Parent/Family Engagement Policy

Hugh Mercer Elementary School

School Year: 2022-2023

Parent and Family Engagement Policy/Plan and Procedures

PART I-SCHOOL PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY/PLAN REQUIRED COMPONENTS

A. Hugh Mercer Elementary School will jointly develop/revise with parents the school Parent and Family Engagement policy/procedures and distribute it to parents of participating children and make available the Parent and Family Engagement policy/procedures to the local community.

  • Available on school webpage, school newsletters, and at the building.
  • Through the FCPS Family and Community Engagement (FACE) committee.
  • The Title I Parent and Family Engagement Plan will be reviewed annually to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.

B. Convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school’s participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved.

  • Annual meeting held in August during back-to-school night.  An informational booth is set up with a PowerPoint presentation, Title I brochures, and staff available to answer questions.

C. Offer flexible meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, childcare, or home visits, as such services related to Parent and Family Engagement.

  • Transportation and childcare offered during events.
  • Parents are notified of monthly meetings in the weekly Principal updates via email and phone call.
  • Parents are always provided a virtual option if they are unable to attend in person.

D. Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the school plan under Section 1112, schoolwide under Section 1114, and the process of the school review and improvement under Section 1116.

  • The Title I Plan will be an agenda item during the November PTA meeting.
  • Parents will have the opportunity to review and submit improvements.
  • Review Policy with the Parent Advisory Committee annually and accepting their suggestions upon improvement for change.

E. Implement an effective means of outreach to parents of English learners, in a language the parents can understand, to inform them regarding how they can—

  • be involved in the education of their children; and
  • be active participants in assisting their children to—
    • attain English proficiency;
    • achieve at high levels within a well-rounded education; and
    • meet the challenging State academic standards expected of all students

FCPS ensures meaningful communication occurs with limited English Proficient parents and recognizes the rights of parents/guardians who do not speak, listen, read, or write English proficiently because it is not their primary language.

  • Local interpreters provide in-person, virtual, and phone interpretation services.
  • Contract with Language Line Solutions for phone interpretation services.
  • Provide annual parent notification letter that includes Title III required components (such as the student’s proficiency level, language services, etc.)
  • Provide translated information about family engagement events, assessments, academics, etc., in a language the parents can understand.
  • Division webpage information and resources can be viewed in multiple languages

F. Provide parents of participating children—

  • timely information about programs under this part;
  • a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet;
  • if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practically possible.
    • Weekly robocalls and emails through PowerSchool Messager to families.
    • Parent/teacher conferences are built into the school calendar.
    • Parents are encouraged to meet with their child’s teacher with concerns or upcoming curriculum.
    • Year-at-a-Glances are available to all families and the public.
    • Title I notices
    • Report cards every quarter
    • Newsletters
    • Interim and progress reports every 4.5 weeks
    • Links to state curriculum will be provided on Hugh Mercer Elementary School’s website
    • SOL aligned and formatted unit assessments
    • The School Report Card, when released by the Department of Education, will be made available to all students and parents.
    • Measure for Academic Progress results will go home to parents after winter and spring testing.
    • Information will be provided on how to interpret SOL scores from the state.

G. If schoolwide program plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the district.

  • Parents are encouraged to attend the November PTA meeting to actively participate in reviewing the Hugh Mercer Elementary School Title I Plan.
  • Parents comments will be documented and attached to the plan.

PART II-REQUIRED SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

As a component of the school-level Parent and Family Engagement policy, each school shall jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part, a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

