Edna Independent School District

Parental & Family Engagement Policy

Statement of Purpose:

Edna ISD is dedicated to providing quality education for every student in our district.  We want to establish partnerships with parents and with the community.  Each student will benefit from supportive, active involvement when the school, home, and community work together to promote high achievement for our children. 

Parents play an extremely important role as children’s first teachers.  Their support for their children and for the school is critical to their children’s success at every step along the way.

Grade level goals for the children of Edna ISD will be distributed to all parents in the district, with the expectation that allstudents will work toward these goals.  Edna ISD recognizes that some students may need the extra assistance available through the Title I Program, as well as other programs to reach these goals.  Edna ISD intends to include parents in all aspects of the district’s Title I Program.  The goal is a school-home partnership that will help all students in the district to succeed.

The mission of Edna ISD is to ensure a quality education for all.

Parental Involvement in Developing the Policy:

Edna ISD’s District Improvement Team, consisting of 9 parents, 3 members of the community, 8 teachers, 3 district administrators, 6 principals, and 1 Region 3 ESC representative met to develop our school district’s Parental Involvement Policy.  This advisory committee includes representatives from each campus in the district.

The Parental Involvement Policy will be revised annually by the district improvement team and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of students, parents, and the school.

Title I and the Law

Funding - Our school gets funds from the federal government for special programs and services under “Title I”—that is, Title I, Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Title I services are for eligible students who need extra academic help, regardless of their economic background. The amount of money we get under Title I depends on how many students in our school are from low-income families.

Title I, Part A - What is the law?

The purpose of Title I is to enhance opportunities for students to meet and maintain grade level skills.  The most recent law that affects Title I is No Child Left Behind (Public Law 107-110).  The law requires:

·         That school district have a written policy regarding parental involvement;

·         That parents be involved in the design, operation, and evaluation of the Title I program; and

·         That whenever possible, activities should be presented in the language spoken by the majority of Title I parents

Edna ISD teachers see parents as partners in the education of our students.  Everyone gains when school personnel and parents work together.  Our goal is to provide opportunities and information to parents that will help them assume a meaningful role in improving student achievement and increase effectiveness when participating in the planning and evaluation of the Title I programs.

Annual Meeting for Title I Parents:

At the Title I, Part A Annual Meetings parents will be given information about the Title I guidelines.  Parents will be given copies of the district’s and the campus’s current Parental Involvement Policy, and will be offered a chance to become involved in revising and updating the policies as needed.  Parents may volunteer to serve on either the district-wide or the campus Advisory committee, or both.

The annual meetings will be held at the convenience of parents – offered at two different times of the day.  Translations into Spanish will be available.  Parents will be sent written notices about the meeting times, which will be provided in both English and Spanish.

School – Parent Compacts:

In accordance with Title I regulations, each campus shall develop jointly with, and make available to, parents of participating children a school-parent compact that is designed to increase the sharing of responsibility between families and schools for the high performance of students.  Parents, teachers, and administrators who will be responsible for carrying out the compact shall participate in its development.

Every parent shall receive a copy of the school-parent compact from the campus that his/her child is attending.  The school-parent compacts will be available in both English and Spanish.  Although signatures are not required, parents are urged to discuss the compact with their children.

Matching Programs to the Needs of Our Community:

Each year, the school district will assess the needs of parents and children in this community, through a variety of measures – including surveys sent home to parents – so that the Title I Program will be tailored to meet those goals.  As opportunities present themselves, or as the district staff and/or the District Improvement Team identify areas of need, parental workshops and presentations will be offered.  Parents will be notified about these opportunities through the individual schools. 

Staff/Parent Communications: Parents are welcomed and encouraged to communicate with Edna ISD employees, as needed, through a variety of means, including email, telephone, written communication, parent/teacher conferences and home visits.  Communication with parents will also include campus newsletters.  Parents are encouraged to take the initiative in calling their child’s teacher when they are concerned about a problem.  They may also call the school office and ask for a translator for conferences.  As much as possible, notices sent home will be provided in both English and Spanish.  Parents also have access to their children’s grades and attendance through the Parent Connection of TxEIS (TxConnect).

Evaluation:

The District Improvement Team of Edna ISD will be involved in the process of school improvement.  Parents of children in the Title I Program will be part of this group.  The aim will be to evaluate the schools in this district, collecting information in a variety of ways.

There will be an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the Title I Parental Involvement Program, and parents will be asked for their input.  The evaluation will include an assessment of how much parental involvement is increasing and what barriers to parental participation still need to be overcome.  The school district will revise its Parental Involvement Policy on the basis of this annual review.

The policy will be coordinated by the District Improvement Team and promoted by building principals and other school staff.