Parent and Family Engagement Plan

2020-2021

Parental involvement is a centerpiece of Title I and can be defined as the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities.  Bolivar Elementary School will encourage a strong home and school partnership that ensures a safe, caring, challenging and inspiring environment where all students, parents, and school staff work and learn together.  As partners in each student’s education, we will design, implement, and evaluate the educational program at Bolivar Elementary School. 

It is important to note that children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more, when schools, families, and community groups work together to support student learning.  Bolivar Elementary School will strive to engage families in ways that improve learning and support parent involvement at home and school to help students make greater gains. 

Bolivar Elementary School will use the PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partners framework to evaluate the school’s success in engaging families to support student success.  The framework uses the following Standards:

• Welcoming all families into the school community – Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class and school.
• Communicating Effectively – Families and school staff engage in regular, meaningful communication about student learning.
• Supporting student success – Families and school staff continuously work together to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.
• Speaking up for each child- Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.
• Sharing power- Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect students and families.  Together, they inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.
• Collaborating with community- Families and school staff work together with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community service, and civic participation.

Bolivar Elementary School agrees to implement the following requirements as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015:

1. Each school served shall jointly develop with and distribute to, parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy.

Bolivar Elementary’s parent and family engagement policy was developed jointly with input from parents and stakeholders through the following types of activities:

• parent involvement meetings,
• consultation with parents and/or stakeholders, and
• parent conferences.

This plan establishes expectations for parent and family engagement.  This written plan will be distributed to parents at Meet the Teacher Night, included in the student handbook/planner, and posted on the school webpage.

2. Policy Involvement

An annual parent meeting to which all parents have been invited will be held during the first nine weeks of the school year, as well as various other meetings throughout the school year (PTO, Learning Through the Arts, Living Literature, Spelling Bee).The purpose of these meetings will be to communicate and explain the Title I School-wide Project, the requirements of Title I, and the right of the parents to be involved in the school, as well as engaging parents in activities to increase student achievement.

Parent meetings can be scheduled at any time with a teacher during his or her planning time during the school day or after school.Two formal parent teacher conferences will be held during the school year, one per semester from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. and from 3 p.m.– 6 p.m.Parents and teachers will discuss student progress and address any other concerns.

Parents will be involved in ongoing planning for continuous school improvement, program review of parent involvement, and the Parent and Family Engagement Plan as representatives on committees.Parents will be provided with opportunities to give input for planning, review, and improvement of programs during Parent Teacher Organization meetings and school advisory committees.

Parents will receive timely information about parent programs under parent involvement through written notices, newsletters, newspapers, and the school web page.Students will receive a handbook and school planner each year which provides the school’s policies and procedures.Parents will be made aware of their child’s progress in school through progress reports, report cards, phone calls, individual conferences, and through the use of ParentVue.Teachers will use the annual August “Meet the Teachers” Open House and parent teacher conferences to explain curriculum, assessments, and proficiency levels to the parents of their students.

Parents are encouraged to bring suggestions and concerns to their child’s teacher or principal for discussion at any time during the school year.These concerns and suggestions will be reviewed and considered for improvements to programs by the School –Wide Committee/Team, which includes parent representatives.

3. School-Parent Compact

The School-Parent Compact is designed by a committee of parents and school staff.It outlines how parents, school staff, and students share the responsibility for improving student academic achievement and how the school and parents will develop a partnership to help children achieve Tennessee’s high standards.The School-Parent Compact will be reviewed annually by the Parent and Family Engagement Committee.

4. Building Capacity

In an effort to ensure effective involvement and engagement of parents and to support a partnership among the stakeholders for student achievement, Bolivar Elementary will provide:

• continuous and timely communication to assist parents in understanding Tennessee’s academic and achievement standards by disseminating grade level objectives and conducting parent-teacher conferences, parent workshops, surveys, Meet the Teacher Night, Learning Through the Arts or Living Literature Night, PTO meetings, Grandparent’s Day and Read Across America activities.  All invitations will be sent in a timely manner with an additional follow-up reminder.  Every effort will be made to communicate with parents in a format and language that is free of educational jargon and easily understandable by all.  Teachers may also use ParentVue and the Remind app to communicate with parents.

• training to teachers and other staff members in reaching out to, communicating with, and working with parents through PTO, conferences, workshops, and staff development.

An annual evaluation of the school-wide program and Parent and Family Engagement Plan and School-Parent Compact will be conducted during a PTO meeting near the end of the school year.  Parents will be given an opportunity to offer suggestions for program improvement.