Parent and Family Engagement Plan
Candler County School District
2024-2025 Parent and Family Engagement Plan
Revised June 7, 2024
210 S. College Street
Metter, GA 30439
www.metter.org
In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Candler County School District receives Title I, Part A funds and therefore must jointly develop with, agree on with, and distribute to parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement plan that contains information required by Section 1116(a)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The plan establishes the LEA’s expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement and describes how the LEA will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities, and it is incorporated into the LEA’s plan submitted to the Georgia Department of Education.
The Candler County School District agrees to implement the following requirements as outlined by Section 1116:
· The school district will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the engagement of parents and family members in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs. These programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children.
· Consistent with Section 1116, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent and family engagement plans meet the requirements of Section 1116(b) of the ESSA, and each include as a component a school-parent compact consistent with federal law.
· In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, limited literacy, disabilities, of migratory children, who are economically disadvantaged, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background, including providing information and school reports required under Section 1111 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.
· If the LEA plan for Title I, Part A, developed under Section 1112 of the ESSA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school district will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the state Department of Education.
· The school district will be governed by the following definition of parental engagement and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition in Section 8101 of the ESSA:
Parental engagement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:
(A) Parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning
(B) Parents are encouraged to be actively engaged in their child’s education at school
(C) Parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child
(D) Other activities are carried out, such as those described in Section 1116 of the ESSA
DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE DISTRICT WILL IMPLEMENT REQUIRED
LEA PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PLAN COMPONENTS
JOINTLY DEVELOPED
The Candler County School District will take the following actions to meaningfully engage parents and family members in jointly developing its LEA plan under Section 1112, and the development of support and improvement plans under paragraphs (1) and (2) of Section 1111(d) of the ESSA:
During the final spring parent meetings and School Governance Team (SGT) meetings, all parents are invited to participate and provide suggestions and ideas to improve this district parent and family engagement plan for the next school term. Notes home, social media, SGT meeting announcements, and website postings are used to inform parents and family members about these meetings. During these meetings, parents also review and discuss the Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP) and Schoolwide Program/School Improvement Plans. Additionally, all Title I schools utilize School Governance Team meetings to invite stakeholders to review the plans and compacts and provide meaningful input. Other meeting opportunities used to meaningfully engage parents and family members in jointly developing LEA and School plans include:
*Migrant Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meetings
*Fall and Spring Parent Conferences
*Parent Workshops
Upon final revision, the district parent and family engagement plan is incorporated into the CLIP for submission to the state. Parents, families, and community stakeholders are welcome to submit comments and feedback regarding the plan at any time on the school district website or by submitting written comments to their child’s school. All feedback received prior to CLIP submission is utilized in final revisions.
The district parent and family engagement plan is made available to the public on the district website, distributed during the early fall, annual Title I school meetings, and made available in the schools’ first day of school packets. Candler County Schools will take the following actions to meaningfully engage parents in the joint development/revision of its district and school parent and family engagement plan:
1. Schools are required to possess a parental advisory group comprised of parents with children who attend Title I schools and receive Title I services; to talk and collaborate, and conduct regular meetings of the parent advisory group. This group can function within the School Governance Team (SGT) Structure.
2. Schools will develop and implement procedures for the advisory group.
3. Schools will annually review and revise the school-wide parent and family engagement procedures/activities at a meeting.
4. Schools will publish the Parental and Family Engagement Plans for review and comment.
5. The district will annually review the Parental and Family Engagement Plans of each Title I school and complete a checklist to ensure that all required components are addressed.
6. Schools will provide direction and access for parents to comment on the Parental and Family Engagement Plan at the school and district levels.
