Siebert Elementary School
Parent Family Involvement Policy
Introduction
The Eastland ISD School District is committed to making parents/guardians, community members, and educators full partners with EISD by empowering families to support the learning and development of children and by providing families educational opportunities and resources to ensure lifelong success.
EISD understands that parent and family engagement involves the participation of parents and families in regular, two-way, meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring that:
· Parents and families play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning
· Parents and families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education
· Parents and families are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and advisory committees to assist in the education of their child
In accordance with the Commissioner's Rule 102.1003 (f), EISD will establish the following family engagement strategies that are based on best practices research to support student learning, achievement, and family well-being. These practices are proven to demonstrate positive short-term and long-term outcomes for early childhood education. This document highlights the various examples of the multitude of strategies that our campuses may select to participate in, based on the individual needs of the students and parents of that campus, which will include the following six family engagement plan components.
A. Facilitate family-to-family support
B. Establish a network of community resources
C. Increase family participation in decision-making
D. Equip families with tools to enhance and extend learning
E. Assist staff in developing skills in evidence-based practices that support families in meeting their children’s learning benchmarks
F. Evaluate family engagement efforts and use evaluations for continuous improvement
In addition, Eastland ISD agrees to implement the following requirements as outlined by ESSA Section 1116:
A. Annual Title I Meeting
Siebert Elementary School, as a Title I campus, will hold an annual Title I meeting for all parents in the early fall. At least one meeting will be convened during the AM and one during the PM to accommodate parent schedules.
Monday, October 3 @ 5:30 in the Siebert cafeteria
Wednesday, October 5 @ 12:00 in the EISD Boardroom--2nd Floor of The Connellee
B. Flexible Number of Meetings
Siebert Elementary School will offer a flexible number of parent engagement meetings at convenient times for families, such as meetings in the morning or evening.
C. Jointly Developed
Siebert leadership will meet with parents and stakeholders at the beginning of the year. During this meeting, parents will receive information about the school’s Parent and Family Engagement Plan and will be informed of their parental right to be involved in the planning and development of the plan through meetings, surveys and questionnaires. If the program plan is not satisfactory to parents, they may submit comments on the plan to the school administrator. The plan will be disseminated electronically through mass communication via email and Facebook as well as being posted to the campus and district websites. Copies of the plan will be available at each campus office as well as the district central office.
D. Communication
Siebert Elementary School will use a variety of communication avenues including student folders, social media, phone calls, parent conferences, parent meetings, family nights, the automated phone system, mass emails and texts, newsletters, and the district/campus websites to keep parents informed of information related to school and parent programs, students’ expected proficiency levels, meetings, and other activities.
E. Dissension Process
Parents will have the opportunity to submit any comments/concerns regarding the school-wide plan and/or family engagement policy to the EISD Federal Programs Coordinator, Shelley Rinehart at srinehart@eastland.esc14.net or 254-631-5080.
F. School-Parent Compact
Siebert will jointly develop with parents of participating children a school-parent compact, which outlines how families, school, staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and develop a partnership to help children achieve the state’s high standard and how the plan is used, reviewed, and updated.
Siebert will hold an Annual Title I School wide parent meeting during the early fall to review and discuss any needed changes to the jointly developed school compact. In the spring of each year, the compact will be reviewed and revised as necessary for the coming year. Using this method of updating the compact, campuses will elicit feedback from students, faculty, and families in the spring and fall of each year.
G. Build Capacity of Parents
Siebert Elementary School will build the parents’ capacity for strong parental involvement to ensure effective involvement of parents and families and to support a partnership between the school and the community to improve student academic achievement. For the 2022-2023 school year the following Parent and Family Engagement meeting opportunities will be available to provide assistance to parents of children served by the school:
- Campus Title I Meeting – details about Title I services, the Parent and Family Engagement Policy, and the school compacts will be discussed and attendees will be asked to provide feedback.
- State Testing – campus and/or district leadership will provide a brief overview for parents of the required state assessments including information related to
- the state’s academic content standards
- the state’s student academic achievement standards
- the state and local academic assessments including alternate assessments
- the requirements of Title I
- how to monitor their child’s progress, and
- how to work with educators
- Family nights for specific grade level information and other topics that are pertinent to students in grades EE-5th.
- Site-based Decision-Making Committee meetings will be held to include parents in the development of the district and campus improvement plans.
- English Learner parent and family nights will be planned throughout the year and translators will be available at the campus level for parents as needed.
- Dyslexia and Special Education parent and family nights and workshops are scheduled at the district level to be offered and will provide parents with materials and resources to ensure student success.
NOTE: When appropriate, meetings may be held virtually and/or information be presented virtually.
H. Accessibility
In carrying out the parent and family engagement requirements of this part, Siebert Elementary School, 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.
Campus Engagement Strategies
Siebert Elementary School
A. Facilitate family-to-family support
- Scholastic Book Fair Family Nights
- Math and Reading Family Nights
- Parent conferences with teachers, counselors, and/or administrators
- Monthly grade level communication with parents
- Parent involvement meeting regarding school to home educational resources and activities to support student learning
B. Establish a network of community resources
- Child Find
- Texas Tech counseling services
- Ministerial Alliance Group
- School Social Worker
- Open-door Center
- State Health and Human Resources
- Parents Resources available on the EISD website
- Teacher websites
- Eastland County Counseling Service
- Closet Angels
- Eastland County Crisis Center and Children’s Advocacy Center
- Public Library
- Region 14 Educational Service Center
C. Increase family participation in decision-making
- Parents are included on the Campus and District Site-based Decision-Making Committees
- Parents are included on the School Health Advisory Committee
- Parents are included on the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee
- Parents are given the opportunity to provide feedback/input via campus climate and program surveys
- Parents are encouraged to access class, campus, and district information through the Parent Portal on the EISD website.
- Monthly events calendars are provided to parents
- Regularly scheduled campus-level meetings
D. Equip families with tools to enhance and extend learning
- Monthly calendar listing activities that are developmentally appropriate
- Monthly newsletter offering ideas for motivation, discipline, and enhancing learning
- Campus Literacy Events
- Scholastic Book Fair Family Night
- Reading and Math family nights
E. Assist staff in developing skills in evidence-based practices that support families in meeting their children’s learning benchmarks
- Provide staff with training to ensure they are building relational capacity with students and parents
- Provide training on the importance of family engagement and promote these strategies district-wide.
F. Evaluate family engagement efforts and use evaluations for continuous improvement
- Gather parent input through surveys and evaluations to provide valuable information
- Compile evaluation data from parents to develop a more effective parental involvement program
August 3, 2023