III. Governing Policy/Regulatory Implications

BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CITY SCHOOLS)

DEPARTMENT: OFFICE OF ENGAGEMENT SUBJECT: TITLE I PARENT INVOLVEMENT ALLOCATION

I. PURPOSE : The Title I Parent Involvement Allocation provides funds for Title I schools to implement family engagement activities that support student achievement. Spending should align to the priorities and activities outlined in the Title I Parent Involvement Plan (included in the School Performance Plan). The amount and use of these reserved funds are governed by No Child Left Behind regulations.

II. BOARD PRIORITY 4 : City Schools and all schools will partner with families, communities and the public and private sectors to foster shared ownership of schools and to collectively create opportunities for student success; City Schools and all schools will more deeply engage parents in their students’ learning.

III. GOVERNING POLICY/REGULATORY IMPLICATIONS :  No Child Left Behind-Title I, Section 1118 Parent Involvement  City Schools Family and Community Engagement Policy

IV. IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES :

1) Spending Plans must align with the school level Title I Parent Involvement Plan (see School Performance Plan)and provide detail about the purpose of the activity and any necessary supplies/materials to support the activity

2) Spending Plans must be jointly developed with parents. Parents must be included in the planning for the spending of these funds.

a. Parent input meetings must be open to all parents and not limited to any organized parent group meetings. b. In Targeted Assistance Title I schools, a meeting must be held ONLY for the parents of Title I Targeted Assistance students when deciding on the usage of these funds. c. Meetings with parents to plan for the usage of these funds must be fully documented with supporting evidence and maintained in the schools’ Family and Community Engagement Binder. d. All SANE documentation is maintained for all expenditures at the district/school level for at least three years (EDGAR 80.42 (2)(b)(3)(c)) The following SANE documentation method is encouraged (see below). i. S - Sign-In Sheets (including contact information for parent participants) ii. A - Agendas (specific topics must be outlined in agendas) iii. N - Notes/Notifications (e.g. letters, flyers, website, meeting minutes, Parent Link scripts, e-mails, memos, brochures) iv. E – Evaluations

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3) Areas of Need: Schools must link their Title I Parent Involvement Allocation to at least two of the critical areas of need listed below. These areas should be aligned with the School Performance Plan/Parent Involvement Plan and based on a school’s most recent assessment/benchmark data, climate survey, attendance data and parental input throughout the year. a. Academic i. Math ii. Literacy iii. Science b. Community Connection i. Creating a Family-Friendly School ii. Strengthening/Developing Partnerships that Support Achievement iii. Providing Resources that Support Families iv. Linking Families with Technology to Support Achievement c. Other i. Family and Community Engagement Lead (see Attachment E) ii. Family Resource Room

4) Other Uses of Title I Parent Involvement Allocation Funds:

a. Food cost must be reasonable and necessary and cannot exceed 20 percent of the overall Title I Parent Allocation. Schools must fully justify the use of food for each program or activity that will be implemented or expenditures will not be approved. i. Schools MUST use the following guidelines as it relates to expenditures for food/catering: 1. The following will be the “rule of thumb” for purchasing food: a. Light snacks: $2- $3 or less b. Breakfast: $3- $5 or less c. Lunch: $5- $8 or less d. Dinner: $8-$11 per person

b. The school, in conjunction with parents, may chose to allocate up to $600.00 plus FICA to one position to act in the role of Family and Community Engagement Lead. The Office of Engagement expects all Title I Schools to identify a point person to lead the efforts around Family and Community Engagement (see Attachment E for a job description)

i. If a school administrator is the Family and Community Engagement Lead, then the school in conjunction with parents can chose instead to allocate up to $250.00 to an individual to support the overall requirements of the Title I Parent Involvement program. Schools

must identify this individual in the ERP Portal Principal’s Budget Tool-Parent Involvement and enter it as a program; the responsibilities of this individual must be entered into the services section of the tool.

5) Spending Plan: MUST be jointly developed by the school and parents and must be submitted for review and approval to the Office of Engagement before funds can be made available. Budgets must be submitted through the ERP Portal, Principal’s Budget Additional Allocation System (Principal’s Budget Tool-Parent Involvement)--- (See the Title I Parent Involvement Allocation Sample Spending Plan Attachment A)

6) Title I Parent Involvement Spending Plan Budget Tool: The tool is designed for schools to develop a Spending Plan based on programs and activities. Schools will need to:

a. Select the program or activity that will be funded using Title I Parent Involvement Allocation funds and provide a detailed description in the “services” section of the budget tool (See examples in Attachment A)

b. Schools must identify how the program or activity links to the areas of need (academics, climate/culture or community connection) and select a minimum of two areas of need (Note: one program can meet multiple areas of need)

c. Schools will need to determine what is needed for implementation of each activity (e.g. resources, people, space)

d. Schools must allocate a dollar amount and justification for each item needed to implement the program or activity

7) The Engagement Office will inform principals within 10 business days of the submission deadline if the budget requires adjustment.

8) Schools will be informed once budgets have been approved and are available for spending.

9) Include a hard copy of the approved Spending Plan and the SANE documentation that supports parental input in your Family and Community Engagement Binder. Additionally, schools will need to document any spending of these dollars by including copies of requisitions, purchase orders, and receipts.

10) Changes to this budget require approval from the Grants Office for sufficiency of funds and the Office of Engagement and Title I for program appropriateness.

a. Budget changes are to be handled through the appropriate procurement requirements for City Schools. Network Family and Community Engagement Specialists are available to support schools on any proposed amendments.

b. If changes in the overall spending plan affect more than 10 percent of the overall Title I Parent Involvement budget or do not align with the originally approved spending plan, additional documentation that parents were involved in the decision to amend or alter the budget is required.

11) Review of Spending: Schools, in conjunction with parents, must review the implementation of the Title I Parent Allocation Spending Plan at least once before Spring Break. The review should provide parents an opportunity to evaluate and assess the success of the programs outlined in the Spending Plan and make adjustments for the remainder of the school year, if necessary. Documentation of this review must be included in the Family and Community Engagement Binder.

Additional Information:

i. All expenditures must be allowable, allocable, reasonable and necessary, and/or supplemental

ii. Funds may not be used for gifts, recognition celebrations and entertainment

CONTACT INFORMATION :

Name of Contact Person: Please contact the Network Family and Community Engagement Specialist assigned to your school.

Attachments: Attachment A: Sample Parent Involvement Allocation Program Attachment B: Title I Parent Involvement Spending Recommendations Attachment B.1: Title I Parent Involvement Spending Options and Descriptions Attachment C: Sample Title I Parent Involvement Meeting Evaluation and Feedback Attachment D: Sample Title I Parent Involvement Meeting Flyer Attachment E: Family and Community Engagement Lead Job Description

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