Heart River Elementary

Title I School Parental Involvement Policy

Title I regulations require that each school served under Title I jointly develop with and distribute to parents of participating children, a written parental involvement policy agreed on by the parents that describes the requirements of (c) through (f) as listed below and outlined in Title 1 law:

A. POLICY INVOLVEMENT

     Each school served under this part shall –

        1. Convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of partici-

            pating 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;

   A copy of Heart River’s SCHOOL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY   

   will  be made available to all parents of Heart River  students at Open House,  

   held the evening of the day before school resumes in the fall. These copies will 

   be distributed by classroom  teachers, and staff will be available to answer any

   questions regarding the policy.  Information regarding Heart River’s

   participation in the Title I Schoolwide Program will also be available for parents

   at this time.      

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

           and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation

           child care, or home visits as such services relate to parental involvement.

  The Heart River PAC (Parent Advisory Council) is a group open to all  

  parents   with students in attendance, who meet on a regular basis. Meetings

  are generally held over noon hour. Meeting dates are made available in the

  monthly school newsletter, and on  the school website. Heart River Elementary

  upholds an ‘open door’ policy for parents and families, as stated in the school

  handbook.

  Parents are also inivited to become involved with the

  following committes:

District Technology Committee; District   Professional Development   Committee; District Curriculum Review Committee; West Dakota Parent and Family Resource Meetings; North Central Association School  Improvement Committee; and the Materials and Resources Review Committee. This        information is included in the school handbook.

3. Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review,

     and improvement of programs under this part, including  planning, review, and

     improvement of the school  parental involvement policy.

       Parents will be involved through participation in the Schoolwide Planning 

       Committee, Parent Advisory Committee; end-of-the-year surveys, and the

       Title I Annual Review of Heart River Schoolwide Program. Summaries of 

        these meetings will be made available in the school  newsletters.

 4. Provide parents of participating children –

    i. timely information about programs under this part;

        A copy of Heart River’s SCHOOLWIDE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

        POLICY will be available to all parents of Heart River students at Open  

        House, held the evening of the day before school resumes in the fall. These

        copies will be distributed by classroom teachers, and staff will be available to

        answer any questions regarding the policy.  

        Information regarding Heart River’s participation in the Title I Schoolwide 

        Program will also be available for parents at this time.

   ii. 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

       The Heart River Elementary Student/Parent Handbook outlines and provides a

        description of the curriculum in use at the school, and lists the academic

        assessment used. These assessments provide proficiency levels expected of

        students. This information is also available on the school website.

iii. if requested by parents, 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 as soon as practically possible.

       Heart River upholds an ‘open door’ policy; as stated in the school handbook,

       parents are invited to call or visit the school at any time, or arrange meetings

       to discuss issues  involving the education of their child(ren). Parent-Teacher

       conferences are held twice  yearly. Parents are invited to become involved in

       many committees, including the Schoolwide Planning Committee.

  5. If the schoolwide program plan 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 local educational agency.

       Any comments regarding the above-mentioned would be submitted to the

       Heart River Schoolwide Committee, and if needed, also the Dickinson Public

       Schools Title I Coodinator.

 B. SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC     

      ACHIEVEMENT

      As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy, each school shall

      jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parent

      compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the

      responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

     A school-parent compact will be developed and reviewed annually by the Heart

     River Schoolwide Planning Committee, with parents serving on the committee

     also involved in this process. These compacts will be available for review

     annually at registration in fall.

 C. BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT

       To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the

       school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achieve-

       ment, each school and local educational agency  assisted under this part-

  a. Shall provide assistance to the parents of children served by the school or local

      educational agency, as appropriate, in understanding such topic 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.

      The Annual  Progress reports will be disseminated in the school newsletter

       when that information is made available. Parents will also have the opportunity

      to address their child’s academic progress at Parent-Teacher conferences,

      held during the 1st and 3rd  quarters of the school year. Student academic

      performance can be monitored by accessing Power School. Information on the

      Heart River’s performance will be reviewed and amended each spring at the

     Annual Schoolwide Review meeting.

      Teacher and paraprofessional qualifications can be reviewed by parents upon   

      request.  

   b. Shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to

       improve their child’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as

       appropriate, to foster parental involvement;

      The Heart River Student/Parent Handbook is made available at fall

      registration, and includes information regarding academic policies and

      procedures. Pertinent information is dispersed monthly in the school

      newsletters. Training opportunities are made available for parents through the

      West Dakota Parent and Family Resource Center. Student progress is

      available for parents through Power School. Literacy tips are provided for

      parents at Heart River Literacy Nights, held annually.

   c. Shall educate teacher, 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, imple-

       ment and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.

       Education will come from building level communication, distribution of Heart

       River  and West Dakota Parent and Family newsletters, district and building

       level training  and in-service opportunities, and participation in PAC and the

      Schoolwide Planning  Committee.

d. Shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involve-

      ment programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Even Start, the Home

      Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program,

      and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent

      resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the

      education of their children;

      Parental Involvement programs and activities will be coordinated with

      applicable school district programs including West Dakota Parent and  Family

      Resource Center, Head Start, and the Regional After School Program.

e. Shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and  

     other activities is sent to the parents of the participating children in a format and, to

      the extent practicable in a language parents can understand;

      Heart River, along with Dickinson Public Schools, will provide full

      opportunities for the  participation of parents with limited English proficiency,

      parents with children with disabilities, and parents of migratory children,

      including information and school reports in an understandable and uniform

      format and, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent

      practicable, in a language parents understand.

      Parent feedback regarding this point will be generated through annual surveys,

      and will be monitored by PAC and the Schoolwide Planning Committee to

      ensure the information provided to parents meets the stated criteria.

   f. Provide literacy training for parents through the West Dakota Parent and Family

      Resource Center and/or the Adult Resource Center.

  g. Pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement  

      activities, including child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-

      related meetings and training sessions.

  h. Train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;

   i. Arrange school meetings at a variety of times in order to maximize parental involve-

      ment and participation in their children’s education.

   j. Utilize Parent Advisory Council and Schoolwide Planning Team to provide advice on

      all matters related to parental involvement in Title I, Part A programs.

  k. Develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses,

      including faith-based organizations, in parental involvement activities.

   l. Provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under section  

     1118 as parents may request.

D. ACCESSIBILTY

   In carrying out the parental involvement requirements of this part, districts and schools,  

   to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents

   with children with limited English proficiency, parents with children with disabilities,

   and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports

   in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a such language parents can understand.

   Parent feedback regarding this point will be generated through annual surveys,

   and will be monitored by PAC and the Schoolwide Planning Committee to ensure

   the information provided to parents meets the stated  criteria.