Policy 7175-Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Involvement Policy

State of Michigan Parent/Guardian Involvement Initiative

The Board strongly encourages and welcomes the involvement of parent(s)/guardian(s) ('1caregivers11 for purpose of this policy) in all District educational programs. It is recognized and appreciated that caregivers are the "first teachers" of their children, and that their interest and involvement in the education of their children should not diminish once their child enters the District. Accordingly, the Board provides opportunities for administration to design a program/plan that will expect caregiver participation and which may include, but will not be limited to: the development and review of instructional materials; input on the ways the District may better provide caregivers with information about current laws, regulations, and instructional programs; and District offerings of training programs to instruct caregivers on how to become more involved in their child1s educational programs. Pursuant to state law, the Superintendent will provide a copy of the District's Parental Involvement Plan to all caregivers. The plan may be provided via the scholar handbook or other document distributed to all scholars and parents. 

District Plan 

Caregivers will be offered substantial and meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children. The Board directs that the following actions be implemented by the administration to ensure compliance with this policy and state and federal law, and to invite caregivers to become involved highly in the education of their children:

• The involvement of caregivers in the planning, implementation, evaluation, and improvement of District programs/services through participation on building School Improvement Teams;
• Invitations to caregivers to attend at least one annual meeting, with additional meeting opportunities being available as needed, designed to provide information about programs and services, and to solicit caregiver suggestions on program development, planning, evaluation and operation; 
• Provide opportunities for the participation of caregivers with limited English proficiency, disabilities, and those of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under Title 1 Part A Subpart I Section 1111 in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language caregivers understand;
• Caregiver notification of Title I scholar selection and criteria for selection;
• Information regarding child's achievement and progress; 
• A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure scholar progress, and the proficiency levels scholars are expected to meet;
• Assistance to caregivers of children to understand such topics as the State's academic content standards and State scholar academic achievement standards, state and local academic assessments, the requirements Title 1 Part A, Subpart 1, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children;
• A provision for input by staff at regularly scheduled caregiver-teacher conferences and any additional communication as requested by the staff or caregivers;
• Opportunities to enhance caregivers capacity to work with children in the home on school learning; 
• The provision of materials and training to help caregivers to work with their children to improve their children's achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement;
• Professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their understanding of effective caregiver involvement strategies;
• Ongoing two-way communication between school and caregivers; and.
• Other appropriate activities (i.e. Family Math Nights, caregiver sessions, science, theatre, etc.). 

Written Plans/Policies 

The District, as a recipient of Title I funds, adopts the following policy statement regarding the development of a District-wide plan ("Plan") for caregiver involvement in the development of a Title I plan. Individual buildings may personalize the District Plan to meet the particular needs of their school, subject to approval by the Superintendent. The Board directs administration to: 

• Involve caregivers in the development of the Plan;
• Develop a Plan that provides for the involvement of caregivers in the Title I activities of the school;
• Jointly develop, with caregivers for all children served under the Title 1 plan, a school-caregiver compact ("Compact") that outlines how caregivers, the entire school staff, and scholars will share the responsibility for improved scholar academic achievement and the means by which the school and caregivers will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the state's high standards. The compact will:
  • Describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under the Title 1 plan to meet the state's scholar academic achievement standards, and the ways in which each caregiver will be responsible for supporting their children's learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and television watching; volunteering in their child's classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time; and
  • Address the importance of communication between teachers and caregivers on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum:
    • Caregiver-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the Compact will be discussed as the Compact relates to the individual child's achievement;
    • Frequent reports to caregivers on their children's progress; and
    • Reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class and observation of classroom activities.
  • Provide the necessary technical, research, staff, language, and administrative support to schools in the planning and implementing of effective caregiver involvement activities to improve scholar academic achievement and school performance;
  • Integrate and coordinate the Plan for caregiver involvement in Title I programs with caregiver involvement in other programs, including but not limited to Michigan School Readiness program;
  • To the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate caregiver involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as caregiver resource centers, that encourage and support caregivers in more fully participating in the education of their children; 
  • Review and evaluate the District's Plan annually and to share the results of that review and evaluation with the Board;
  • Distribute the District Plan to caregivers of participating children and to the local community. 

Migrant Education Program (MEP) Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Involvement 

Caregivers of scholars in the MEP will be involved in and regularly consulted about the development, implementation, operation, and evaluation of the program. Administration will, to the extent practicable, provide full opportunities for the participation of caregivers with limited English proficiency, disabilities, and those of migrat01y children, including providing information and school reports required under Title 1 Part A, Subpart 1 Section 1111 in a format and, to the extent practicable, a language the caregivers understand. 

English Language Learners (ELL) Parent( s )/Guardian( s) Involvement 

In accordance with federal law, parent(s)/guardian(s) of ELL scholars will be provided notice regarding their child's placement in and information about the District's ELL program. Caregivers will be notified about their rights regarding program content and participation including the right to choose among programs if alternatives are available. The notice must also include an explanation of the value of the program in terms of academic development, mastery of English, and the achievement of promotion and graduation standards. The notice will also include an explanation of the right to remove the child from an ELL program and to place the child in the regular program. The notice must be in a format that families can comprehend and, to the extent practicable, in a language the caregivers understand.

Administration will, to the extent practicable, provide full opportunities for the participation of caregivers with limited English proficiency, disabilities, and those of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under Title 1 Part A, Subpart 1, Section 1111 in a format and, to the extent practicable, a language caregivers understand.