  • Conduct a parent/teacher conference in elementary schools, annually (at a minimum), during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement.
    • Conferences will be provided at regular intervals throughout the year.  
    • Conferences will be provided on an as-requested basis.  Requests can be made by teachers, parents, or administrators. 
    • Conferences will be offered electronically or via telephone when requests can be accommodated. 
  • Provide frequent reports to parents on their child’s progress.
    • Interim reports will go home each quarter 
    • Report cards will go home quarterly to parents 
    • Measure of Academic Progress assessment results are sent home after the Fall, Winter and Spring test sessions for grades 1st and 2nd 
    • VA Growth Assessment results are sent home after the Fall, Winter, and Spring test sessions for grades 3-5 
    • PALs assessments results are sent home after Fall, Winter, and Spring test sessions for grades K-3 
    • VKRP assessment results are sent home after the Fall, Winter, and Spring test sessions for grade Kindergarten 
    • Friday folders go home every week providing academic reports 
    • Phone calls, emails, and notes will be made home as needed pertaining to student progress 
  • Provide parents with reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class and observation of classroom activities.
    • Staff will be available by appointment upon parent request 
    • Staff will be available during scheduled conferences 
    • Staff will be available via phone, zoom and/or email
  • Ensuring regular two-way, meaningful communication between family members and school staff, and, to the extent practicable, in a language that family members can understand.
    • Use of language line to communicate with non-english speaking families
    • Providing translated weekly Principal updates via email 

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR PARENTS AND STAFF – REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGAGEMENT

To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, each school and district must:

  • Assist parents in understanding the challenging State academic standards, how to monitor a child's progress, and work with educators.
    • Provide links to the state curriculum on the Hugh Mercer website.
    • Provide information on how to interpret assessment scores. At the end of the school year and/or during the early summer, the SOL reports will be sent to the parents of a child who participated in an SOL test.   
    • Administrators will make contact and meet with parents of students who are at risk of retention based on performances on assessments.  
  • Provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children, such as literacy training and using technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy).
    • Back to School Night provided presentations by math and reading specialist and supplies to support learning at home with provided to families
    • Family Instruction Night provides a focus on math, reading and science.  At home learning kits and books will be provided to families.
    • Year-at-a-Glance provided to all families in hard copy and on the website.
  • Provide professional development to teachers, specialized instructional personnel, and other staff on the value of parent and their communities to increase academic achievement.
    • Hire/employ and retain highly qualified staff
    • Follow and provide state curriculum
    • Provide appropriate materials and equipment for staff and students
    • Provide monthly and ongoing professional development/training for staff
  • Coordinate and integrate parent engagement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parent engagement.
    • Provide multicultural events
    • Provide food pantry opportunities at parent request
    • Breakfast buddies
    • Field trips
    • Classroom celebrations
    • Family Nights
  • Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents. of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.
    • Information will be provided to parents of participating students in their language upon request (report cards, newsletters, flyers, interim reports, all Title I notices).

The following are allowable activities:

1) May involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training.

2) May provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this part if the district has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for such training.

3) May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local Parent and Family Engagement activities, including transportation and childcare costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.

4) May train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents.

5) May arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school, in order to maximize Parent and Family Engagement and participation.

6) May adopt and implement model approaches to improving Parent and Family Engagement.

7) May establish a district parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to Parent and Family Engagement in programs supported under this section.

8) May develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in Parent and Family Engagement activities.

PART III-ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

In carrying out the parent and family engagement requirements of this part, local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members (including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children), including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents understand.

  • Local interpreters provide in-person, virtual, and phone interpretation services.
  • Contract with Language Line Solutions for phone interpretation services.
  • Provide annual parent notification letter that includes Title III required components (such as the student’s proficiency level, language services, etc.)
  • Provide translated information about family engagement events, assessments, academics, etc., in a language the parents can understand.
  • Division webpage information and resources can be viewed in multiple languages.

PART IV-ADOPTION – This Hugh Mercer Elementary School Parent and Family Engagement Policy/Procedures have been developed/revised jointly with, and agreed upon with, parents of children participating in Title I program, as evidenced by meeting minutes.

The Parent and Family Engagement Policy/Procedures were developed/revised by Hugh Mercer Elementary School on 10/23/22 and will be in effect for the period of this current school year. The school will distribute these Parent and Family Engagement Policy/Procedures to all parents of participating Title I children and make it available to the community on or before 11/30/22.

Signature of Title I Authorized Representative

Date:

Name and Signature of Parents, Students, and Staff Involved in the Policy Development Process:

 

Name: James Snyder

Role or Title: Principal

 

Name: William Wishard

Role or Title: Assistant Principal

 

Name: Keesha Keels

Role or Title: Parent

 

Name: Tyshawnda Silver

Role or Title: Parent

 

Name: Brittany Robinson

Role or Title: Parent