Crystal Springs Elementary is committed to providing a quality education for every child. To achieve this goal, it is critical that we foster partnerships with parents and the community; everyone gains when schools and families work together to promote childrens’ academic growth. Parents play a vital role as childrens’ first teachers. We must work with our families and our communities to ensure our students’ continued success.
Crystal Springs Elementary recognizes that some students may need the extra assistance available through the Title I, Part A program to reach the state’s high academic standards. Crystal Springs Elementary intends to include parents in all aspects of the school’s Title I program. The goal is a school-home partnership that will help all students to succeed.
PART I-SCHOOL PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY/PLAN REQUIRED COMPONENTS
A. Crystal Springs Elementary 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.
- Develop a plan with building principal, building leadership team, and Title I staff
- Share plan with staff and request input
- Share plan with parents at annual meeting, request feedback, and revise plan at the Annual Title I meeting on Tuesday, November 5th, at 6:00 pm in the Crystal Springs gym.
- Submit the plan to the director of intervention services
- The Parental Involvement Policy/Procedures will be posted on the Crystal Springs website
- Request additional input using parent survey in Spring, 2024
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.
- The Annual Title I Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 5th at 6:00 pm. The meeting will be in person in the Crystal Springs gym. The meeting invites will be sent through ParentSquare and hard copies will be sent home with students receiving Title intervention services. Documents presented at the meeting will be posted on the Crystal Springs Elementary School website. Parents/Guardians will be provided with information and encouraged to give feedback during the meeting as well as through email after the meeting. A quick survey will be offered to better understand and meet the needs of families in regard to programs and interests. Translation services will be provided. Crystal Springs will conduct the annual meeting in the evening at a convenient time so many parents can attend. We will encourage and invite all parents of participating children to attend the meeting to inform them about the school’s Title I program; the nature of the Title I program; the parent’s requirements under Title I; the school parent and family engagement policy; the schoolwide Title plan, and the school-parent compact.
C. Offer flexible meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening.
- The meetings will all be held in person. Flexibility is provided to families by offering multiple meetings at a convenient time, throughout the year to accommodate schedules. Parents/guardians can bring families to Title I meetings, this encourages participation and removes barriers to participation.
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.
- Each family has an opportunity for a one-on-one (1:1) conference with classroom teachers in November. Parents will be asked to share information and to provide guidance about their child’s learning.
- Parents were invited to the school curriculum nights. Each family had an opportunity to hear about the school’s strategic focus and school goals. They were encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback.
- Parents have been invited to the annual Title I Meeting via Parentsquare. Students receiving Title intervention services also received paper invitations to the meeting. Parents will be encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback. They will also be asked to complete a survey
- Parents will be invited to the Family Reading Night to experience Read-Alouds and how to build children’s reading comprehension.
E. Provide parents of participating children—
- When a student is identified for Title I services in reading, a notification letter is sent home to families. The letter explains Title I services that their child will receive. As part of this letter, families are encouraged to contact the classroom teacher and/or Title I teacher if they have questions about the program.
- Families are also provided the Title I School-Parent Compact which details the responsibilities of the teacher, the Title I specialist, the parents and the students towards the grade level goals for reading.
- The curricula used for reading interventions are the Sonday System and Flyleaf decodable texts. These curricula align with the Common Core State Standards and will be used to inform instruction for Title I reading services. In addition, classroom-based assessment data will be used to inform instruction. Progress will be shared through report cards, conferences, and other communication as needed. Parents are encouraged to contact the Title I specialist or the classroom teacher with questions, concerns, or suggestions.
- Students are supported 1:1 and in small groups, with both push-in and pull-out services. The assessments used to qualify students for support are through i-Ready, Into Reading, Sonday, and teacher rank order. In measuring progress, teachers will consider pre- and post-Sonday assessments, i-Ready assessments, and classroom teacher input. Some student gains should be reflected in Spring i-Ready scores.
- If requested by parents; opportunities for regular meetings between the family, classroom teacher and/or Title I teacher 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.
F. If the 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.
PART II-REQUIRED SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
1. 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.
- Provide frequent (at least two times per year and report cards) reports to parents on their child’s progress.
- Provide parents with reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class and observation of classroom activities.
- Provide parents communication before and after supplemental intervention programs, such as Morning intervention programs.
- 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.
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:
1) Assist parents in understanding the challenging State academic standards, how to monitor a child's progress, and work with educators.
- Families are assisted through curriculum nights, parent-teacher conferences and teacher communications home.
- Families will be provided education through the Title I Part A Annual Meeting
- Families will continue to be partners in their child’s education through Family engagement events.
2) Provide materials and training to help parents to support their students’ growth in literacy..
- Families will be asked for input and ideas on how Crystal Springs can best support them as they support their students.
3) Provide professional development to teachers, specialized instructional personnel, and other staff on the value of parents and their communities to increase academic achievement.
- Kindergarten teachers have received specific training to inform WA Kids conferences with each family before school starts.
- The district has provided training to all staff on website accessibility and has increased the access to families who are linguistically diverse. The district and Crystal Springs Elementary offer opportunities for staff to learn, and discuss, issues of equity.
4) 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 sent through School Newsletter/email/Parentsquare.
- Translations available through website
- As a component of the school-level parental involvement 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.
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.
- Time: Parent involvement activities will be planned on Tuesday evenings, per the district schedule.
- Childcare: Children will be invited to most activities so that lack of childcare does not interfere with a family’s ability to attend the meeting. In the event that it would not be feasible to include children, childcare will be provided.
- Language: Translation services will be available at each event so that parents can understand and participate. Translated printed materials will always be available.
PART IV-ADOPTION – This Crystal Springs Elementary 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 Crystal Springs Elementary on 9/18/2024 and will be in effect for the period of 2024-2025. 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 11/5/2024.
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Signature of Title I Authorized Representative
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Date