and skills of parents and students to strengthen the family, school, and community partnership
Identifying and eliminating barriers that may prevent parents from actively participating in organizations that create policies, practices, and programs
Reaching out to, communicating with, and working with parents as equal partners
Inviting parents to participate in developing Title I Action Plan including parental involvement activities
Holding an annual meeting to review the district parent policy
F. Collaborate with the community:
1. Cultivating relationships with members of the community to promote educational opportunities
2. Combining efforts toward identifying and promoting community resources and innovative programs that strengthen schools, families, and
student learning
IV. PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Parents and families provide the primary educational environment for children; consequently, parents are vital and necessary partners with the educational communities throughout their child’s school career. Capitalizing on the expertise and skills of parents strengthens the family, school, and community partnership. Although parents come to the schools with diverse cultural backgrounds, primary languages, and needs, universally all parents want what is best for their children. Schools, in collaboration with parents, teachers, students, and administrators, must establish and develop efforts that enhance parental involvement and reflect the needs of students, parents, and families in the communities which they serve.
B. West Warwick Public Schools recognizes and encourages parents in the four key roles that they play in their child’s learning as:
Teacher – helping their child at home,
Supporter – contributing their skills to the school,
Advocate – helping their child receive fair treatment,
Decision Maker – participating in joint problem-solving with the school at every level.
C. Parent Involvement refers to the efforts of any caregiver who assumes responsibility for nurturing and caring for children, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, foster parents, stepparents, etc.
Note: This policy was created in collaboration with parents, teachers, administrators, community members, and the West Warwick School Committee. This policy will be reviewed annually by a group of stakeholders.
*See attached Parent Involvement Action Plan.
Date adopted:
April 8, 2012