M.S.A.D. No. 75
District-Wide Parental Involvement Policy

 

Part One (General):

Parental Involvement is the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student learning and other school activities.

 

Parental Involvement means:

  • Parents play an important role in assisting their child’s learning.
  • Parents are encouraged to be full partners in their child’s education by being actively involved in their child’s education at school.
  • Parents are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.

 

In order to involve parents according to this definition, MSAD No. 75 will do the following:

MSAD No. 75 will form a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) with district staff and parents whose children are in Title I programs.  The PAC and district staff will do the following:

  1. Develop a district parent involvement policy and distribute to all parents of children participating in Title I programs. The parent involvement policy will be distributed to all parents of participating students with the Title I program permission and/or continuation letter.

2.     Incorporate the district wide parent involvement policy into our District plan.

3.     Plan and hold programs and activities for parents in all District (Title I) schools.

4.     Work with all District Title I schools to develop school parent involvement policies and parent-school compacts.

 

MSAD No. 75 will work to make sure all parents have the opportunity to be involved in their child’s education. MSAD No. 75 will:

1.     Make sure parents who have disabilities, speak English as a Second Language (ESL), and/or are migrant workers are given reasonable support to participate in their children’s education. The District will do this through Title I staff communication with parents in Student Support Team meetings, through phone calls, and at individual conferences. Title I will collaborate with the ESL program to support parents with language barriers.

2.     Include written parent comments about Title I in the District report to the State Department of Education. The District will also include comments regarding the Title I program from semi-annual surveys and/or feedback forms.

3.     Inform parents and parent organizations of the purpose and existence of Maine Parent Information and Resource Center (Maine PIRC). The District will include printed materials from Maine PIRC in, school newsletters, resource shelves in every Title I school, and link to Maine PIRC on our District website.

Part Two: Activities

MSAD No. 75 will involve parents in the development and annual review of the District wide parent involvement plan.

  1. The District will collaborate with Maine PIRC for technical assistance.
  2. The District will form a Parent Advisory Committee with Title I staff, an administrator, and Title I parents.
  3. PAC will meet to review existing policy, make amendments as necessary, and approve updated policy.  

 

MSAD No. 75 will involve parents in decision-making and planning for parent involvement.

1.     District Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet at least three times annually to review Title I policy and programs, address barriers, and brainstorm solutions.

2.     The District will conduct a survey annually to plan activities/topics for parent training sessions, and the Title I spring event prior to parent teacher conferences.

 

MSAD No. 75 will involve parents in the process of school review and improvement.

Title I parents will be represented on the District Steering Committee that addresses school review and improvement.

 

MSAD No. 75 will provide assistance to Title I schools in planning and conducting parent involvement activities to improve student achievement in school.

  1. The District will collaborate with Maine Parent Information and Resource Center (Maine PIRC) to provide technical assistance to schools in planning and implementing parent involvement activities.
  2. The District will have a Title I Parent Advisory Council.

        

MSAD No. 75 will provide parents with information and training about standards, assessments,

working with students at home, and working with teachers.
1.  The District will share information with parents on state and local benchmarks annually at parent-teacher conferences, and Title I meetings.  Title I staff and administration will be available to do so.
2.  Title I activity nights based on parent feedback will be held annually to help parents support    their young learners at home.
3.  Two times annually Title I will present information on standards and assessments at annual open houses and at Title I activity nights.

MSAD No. 75 will educate its teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, and in the value and utility of contributions of parents by:
    Activity ME PIRC will provide training on the above at the annual staff development day.

MSAD No. 75 will coordinate with community programs to the extent feasible and appropriate.
    1.   Adult education will offer courses in family education. Registration information will be mailed to all    families.

     2.    Head Start
     3.    CDS

 

MSAD No. 75 will provide information and school reports in a way that is easy to understand.
   1.  The District will involve parents in the development and refinement of report cards based on   

          feedback at parent conferences.
    2.   The District will conduct evaluations and surveys on Title I activities.   
    3.   The District will develop a brochure with the PAC “What is Title I?” for parents.

Part Three: Adoption of Policy
This District-wide Parent Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed upon with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs. This policy was adopted by MSAD No. 75 on 5/10/2005, and will be reviewed annually. MSAD No. 75 will distribute this policy to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on or before October 31st of each school year.