KBA

File:  KBA (pdf)
Adopted: November 20, 2003
Revised: October 26, 2010, January 14, 2014

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TITLE I PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Pursuant to federal law, the District and the parents of students participating in Title I District programs have jointly developed the following parent involvement policy.  This policy shall be implemented by the Superintendent or designee according to the timeline set forth herein and incorporated into the District’s Title I plan.  

Involvement with Title I planning

The District shall hold an annual meeting for parents of students in Title I programs, as well as school Title I staff, principals of schools receiving Title I funds and other interested persons to discuss the Title I program plan, review implementation of the Title I plan, discuss how Title I funds allotted for parent involvement activities shall be used, and invite suggestions for improvement.

District support for parent involvement

The District shall provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist participating schools in building the capacity for strong parent involvement to improve student academic achievement and school performance.   

This coordination, assistance and support shall include:

• creation of District/Parent Outreach opportunities utilizing existing parent groups to provide feedback on all matters related to parent involvement in programs supported by Title I funds;
• provision of technical assistance and other support necessary to assist Title I schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement.

The District, with the assistance of parents, shall develop and implement a District professional development plan to enhance the skills of teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff in:

• valuing and utilizing the contributions of parents;
• reaching out to, communicating with, and working with parents as equal partners;  
• implementing and coordinating parent programs;
• building ties between parents and the school.

Coordination of parent involvement activities with other District programs

The District shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their students.  This coordination will be accomplished through quarterly meetings of the staff involved in these programs.

Student learning

The District shall coordinate and integrate Title I parental involvement strategies with those of other educational programs in the District.  The purpose of this coordination shall be to improve the academic quality of the schools served, including identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by law, particularly by parents who:

• are economically disadvantaged;
• have disabilities;
• have limited English proficiency;
• have limited literacy;
• are of any racial or ethnic minority background;
• are parents of migratory children.   

Identification of barriers to greater parental participation will be determined through District Parent Outreach which consists of focus groups at the school sites and interviews.

The District shall provide to parents, as appropriate, information in language most accessible to help them understand the state’s academic content and achievement standards, state and local academic assessments, the requirements of Title I, how to monitor students’ academic progress and how to work with school staff to improve the achievement of students.  The District shall develop written materials and training for staff to help parents work with students to improve student achievement.

This will be accomplished by:

• providing timely and understandable information concerning the Title I program;
• notifying parents at the District’s targeted assistance schools that the student has     been selected to participate in the Title I program and why the student has been     selected;
• communicating with parents through semi-annual parent teacher conferences with     the classroom teacher and with the Title I teacher;
• conferring with individual parent as requested by the parent or teacher;
• informing parents of each Title I student reading below grade level of the specific     instructional needs and objectives for their child; and
• sharing student progress and mastery of standards and performance indicators through report cards aligned to state and district standards.

School-based parent involvement activities

Title I schools shall encourage parents to become involved in the activities of the schools by:

• sharing techniques and strategies for promoting and supporting the education of their child at home as well as at school;
• including Title I parents in workshops and conferences;
• encouraging Title I parents to participate in parent outreach opportunities;
• ensuring that communication between home and school is regular, two-way and meaningful;
• providing assistance to parents, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the state’s academic content and achievement standards, as well as state and local academic assessments;
• providing materials and training to help parents work with students to improve     student achievement such as literacy training, math, and using technology as appropriate; and
• welcoming parents in the school and seeking and supporting their assistance and guidance.

Method of communicating with parents

All information related to school and parent programs, meetings and other activities shall be sent to parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.

Annual evaluation

The District shall conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this policy.  Effectiveness shall be measured in part by improvements in student academic achievement and school performance.

The evaluation shall specifically address barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by law, particularly by parents who:

• are economically disadvantaged;
• have disabilities;
• have limited English proficiency;
• have limited literacy;
• are of any racial or ethnic minority background; and
• are parents of migratory children.   

The District shall use the findings of the evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental involvement and to revise, if necessary, this policy.    

The District shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request.

Development of school-level Title I parent involvement plan and compact

Each school receiving Title I funds shall jointly develop with and distribute to parents of students participating in the Title I program (hereafter referred to as “parents”) a written School-Level Title I Parent Involvement Plan agreed upon by the parents in accordance with the requirements of federal law.

The plan shall contain a school-parent compact or agreement that outlines how parents, school staff and students will share the responsibility of improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help students. This plan will reflect the beliefs outlined in the Boulder Valley School District’s strategic initiative.

LEGAL REFS.:     
20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)
Title I, Part A, Section 1118 (Title I parent involvement requirements)
Title I, Part A, Section 1114(b)(1)(F) (Schoolwide Reform Program must include strategies to increase parent involvement)
Title I, Part A, Section 1115(c)(1)(g) (Targeted Assistance Program must include parent involvement strategies)
Title I, Part A, Section 1116(a)(1)(D) (school districts receiving Title I funds must review effectiveness of parent involvement actions and activities at schools)
Title I, Part F, Section 1606(a)(7) (Comprehensive School Reform Grant Program parent involvement requirements)
Title I, Part A, Section (a)(3)(B)(IV) (preparing and training for highly qualified teachers and principals Grant Program parent involvement provisions)
Title I, Part A, Section 1112(G) (parent involvement and notifications in districts using Title I funds to provide language instruction to limited English proficient students)
Title I, Part C, Section 1304(B)(3) (parent involvement and notifications in districts using Title I funds for the education of migratory children)
Title I, Part A, Section 1114(b)(2) (eligible school that desires to operate a schoolwide program must develop a comprehensive reform plan)
C.R.S. § 22-7-407(5) (informing parents about standards-based education)
C.R.S. § 22-11-101 et seq. (Education Accountability Act of 2009)

CROSS REFS.:
AD, Educational Philosophy
AE, Commitment to Accomplishment
IA instructional Goals

End of File: KBA