Family+Involvement+Policy

=**Willards** **Elementary School**= =**Title I Parental Involvement Policy**=

__Program Development__ Families will be encouraged to become active participants in Title I program planning, decision-making, and school programs.
 * 1) Willards School will develop with parents and update annually a school level policy for parent involvement. A written copy will be distributed to Title I parents.
 * 2) Title I parents and school staff will jointly develop and commit to a //Partners in Learning Compact//, which describes how school staff, parents and students will share responsibility for improving student achievement. A written copy of this compact will be distributed to parents in the Willards School Student Agenda. This compact will be updated annually. A school compact team will be formed to meet periodically throughout the year with the purpose of developing a new compact. The team will be made up of teachers, administrators, parents, and community partners.
 * 3) The Willards School Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) will hold open meetings at least two times each school year. Membership will consist of Title I parents and school staff. Topics of discussion will include (but not be limited to):
 * 4) Planning Title I Program activities at Willards Elementary School
 * 5) Evaluation of Title I Program activities at Willards Elementary School

**__Building Capacity for Parental Involvement__**
Activities designed to build the capacity for strong and meaningful parent involvement at Willards Elementary School include:
 * 1) A Home-School Liaison to foster communication between home and school
 * 2) Title I parent participation on the Willards School Improvement Team
 * 3) Willards School Title I Parent Advisory Council
 * 4) Opportunities to volunteer
 * 5) A Parent Involvement Center (PIC room)  containing literature, educational games, and videos parents may borrow and a computer for their use
 * 6) //Dedicated Dolphins//, a parent volunteer program, in which volunteers offer encouragement, listen to students read, and help with Math Olympics
 * 7) Title I parents of Willards School students will be provided with:
 * 8) Timely information about the Title I program and parent involvement requirements for schools under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 will be shared at the Title 1 Orientation Night and in the permission slip
 * 9) Information about curriculum and proficiency levels students are expected to achieve (Title 1 Orientation  Night)
 * 10) School and individual assessment information and results, including an explanation of those results (Title 1 Orientation Night and Test Score Hotline)
 * 11) Opportunities for at least one parent teacher conference each year.

__Parent Involvement Activities__
Parents will be provided with opportunities to add to their skills so that they may continue to work with their children to improve achievement.
 * 1) //Parents Make a Difference//, a newsletter with practical ideas for parents and suggested daily activities for families, will be distributed monthly.
 * 2) Willards Elementary School has a Parent Involvement Center.
 * 3) Willards Elementary School will hold two Family Reading and Math Nights annually.
 * 4) At convenient times, Willards Elementary School will hold at least one parent workshop annually to address topics of interest to parents. Parents will be surveyed in the fall to determine needs. //Perks for Parents//, a special time for families with workshops for parents and activities for children, will be held on a Saturday morning during the 2006-2007 school year.
 * 5) Willards Elementary School will offer a Donuts for Dads and Muffins for Moms workshop to parents of Title 1 students. The workshops introduce parents to research based reading strategies that could be used as they work at home with their children.
 * 6) R.I.S.E. (Reading Insures Success for Everyone), a program that invites and requires parental participation daily for the duration of the child’s involvement in specialized reading instruction, will be offered at Willards Elementary School to identified students in grades one and two.
 * 7) Packets will be handed out to Pre-K and Kindergarten students who enroll. The packets will inform parents of the readiness skills that incoming students need in order to be successful in Pre-K and Kindergarten.

**__Integration with Other Programs__**
Willards Elementary School will encourage community groups to assist with developing and implementing programs that promote educational goals and support high academic achievement for all students. The following are current community group partners: 1. The S.T.A.R.S. After School Program: a. The Wicomico County Library sends representatives to share information on books and authors. b. Salisbury’s Art Institute and Gallery provide arts and crafts sessions. c. The Wicomico County Health Department sends representatives to provide sessions pertaining to mental health. d. Representatives from the Excel Interactive Science Museum perform science experiments with the children. e. Wicomico County Department of Recreation and Parks provide sessions on nature and environment. f. Wicomico YMCA provides sessions on health and fitness. g. The Salisbury Zoo sends representatives to share information on animals and brings a few live animals for students to observe. 2. Willards Elementary School works with Salisbury University and Sojourner Douglas to train student interns. Salisbury University also offers a leadership training workshop to a small group of Title 1 students who display potential leadership qualities. 3. Willards Elementary School has a faith-based partnership with Eden United Methodist Church. 4. The Bank of Willards provides incentives for National Reading Day and other educational activities.

**__Evaluation__**
Assessing the effectiveness of the Willards School Title I Parental Involvement Policy in improving the academic quality of Willards School will be conducted throughout the year with the involvement of parents. Measures will include:
 * 1) Family Reading and Math Night parent evaluations
 * 2) Attendance at Family Reading and Math Night and other parent involvement activities
 * 3) Annual program evaluation completed at spring Willards Elementary School Title I Parent Advisory Council meeting
 * 4) Results of school-based survey, “Measure of School, Family, and Community Partnerships” by J.L. Epstein et al., ©2002 Corwin Press, Inc. (Completed by the Willards School Improvement Team.)

Program coordination and technical assistance for Title I schools in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities will be provided through the efforts of the Wicomico County Title I Supervisor, the Title 1 Family Involvement Teacher, and the Title 1 Family Involvement Assistant.
 * __Coordination and Support for Title I Schools:__**

revised 5/07