PARENT INVOLVEMENT PLAN
MISSION STATEMENT
The Dexter R-XI School District believes that the education of each student is a responsibility shared by the school as well as the family. The school district recognizes the need for a constructive partnership between districts and families that will provide for two-way communication and foster educational support for students and families.
PURPOSE
The Dexter R-XI School District developed this Parent Involvement Plan to comply with the directives set forth in Dexter R-XI Board Policy IGBC. The Dexter R-XI School District recognizes the shared responsibility of the school and family during the time the child spends in school. Engaging parents is essential to improving student achievement.
This plan is in response to the compliance component of Act 603 of 2003 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The plan, established with the help of the Dexter Parent Teacher Organization, includes programs and practices designed to enhance parent involvement and reflect the specific needs of students and their families.
DISTRICT GOALS
In keeping with these beliefs, it is the intention of the district to cultivate and support active parental involvement and to set and realize goals for parent-supported student
learning. The district will:
Provide activities that will educate parents regarding the intellectual and developmental needs of their children at all age levels. This will include promoting cooperation between the district and other agencies or school/community groups (such as parent-teacher groups, Head Start, Parents as Teachers, etc.) to furnish learning opportunities and disseminate information regarding parenting skills and child/adolescent development.
Implement strategies to involve parents in the educational process, including:
Keeping families informed of opportunities for involvement and encouraging participation in various programs.
Providing access to educational resources for parents/families to use together with their children.
Keeping families informed of the objectives of district educational programs as well as of their child's participation and progress within these programs.
Enable families to participate in the education of their children through a variety of roles. For example, family members should be given opportunities to:
Provide input into district policies.
Volunteer time within the classrooms and school programs.
Provide professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their understanding of effective parent involvement strategies.
Perform regular evaluations of parent involvement at each school and at the district level.
Provide access, upon request, to any instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.
If practicable, provide information in a language understandable to parents.
TITLE I PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Pursuant to federal law, the district and parents will jointly develop the Title I parent involvement policy. This policy will describe how the agency will accomplish the
following:
DISTRICT POLICY
Involve parents in the joint development of the Title I program plan and in the process of reviewing the implementation of the plan and suggesting improvements.
Provide the coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.
Build the schools' and parents' capacity for strong parental involvement.
Coordinate and integrate Title I parental involvement strategies with those of other educational programs.
Conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving 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 or are of any racial or ethnic minority background. The district will use the findings of such evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental involvement and to revise, if necessary, the parental involvement policies.
Involve parents in the activities of the schools served.
SCHOOL POLICY
Each school receiving Title I funds will jointly develop with and distribute to parents of children participating in the Title I program a written parental involvement policy agreed upon by such parents in accordance with the requirements of federal law:
The policy must be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.
The policy shall contain a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire 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 children.
Each school participating in the Title I program will convene a meeting annually to inform parents about Title I and to involve parents in the planning, review and improvement of Title I programs, including the planning, review and improvement of the school parental involvement policy.
MIGRANT EDUCATION PROGRAM PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parents of students in the MEP will be involved in and regularly consulted about the development, implementation, operation and evaluation of the Migrant Program.
Parents of MEP students will receive instruction regarding their role in improving the academic achievement of their children.
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Pursuant to federal law, parents of LEP students will be provided notification regarding their child’s placement in and information about the district’s LEP program. Parents will be notified of their rights regarding program content and participation.
COMMUNICATION
To encourage communication the Dexter R-XI Public Schools will communicate with parents through direct mailings, notices to parents, the use of available local media, activities at school, and through the school website. In order to accomplish this goal, the school will be proactive in our communication with parents. Communication formats
used by the district include:
School Handbook
Television Channel with Local Cable Provider
Website
Email
Newsletter
Parent Teacher Organization
The school district also communicates with parents using newspaper notices, letters to parents, and parent conferences. In addition, the elementary school host’s activities like book fairs, grandparent days, and open house evenings. The secondary schools host meetings that offer information on a wide range of topics to several groups. The topics and groups include but are not limited to financial aid workshops and job fairs.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT GUIDELINES
Individual schools will develop guidelines for parent visitation, pick-up procedures, and classroom visitation. The school district does not have policies or procedures that would discourage a parent from visiting a school. Parents are encouraged to maintain a presence when visiting their child’s building or classroom that allows for the educational environment to be positive. Parent input and questions are welcomed by the school district. The appropriate personnel are available to parents if a meeting is scheduled.
PARENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
The each school building has guidelines for parents that wish to participate in parent volunteer program. Parent volunteers are a welcome addition to our school community. Volunteer information is available in each school office. The individual school will recognize these volunteers annually.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION & COORDINATION
The principal of each school will act as the facilitator for this undertaking. The principal will organize and manage parent involvement in the school with the help of individual parents or the building’s Parent Teacher Organization. Management of the program will ensure that parental participation is recognized as an asset to the school.
SUMMARY
It is the goal of the Dexter R-XI Schools to assure an ongoing partnership between the parents, the community, and the school. The district believes such a partnership is fundamental to the academic and social success of students. It is the district hope that this partnership will produce an atmosphere of community involvement that has a positive impact on the lives of our students.