7. Schools will annually present the Parental and Family Engagement Plans to the parents at a meeting.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
The Candler County School District will provide the following coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build capacity of all Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, which may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education:
The central office staff shall provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parental and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. The Title I central office staff and principals shall coordinate parental and family engagement strategies, programs, and activities, to the extent feasible and appropriate, with such programs as Head Start, Even Start, Pre-kindergarten programs, Health and Human Services programs, business/community leaders, philanthropic organizations, and other literacy training groups. The principal of each school shall 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 and shall provide such other reasonable support for parental engagement activities as parents may request.
Candler County Schools will provide the following necessary coordination, technical assistance, and other support to assist Title I schools in planning and implementing effective parental and family engagement activities to improve student achievement and school performance as follows:
Conduct regular school awareness walks by administrative staff to observe parental and family engagement during the school day.
Schedule administrative staff to regularly attend school functions outside the regular school day.
Send staff and parents to parent and community engagement workshops and conferences (when appropriate and available).
Appoint a parental and family engagement contact at each school and one at the district level to ensure that the parental and family engagement program is meeting intended goals and objectives.
Conduct job-embedded training for staff, parents, and community members on the planning and implementation of strong parental and family engagement programs and activities and schedule training at flexible times to accommodate working parents whenever possible
Work with schools, parents and families, and community groups to organize a literacy/reading Carnival to help reach district and school improvement goals.
ANNUAL EVALUATION
The Candler County School District will take the following actions to conduct, with the meaningful engagement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement plan in improving the academic quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The evaluation will also include identifying the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. The school district will use the findings of the evaluation about its parent and family engagement plan to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parental engagement, and to revise, if necessary, its parent and family engagement plans.
A district-wide meeting will occur annually with the aim of evaluating the content and effectiveness of the Title I Parental and Family Engagement Program in improving student achievement. The school district will revise its plan on the basis of the annual review. The evaluation will include:
*Identification of barriers that hinder parental participation and break down information with particular attention to parents that are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited literacy skills, have limited English proficiency, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background. SGT members will participate in reaching out to parents and families of diverse backgrounds and invite them to participate regularly.
*The school district will use its findings about parental and family engagement plans and activities to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family engagement, and to revise its parental and family engagement plans based on:
1. Annual parent surveys completed by all schools
2. Annual evaluation meeting with the parent advisory group/SGT members (inclusive of Annual Title I Meetings, PAC Meetings, and District ESOL Meeting)
3. Feedback/comments on plans from stakeholders and focus groups
Upon evaluation of these findings, district and school leaders will use advisory groups and SGT meetings to determine the most effective, evidence-based strategies to employ and monitor the progress of these strategies during the district-wide practice of quarterly schoolwide program reviews.
RESERVATION OF FUNDS
The Candler County School District will meaningfully engage the parents and family members of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to Title I schools.
CCSD will reserve 1 percent from the total amount of Title I funds it receives in FY25 to carry out the parent and family engagement requirements listed in this plan and as described in Section 1116 of the ESSA. Furthermore, CCSD will distribute 90 percent of the amount reserved to Title I schools to support their local-level family engagement programs and activities (teams may opt to return a portion of these funds to fund a district-wide parent and family engagement project). The district will provide clear guidance and communication to assist each Title I schools in developing an adequate parent and family engagement budget that addresses their needs assessment and parent recommendations. Funds reserved by the district will be used to:
1. Support schools and nonprofit organizations in providing training for school and district personnel, as well as parents and family members, regarding parent and family engagement strategies.
2. Disseminate information on best practices focused on parent and family engagement (especially best practices for increasing the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents and family members).
3. Support programs that reach parents and family members at home, in the community, and at school.
4. Each Title I school will host a spring meeting for parents to provide input and suggestions about how these family engagement funds will be used in the upcoming year at the district and school-level. Input forms and minutes from these meetings will be reviewed by school teams and the district to determine areas of need for the upcoming school year and consider changes to the parent and family engagement budget.
