Stanton Elementary School

STANTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TITLE I PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY (revised 11-11-13)

Stanton Elementary School has adopted the following parent involvement policy. The School Based Decision Making Council developed this policy. All parents will be provided a copy of this policy and posted on the district’s web site.

Stanton Elementary School and the district coordinator shall convene an annual meeting, at a time that is convenient for parents, to which all parents are invited and encouraged to attend. At this meeting, parents will be informed of the school’s participation in a Title I schoolwide program, the purpose and requirements of Title I, and their right to be involved. Particular attention shall be given to reaching those parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background.

Stanton Elementary School shall involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely manner, in the Title I planning, review, and improvement of programs, including the joint development of the school parent involvement policy.

WHAT IS PARENT INVOLVEMENT?

Parent involvement can be best defined as: any time a parent commits to assisting their child in learning and achieving academically to a higher level with greater interest and motivation. Parent involvement can be accomplished in a variety of ways.

The following represent sample activities concerning parent involvement. Parents are encouraged to participate in activities such as:

 Reading together at home with your child  Monitoring the amount of television time as well as the selection of programs  Providing a daily time and place for your child’s homework  Providing a home environment conducive to learning (i.e., quiet, well-lit)  Developing rules for after school activities in regards to grades  Developing your expectations for your child in the areas of academics and behavior  Communicating your support in helping your child achieve these expectations  Seeing that your child receives proper rest, nutrition and hygiene  Communicating positive values such as respect, hard work and responsibility  Providing your child with positive encouragement daily  Speaking with your child’s teacher on a regular basis and offering assistance that the teacher may suggest  Becoming involved in school activities such as: PTA activities, cultural festivities, Fall Festival, Fun Day, talent show, Kindergarten celebration, Kindergarten orientation, 5th grade graduation, Book Fair, Parent breakfast  Supporting your child and teachers by attending Family Reading Night, Family Math Night, Family Science Night, Family Wellness Night, Back to School picnic and/or parent-teacher conferences  Directly assisting a teacher in the classroom  Increased parental involvement in the selection of textbooks and library books  Additional teacher support in providing materials needed in the classrooms (such as baby food jars, paper towel rolls, etc. for science and math experiments, materials needed for arts and crafts)  Parent tutors in the classroom for students that are having difficulty mastering certain areas of learning  Assisting in the lunchroom by carrying trays for primary age students, opening milk cartons, monitoring or cleaning up tables  Active membership in the PTA  Carpooling with other parents to assist on field trips  Developing consequences at home for discipline problems occurring at school  Coordinating with Preschool, Headstart, Family Resource Center, Migrant, PTA and Special Education parent involvement programs/activities.  Share with school staff how to reach out, to communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners  ** Attending educational training for parents to prepare them as parent volunteers (either at the school site or a district site)

** Any parent wishing to serve as a parent volunteer in the school must complete a criminal background check and attend confidentiality training as part of the educational training.

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT  Increased student learning which should impact higher test scores  Improved student behavior  Reduced absenteeism  Overall improvement in attitudes of students, parents, and staff  Increased community support for educational goals  Improvement of student self-esteem  Encourages positive parent-child relationships  Higher educational goals are expected from both the teachers and the parents, thus, increasing the student’s achievements  Removes the communication gap between the school and the parents

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIGH STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Stanton Elementary School has jointly developed with parents, for all students, a parent-school learning compact that describes the responsibilities of parents, students, teachers and the principal in ensuring that children are successful in school and in meeting the state’s academic expectations.

CONCERNS?

Any comments or concerns regarding the parent involvement policy shall be submitted to the Title I district resource teacher, Mariam Todd. She can be reached by phone at 606-663-3319 or by e-mail at [email protected].