Parent Right to Know Information
2024 – 2025
Purpose
The Board recognizes that meaningful parent and family engagement contributes to the achievement of state academic standards by students participating in Title I programs. The Board views the education of students as a cooperative effort among the school, parents and family members, and community.[1]
Definition
Parent and Family (Family Members) – these terms are used interchangeably and shall include caregivers, a legal guardian or other person standing in loco parentis such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare, or a legally appointed Education Decision Maker of a child participating in a Title I program.
Authority
- The Board directs the district and each of its schools with a Title I program to:[1]
- Conduct outreach to all parents and family members.
- Include parents and family members in the development of the district’s overall Title I Plan and process for school review and improvement.[2]
- Include parents and family members in the development of the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy. Following adoption of the policy by the Board, the policy shall be:
- Incorporated into the district’s Title I Plan.[2]
- Posted to the district’s publicly accessible website.[3]
- Evaluated annually with parent and family involvement.
- Provide opportunities and conduct meaningful collaborations with parents and family members in the planning and implementation of Title I programs, activities and procedures.
Accessibility
The district and each of its schools with a Title I program shall provide communications, information and school reports to parents and family members who are migrants or who have limited English proficiency, a disability, limited literacy, or racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, in a language they can understand.[1][4]
Delegation of Responsibility
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the district’s Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy, plan and programs comply with the requirements of federal law.[1][2]
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the district and its schools with Title I programs provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members by providing resources, information and school reports in an understandable and uniform format or, upon request, in another format. Such efforts shall include:
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Providing communications in clear and simple language.
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Posting information for parents and family members on the district’s website.
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Including a telephone number for parents and family members to call with questions.
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Provide language access services to families with limited English proficiency through onsite or telephonic translation and interpretation services, as appropriate.[4]
The building principal and/or Title I staff shall notify parents and family members of the existence of the Title I programs and provide:
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A set of goals and expectations to be addressed.
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A description of the services to be provided.
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A copy of this policy and the School-Parent and Family Compact.[1]
Parents and family members shall actively carry out their responsibilities in accordance with this policy and the School-Parent and Family Compact. At a minimum, parents and family members shall be expected to:[1]
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Support their child’s learning.
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Participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their child and positive use of extracurricular time.
Guidelines
Each district school operating a Title I program shall hold an annual meeting(s) of parents and family members at a convenient time, to explain the goals and purposes of Title I programs and to inform them of their right to be involved. Parents and family members shall be given the opportunity to participate in the design, development, operation and evaluation of the program. Parents and family members shall be encouraged to participate in planning activities, to offer suggestions, and to ask questions regarding policies and programs.[1]
The schools shall involve parents and family members in an organized, ongoing and timely way, in the planning, review and improvement of Title I programs, the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy and the joint development of the Title I Plan.[1][2]
At these meetings, parents and family members shall be provided:[1]
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Timely information about programs provided under Title I.
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Description and explanation of the curriculum in use, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the achievement levels of the academic standards.
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Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children.
To ensure the continuous engagement of parents and family members in the joint development of the Title I Plan and with the school support and improvement process, the district shall:
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Establish meaningful, ongoing two-way communication between the district, staff and parents and family members.
- Communicate with parents and family members about the plan and seek their input and participation.
- Train personnel on how to collaborate effectively with parents and family members with diverse backgrounds that may impede their participation, such as limited literacy or language difficulty.
- Analyze and share the results of the Title I Parent/Family Survey.
- Distribute and discuss the School-Parent and Family Compact.
- Host various parent and family nights at each school building with a Title I program following the guidelines set forth in the Health and Safety Plans at both the district and school levels.
- Actively recruit parents and family members to participate in school review and improvement planning.
- Assign district representatives to be available to work collaboratively with parents and family members, and to conduct school-level trainings to promote understanding of school data, comprehensive plans and the budgeting process.
- Invite participation of parents and family members at the regular comprehensive planning committee meetings, Title I budget meetings and school improvement plan meetings to obtain input and propose school improvement initiatives.
School-Parent and Family Compact
Each school in the district receiving Title I funds shall jointly develop with parents and family members a School-Parent and Family Compact outlining the manner in which parents and family members, the entire school staff and students will share responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents and family members will build and develop partnerships to help children achieve the state’s academic standards. The compact shall:[1]
- Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment, enabling students in Title I programs to meet the academic standards.
- Describe the ways in which parents and family members will be responsible for supporting their child’s learning; volunteering in the classroom when possible; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their child’s education and positive use of extracurricular time.[5]
- Address the importance of ongoing two-way, meaningful communication between parents/family members and teachers through, at a minimum, annual parent-teacher conferences at the elementary level, frequent reports to parents and family members on their child’s progress, reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class when possible, and observation of classroom activities.[5]
Documentation of Parent and Family Engagement Practices
Documentation to track the implementation of this policy is an essential part of compliance and may include, but not be limited to, sign-in sheets at workshops, meetings and conferences; schedules, training and informational materials; communications and brochures; and meeting notes.