COORDINATION OF SERVICES
The Candler County School District will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies with parent and family engagement strategies, to the extent feasible and appropriate, with other relevant Federal, State, and local laws and programs: Head Start, State Operated Preschool or other public preschool programs, parent resource centers, and other programs that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children by:
The district will coordinate with other organizations, businesses, and community partners to provide additional supports and resources to families such as public preschool programs or organizations to help students transition to elementary, middle, high, and post-secondary schools or careers through the following methods:
1. Collaborating with external early education programs to develop an effective program that prepares young learners for grade school and parents for school transition.
2. Coordinating with early educational programs to invite families and preschool children into the schools to take a tour and participate in planned activities.
3. Active participation Family Connections, Communities in Schools and the Candler County Boys and Girls Club
4. Collaborating with the Public Library
5. Collaborating with the Candler County Education Foundation
BUILDING CAPACITY OF PARENTS
The Candler County School District will, with the assistance of its Title I schools, build parents’ capacity for strong parental engagement by providing materials and training on such topics as literacy training and using technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy) to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement. Assistance will also be provided to parents in understanding the following topics:
· The challenging State academic standards
· The State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments
· The requirements of Title I, Part A
· How to monitor their child’s progress
· How to work with educators
1. Discussing academic progress toward mastery of the Georgia Standards of Excellence and performance on the Georgia Milestones and local assessments at Fall and Spring parent conferences
2. All Title I schools will host parent meetings/workshops/classes
3. Send home information via written correspondence, communication folders, notes home in student planners, post information on district and school websites and Social Media
4. Hosting parent/family workshops that promote literacy training and Community Reading/Literacy Carnival
5. Disseminating Family Engagement Calendars with all district and school parent and family engagement activities
6. Providing Parent Success Web with evidence-based strategies and resources for parents to work with schools to improve their child’s academic performance and best practices for effective parent engagement
7. Hosting parent meetings to gather input from parents on best practices for communication
8. Disseminating a parent survey annually requesting input about effective school/home communication
9. Maximize the use of school-parent compacts in fostering commitment to improve student performance and reach academic goals.
BUILDING CAPACITY OF SCHOOL STAFF
The Candler County School District will, with the assistance of its schools and parents, educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other school leaders, and other staff in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and schools by:
1. The district Parent and Family Engagement contact will work with school contacts on scheduling times to watch state sponsored Family Engagement Webinars, review documents produced to enhance parent and family engagement strategies, and meet with parent and family engagement team members once a month to provide support for implementation of School Parent and Family Engagement programs.
2. Providing training to school and district leaders during monthly COP meetings and to teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel, and other staff during PLC, and faculty/staff meetings
3. Providing adequate Professional Development for school staff/parent engagement on a yearly basis to address a variety of topics that may include but are not limited to the following:
*Communicating with Parents
*Effective Family Engagement
*Promoting Cultural Competency
The Candler County School District will take the following actions to ensure that information related to the school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand by:
*Providing an interpreter as needed for parent conferences and meetings
*Providing written communications in a language that parents can understand
BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ENGAGEMENT
o Providing necessary literacy training for parents from Title I, Part A funds, if the school district has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for that training- The district will ensure that parents are trained on how to help students meet literacy goals.
o Training parents to enhance the engagement of other parents- Parents who serve on working committees and as SGT members will be trained on how to get other parents engaged.
o Maximize parental engagement and participation in their children’s education, arranging school meetings at a variety of times and using innovative approaches such as digital conferencing to allow educators who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend those conferences at school
o Conducting School Tours- Diverse groups of parents and stakeholders will be invited into the schools to tour the facilities, ask questions about programs and activities occurring for their children, and provide input and feedback.
o Developing appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based organizations, in parental engagement activities.
ADOPTION
This LEA parent and family engagement plan has been developed jointly and agreed on with parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced by stakeholder participation and feedback documents.
This plan was adopted by the __Candler County School District________ on __06/7/2024and will be in effect for the period of the 2024-2025 school year. The school district will distribute this plan to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on or before __September 30, 2024__.