PART I.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:
The school division will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.
Consistent with section 1118, the school division will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parental involvement policies meet the requirements of section 1118(b) of the ESEA, and each include, as a component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1118(d) of the ESEA.
The school division will incorporate this division-wide parental involvement policy into its LEA plan developed under section 1112 of the ESEA.
In carrying out the Title I, Part A parental involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the school division and its schools will 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 required under section 1111 of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.
If the LEA plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school division will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school division submits the plan to the State Department of Education.
The school division will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent, and will ensure that not less than 95 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools.
The school division will be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement, and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with this definition:
Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring-
(A) that parents play an integral role in assisting their child's learning;
(B) that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education at school;
(C) that parents are full partners in their child's education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;
(D) the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA.
PART II.
DESCRIPTION OF HOW DISTRICT WILL IMPLEMENT REQUIRED DISTRICT-WIDE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS
1. Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS)will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its division-wide parental involvement plan under section 1112 of the ESEA:
- Title I schools will convene an annual Title I parents' meeting in the fall.
- Curriculum information will be available to all parents at the annual meeting.
- Assessment information will be available to all parents at the annual meeting.
- The purpose of the annual meeting is to review the Title I program, Parental Involvement Plan, and School-Parent Compact.
- Title 1 schools will establish a Title I Advisory Council consisting of parents from various grade levels and representatives of the following stakeholders: economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited English proficiency, limited literacy, or any racial or ethnic minority background.
- The Title I Advisory Council will meet at least two times per year and establish a meeting schedule.
- A function of the Title I Advisory Council is the review of the Parental Involvement Plan, the School-Parent Compact, and to provide input to assist the school in modifying and updating these plans.
- The School-Parent Compact will list the duties and responsibilities of the parents and school to support and foster high academic achievement.
- Meeting agendas and minutes for Title I Advisory Council meetings will be available to parents via the school website and Parent Welcome Center.
- The Title I Advisory Council will provide a time slot on each agenda for public comment.
2. Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESEA:
- The Title I annual parents meeting will be open to all parents.
- A function of the school Title I Advisory Council will be to review available data with the school staff and to provide input to assist schools in modifying and updating School Improvement Plans.
- Parents may participate on committees for the improvement review.
- Parents may serve on the Principal's Advisory Committee.
3. Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS)will provide the following necessary coordination, technical assistance, and other support to assist Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance:
- Central office staff and school administrators will meet to discuss the planning and implementing of effective parental involvement activities.
- The division's Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learningwill provide coordination, technical assistance, and other support to Title I schools to plan and implement these activities.
- Title I schools will conduct a minimum of two parent activities each year that focus on improving student achievement in literacy or academic subject areas.
- Title I schools will provide information to schools about school programs and community resources, including local and state assessment programs, and services provide by the school division.
- MPCS will provide resources to implement parental involvement activities including technology and printed materials.
4. Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS)will coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies under the following other programs (Head Start and the Virginia Pre-School Initiative) by:
- MPCS will work collaboratively with the local Head Start Program.
- MPCS will operate a pre-school program (Virginia Pre-School Initiative) for at-risk four-year old children.
- The school will coordinate parental involvement activities for both the Head Start Program and Virginia Pre-School Initiative.
- Interpreters will be available at Pre-School intake and registration sessions to assist parents in completing applications.
5. Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) will take the following actions to conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement policy in improving the quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in parental involvement activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The school division will use the findings of the evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to design strategies for effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of parents) its parental involvement policies.
MPCS will conduct an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of its Title I parental involvement policy through a variety of methods to include: surveys, informal discussions, and parent focus groups.
- To the extent feasible, evaluation documents will be disseminated in English and Spanish.
- To the extent feasible, a translator will be available in order to involve all parents.
- The school administration and division Director of Literacy, Federal Programs, & ESOL will be responsible for collecting this information.
- The Title I School Advisory Council will review this data to revise the parent involvement policy.
- The school administration will review this data to make changes to parental participation activities for the next school year.
6. Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) will build the schools' and parents' capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, through the following activities specifically described below:
A. The school division will, with the assistance of its Title I, Part A schools, provide assistance to parents of children served by the school division or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described in this paragraph --
- the State's academic content standards,
- the State's student academic achievement standards,
- the State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments,
- the requirements of Part A, how to monitor their child's progress,
- and how to work with educators:
- MPCS will inform parents of the State's academic content standards through the Virginia Department of Education's website, parent workshops, information sessions, parent - teacher conferences, division and school websites, and printed materials.
- MPCS will inform parents of academic achievement standards through the Virginia Department of Education's website, and division website.
- MPCS will inform parents of State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments through individual conferences, workshops, and printed resources. Information about state and local assessments will be posted on division and school websites.
- Students' academic achievement results will be sent home with students to parents.
- MPCS will establish dates on the school calendar for interim reports, report cards, and parent/teacher conferences.
- School and individual teacher websites will provide daily schedules, class work, homework, school events, supply lists and contact information.
- MPCS will inform parents of their child's progress through the Powerschool Parent Portal, interim reports, report cards, state assessment results, and phone calls regarding tardiness and absenteeism that may impede student progress.
- MPCS will inform parents of how to work with educators during Back to School Night, principal's newsletter, PTO meetings, and information sent home with students.
B. The school division will, with the assistance of its schools, provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children's academic achievement, such as literacy training, and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement, by:
- Family activities that discuss academic achievement will be developed by staff and may include:
- Back to School Nights
- Open House Nights
- Parents as Educational Partners (PEP) Program
- Gifted/Talented Parent Night
- Title I Annual Meeting (Day & Evening)
- Bed-Time Reading Nights
- Odyssey of the Mind Parent Information
- Math and Science Night
- Literacy & Social Studies Night
- Library Book Fair
- Multicultural Nights
- Robotics Parent Activities
- Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Saturday School Activities
- Art Show
- Instrumental Music & Choral Presentations
- Cougar Literacy Fun Run
- Countdown to Kindergarten
- PTO Technology Nights
- Monthly Parent Counseling and Coaching (Coaching Our Cougars)
- Information about how parents can foster literacy and academic achievement will be developed by staff and posted on the school website.
C. The school division will, with the assistance of its schools and parents, educate its teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and schools, by:
- Teachers will receive information on working with parents in faculty and vertical meetings.
- Community outreach will be a component of the division's beginning teacher orientation.
- Each school will provide information to parents about schools and community services.
D. The school division will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, will coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with Head Start and the Virginia Preschool Initiative to conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children, by:
- MPCS will operate two classrooms for at-risk students in accordance with the Virginia Preschool Initiative.
- MPCS will work collaboratively with the local Head Start program.
- MPCS will coordinate parent involvement programs and activities between the school, the Virginia Pre-School Initiative and the local Head Start classrooms.
- Pre-school teachers will offer workshops to parents about their program and how to help students be successful.
- All preschool applications and notification will be available in Spanish and interpreters will be provided to assist parents in completing applications.
E. The school division will take the following actions to ensure that information related to the school and parent- programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand:
- MPCS will offer information to parents in a variety of formats. These include: division, school, and teacher websites, printed information, and meetings and information nights.
- Division and school calendars will be posted on websites. Dates for parent conferences, interims and school report cards, and other parent activities will be listed.
- Upcoming programs and events will be advertised on the cable network.
- Parents may be notified of upcoming events (Parent Conferences, etc.) by telephone.
- When feasible, printed information will be translated into Spanish and other languages.
- When feasible, a translator will be available during meetings and or conferences.
PART III. ADOPTION
This Division-Wide Parental Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A School-Wide Program, as evidenced by May 31, 2017 Title I Parental Advisory Council minutes.
This policy was adopted by the Manassas Park City School Division on _11/13/2017__ (date) and will be in effect for the period of one year. The school division will be available to all parents of children that attend MPCS Title I Schools.