MARTIN GRADE SCHOOL

PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY

2016-2017

PART 1 GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

The Bennett County School District agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:

• The Bennett County School District will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I Part A programs, consistent with section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation of participating children.

• Consistent with section 1118, the Bennett County School District will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent involvement policies meet the requirements of section 1118(b) of the ESEA, and each include, as a component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1118(d) of the ESEA.

• The Bennett County School District will incorporate this district wide parent involvement policy into its District Improvement Plan developed under section 1112 of ESEA.

• In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the Bennett County School District and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and including alternative formats upon request, and to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.

• If the Bennett County School District District Improvement Plan for Title I, Part A, developed under Section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the Bennett County School District will submit any parent comments with the plan when the district submits the plan to the South Dakota Department of Education.

• The Bennett County School District will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in the decision about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent, and will ensure that not less than 95percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools.

• The Bennett County School District will be governed by the following statutory definition of parent involvement, and expects that its Title I schools will carry out program, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition:

Parent involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication

Involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring –

(A) that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

(B) that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;

(C) that 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) the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA

• The Bennett County School District will inform parents and parental organizations of the purpose and existence of the South Dakota Parent Resource Network.

PART II DESCRIPTION OF HOW MARTIN GRADE SCHOOL WILL IMPLEMENT REQUIRED DISTRICT WIDE PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS

1) Martin Grade School will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its district wide parental involvement plan under section 1112 of the ESEA:

a.Annual Policy Review

b.Parent Surveys each semester – DURING CONFERENCES and on DDN Campus

c.Presentation at Bennett County Booster Club meeting

d.Presentation at Parent Teacher Conferences

2)Martin Grade School will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESEA:

a.Annual Policy Review

b.Parent Surveys each semester – DURING CONFERENCES and on DDN Campus

c.Parent Attendance at District and School Data Retreats

d.Parent Attendance at School Improvement Meetings

e.Meetings during Parent Teacher Conferences

f.Parent Attendance at DOE, National or Locally Sponsored Conferences or Workshops

3)Martin Grade School will provide the following necessary coordination, technical assistance, and other support to assist in Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance:

a.Annual Policy Review

b.Parent Surveys each semester – DURING CONFERENCES and on DDN Campus

c.Parent Attendance at District and School Data Retreats

d.Parent Attendance at School Improvement Meetings

e.Meetings during Parent Teacher Conferences

f.Parent Attendance at DOE, National or Locally Sponsored Conferences or Workshop

g.Parent Classes

h.KBEN Local TV Station

i.Bennett County School District Web Site

4)Martin Grade School will coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies under these programs: Head Start, Preschool and Day Care Providers by:

a.Quarterly Meetings

b.Transition Planning

c.Family Activities

5)Martin Grade School will take the following action to conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement policy in improving the quality of it Title 1, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in parental involvement activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disable, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic background). The Bennett County School District will use the findings of the evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of parents) its parent involvement policies.

a.District and School Data Retreats led by the School Improvement Teams

b.Parent Surveys each Semester – DURING CONFERENCES and on DDN Campus

c.Data of Attendance and Feedback From Activities

d.Annual Review of Parent Involvement

6)Martin Grade School will build the school’s and parent’s capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective involvement of parents to support a partnership among the school involved, parents and the community to improve student academic achievement, through the following activities specifically described below:

A.Martin Grade School will provide assistance to parents of children served by the school district or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described in this paragraph –

The South Dakota academic content standards,

• The South Dakota academic achievement standards,

• Common Core Standards

• The South Dakota and Bennett County School District local academic assessments including alternate assessments,

• The requirements of Title 1, Part A

• How to monitor their child’s progress, and

• How to work with educators

1.Open House – Back to School

2.Make and Take Parties for Parents

3.DDN Campus (Parent Portal)

4.Various Workshops/ Classes/Conferences

5.Wednesday Folders

6.Parent Teacher Conferences

7.KBEN TV Station

8.Bennett County School District Web Site

9.Literacy and Math Materials for Homes

10.SD Parent Resource Network Materials/Workshops

11.Bennett County School District Newsletter with information on Title I and NCLB requirements

B.Martin Grade School will provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement, such as literacy training, and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement, by:

1.Open House – Back to School

2.DDN Campus (Parent Portal)

3.Various Workshops/ Classes/Conferences

4.Wednesday Folders

5.Parent Teacher Conferences

6.KBEN TV Station

7.Bennett County School District Web Site

8.Literacy and Math Materials for Homes

9.SD Parent Resource Network Materials/Workshops

10.Bennett County School District Newsletter with information on Title I and ESSA requirements

11.Curriculum / Family Fun Nights

12.Transition Meetings

13.Internet Safety Presentations/Workshops/Materials

C.Martin Grade School 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, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and schools by:

1.Professional Development Resources

2.In-Service presentations

3.DDN Campus (Parent Portal)

4.Various Workshops/ Classes/Conferences

5.Wednesday Folders

6.Parent Teacher Conferences

7.KBEN TV Station

8.Bennett County School District Web Site

9.Literacy and Math Materials for Homes

10.SD Parent Resource Network Materials/Workshops

11.Bennett County School District Newsletter with information on Title I and NCLB requirements

12.Curriculum /Family Fun Nights

13.Transition Nights

D.Martin Grade School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs activities with Head Start, Reading First and Bennett County School District Preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as the South Dakota Parent Resource Network, that encourage and support parents in fully participating in the education of their children, by:

1.Curriculum / Family Fun Nights

2.Transition Nights

3.Literacy and Math Materials

4.Preschool Transition Team Planning

5.Head Start Classroom Visits

E.Martin Grade School will take the following actions to ensure that information relating 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 alternate formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand:

1.Wednesday Folders

2.Student Planners

3.KBEN TV Station

4.Bennett County School District Newsletter

5.Bennett County School District Web Site

6.Lakota Translator

7.DDN Campus (Parent Portal)

8.School Reach

9.Phone Calls

10.Wiki pages

11.Email

PART III DISCRETIONARY MARTIN GRADE SCHOOL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS

In consultation with its parents, Martin Grade School may build parents’ capacity for involvement in the school and school system to support their children’s academic achievement, through the following activities listed under section 1118 (e):

• involving parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of that training;

• providing necessary literacy training for parents from Title I, Part A funds;

• paying reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement;

• training parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;

• arrange school meetings at a variety of times or locations to accommodate family needs;

• establish a district wide parent advisory council to provide advice on parental involvement issues;

• develop community relationships to enhance parental involvement.

PART IV ADOPTION

This Bennett County School District Parent Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced during a public meeting on May 28, 2008. Revised on April 24, 2009. Revised April 21, 2010. Revised May 4, 2011. Revised May 12, 2012, April 23, 2013, May 19, 2014, May 2015. August 2016.

This policy was adopted by the Bennett County School District School Board on June 16, 2008 and will be in effect starting in the school year 2008-2009; and with annual revisions. This policy will be distributed to all parents in the Bennett County School District in registration packets during the school year.

Empowering Our Students to Reach Their Full Potential