Parent Involvement in Title I

CODE: KBF

Maine School Administrative District No. 31

PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN TITLE I

The Board endorses the parents/guardians involvement goals of Title I and encourages the regular participation by parents/guardians in all aspects of the District’s Title I programs.

For the purpose of this policy, “parents/guardians” includes other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling.

I. DISTRICT-LEVEL PARENTS/GUARDIANS INVOLVEMENT POLICY 20 U.S.C. § 6318(a)(2)

In compliance with federal law, the District will develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to

parents/guardians of children participating in District’s Title I programs a written district-level

parents/guardians involvement policy.

Annually, parents/guardians will have opportunities to participate in the evaluation of the content and

effectiveness of the District’s parent involvement policy and in using the findings of the evaluation to

design strategies for more effective parents/guardians involvement and to make revisions to the policy.

II. SCHOOL HOME INVOLVEMENT POLICY

As required by law, each school in the District that receives Title I funds shall jointly develop with parents/guardians of children

served in the program a school parent/guardian involvement policy, including “School Home Compact” outlining the manner

in which parents, school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting

State standards. The school policy will be distributed to parents/guardians of children participating in the school’s Title I programs.

20 U.S.C. §§ 6318(b), (d)

The “School-Home Compact” shall:

A. Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective

learning environment enabling children in the Title I program to meet the State’s academic achievement standards;

20 U.S.C. § 6318(d)(1)

B. Indicate the ways in which parents/guardians will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning, such as

monitoring attendance, homework completion, monitoring television watching, volunteering in the classroom, and

participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their children’s education and positive use of extra-curricular

time; and 20 U.S.C. § 6318(d)(1)

C. Address the importance of home-teacher communication on an ongoing basis, with at a minimum, home-teacher

conferences, frequent reports to parents/guardians and reasonable access to staff. 20 U.S.C. § 6318(d)(2)

III. PARENT INVOLVEMENT MEETINGS 20 U.S.C. § 6318(c)

Each school receiving Title I funds shall convene an annual meeting, to which all parents/guardians of eligible children shall be

invited to inform them about the school’s participation in Title I and to involve them in the planning, review, and improvement

of the school’s Title I programs and the parents/guardians involvement policy.

In addition to the required annual meeting, other meetings shall be held at various times of the day and/or evenings for

parents/guardians of students participating in Title I programs.

These meetings shall be used to provide parents/guardians with:

A. Information about programs the school provides under Title I; 20 U.S.C. § 6318(c)(4)(A)

B. 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 level students are expected to meet; 20 U.S.C. § 6318(c)(4)(B)

C. Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of

their children; and 20 U.S.C. § 6318(c)(4)(C)

D. The opportunity to submit comments to the district level if they are dissatisfied with the Title I program;

20 U.S.C. § 6318(c)(5)

Title I funding, if sufficient, may be used to facilitate parent/guardian attendance at meetings through the payment of

transportation and childcare costs.

IV. PARENT RELATIONS

Parents/guardians of children identified for participation in a Title I program shall receive from the building principal and

Title I staff an explanation of the reasons supporting their child’s selection, a set of objectives to be addressed, and a

description of the services to be provided. Parents/guardians will receive regular reports on their child’s progress and be

provided opportunities to meet with the classroom and Title I teachers. Parents/guardians will also receive training, materials,

and suggestions as to how they can assist in the education of their children at home.

V. DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Superintendent/designee shall be responsible for ensuring that the District’s Title I plan, programs, and parents/guardians

involvement policies comply with applicable law and regulations and for developing administrative procedures, as needed, to

implement this policy.

Legal References: 20 U.S.C. § 6318

First Reading: 02/11/2004

Adopted: 03/18/2004