Parent and Family Engagement Policy

2023-2024 Scott County Schools Parent and Family Engagement Policy

In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Scott County, receives Title I, Part A funds and therefore must jointly develop with, agree on with, and distribute to parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy that contains information required by Section 1116(a)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The policy establishes the district’s expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement and describes how the district will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities.

Scott County Schools agrees to implement the following requirements as outlined by Section 1116:

Scott County Schools will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the engagement of parents and family members in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs. These programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children.
Consistent with Section 1116, Scott County Schools will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent and family engagement policies meet the requirements of Section 1116(b) of the ESSA, and each include as a component a school-parent compact consistent with Section 1116(d) of the ESEA.
In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements to the extent practicable, Scott County Schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of families with limited English proficiency, limited literacy, disabilities, of migratory children, who are economically disadvantaged, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background, including providing information and school reports required under Section 1111 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language families understand.
If the district plan for Title I, Part A, developed under Section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the families of participating children, Scott County Schools will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the state department of education.
Scott County Schools will be governed by the following definition of family engagement and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition in Section 8101 of the ESSA:
Family engagement means the participation of families in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:
(A) families play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
(B) families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;
(C) families 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; and
(D) other activities are carried out, such as those described in Section 1116 of the ESEA.

JOINTLY DEVELOPED

Scott County Schools will take the following actions to involve parents and family members in jointly developing its LEA plan under Section 1112, and the development of support and improvement plans under paragraphs (1) and (2) of Section 1111(d) of the ESEA:

Scott County Schools will meet annually with the Family Engagement Advisory Team to review the Engagement Policy and determine any changes or additions to better support the engagement of all families within the district.
Scott County Schools annually surveys their families and parents to ensure their voice in decisions are heard.
Scott County Schools provides parent/family opportunities to develop topics for future Family Engagements through an annual survey and an open-door policy suggestion(s).
Family and parents are encouraged to bring concerns to the teacher, building level administrator, or Central Office.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Scott County Schools will provide the following coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build capacity of all Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, which may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education:

Scott County Schools will ensure the designation of resources to assist in communicating with parents and family information in their native language that will support the education of all families. The EL teacher has the capability of translating any documents necessary. Translators will be provided as necessary.
Scott County Schools will coordinate as needed with individuals or outside agencies to support families in their abilities to work with their child academically.
Scott County Schools will make a good faith effort to convene an annual meeting at a convenient time to which all parents and family of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend to inform them of their school’s participation in and requirements for Title I programs and of their rights to be involved.
Scott County Schools will design and conduct an evaluation process whereby parents can share their ideas about the contact and effectiveness of this policy in improving the academic quality of schools receiving Title I funds, and the plan designed to implement it. The findings in the annual evaluation shall be utilized to design strategies for school improvement and for revising this policy if necessary.

ANNUAL EVALUATION
Scott County Schools will take the following actions to conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by families in activities (with particular attention to families who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The evaluation will also include identifying the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. The school district will use the findings of the evaluation about its parent and family engagement policy to design evidence-based strategies for more effective family engagement, and to revise, if necessary, its parent and family engagement policies.

Scott County Schools will conduct an evaluation that will be available on the district website and/or by a QR code to access the online survey through Microsoft Forms.
Scott County Schools Federal Programs Director will record the responses and feedback and bring the information and data to the Parent Advisory Committee.

RESERVATION OF FUNDS
Scott County Schools will involve the parents and family members of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to Title I schools.

Families and parents can give feedback and suggestions on activities that are funded by Title I Part A.

COORDINATION OF SERVICES
Scott County Schools will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies, to the extent feasible and appropriate, with other relevant federal, state, and local laws and programs that encourage and support families in more fully participating in the education of their children. Scott County Schools will coordinate with other organizations, businesses, and community partners to provide additional supports and resources. Examples of other agencies might include but are not limited to TEIS, Head Start, public preschools, Department of Children’s Services, Scott County Health Department, Boys and Girls Club and others as feasible and necessary.

BUILDING CAPACITY OF PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS
Scott County schools will, with the assistance of its Title I schools, build families’ capacity for strong family engagement by providing materials and training on such topics as literacy training and using technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy) to help families work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement. Assistance will also be provided to parents and families in understanding the following topics:

The challenging state academic standards;
The state and local academic assessments including alternate assessments;
The requirements of Title I, Part A;
How to monitor their child’s progress; and
How to work with educators.

The district will provide the assistance through the following activities:

Scott County individual schools will provide an annual meeting in the fall to describe the school’s participation in the Title I, Part A program. The meeting will explain the rights of families to be involved and how to offer feedback on the implementation and usefulness of the Parent Engagement Plan. The individual schools will include parents and family members in the planning, review, implementation, and improvement of the parent and family engagement district policy, plan, and programs.
Scott County Schools will provide parents with information about attendance, grades, and discipline through their Open House/Back to School events at each school. Information will also be made available online through the district website.
Scott County Schools will provide each parent a secure username and password to the Parent Portal of Power School to view student information and grades.
Scott County Schools will host Family Nights throughout the year with a focus on literacy and math.
Scott County Schools will provide parent-teacher communication about student progress and curriculum standards through two annual parent teacher conferences, student progress reports to family and parents, email and/or phone conversations, and an open-door policy with building level administrators.
Scott County Schools will utilize school activities to inform family and parents of ways to become more engaged in their child’s educational progress.
Scott County Schools will allocate each school funds to be used for school specific Family Engagement activities.
Scott County Schools will link textbooks on the district’s website along with other websites that can support student learning. This will be done through ClassLink.
Scott County Schools will communicate through the schools all school activities offered as either enrichment or remedial that are offered for student support.

BUILDING CAPACITY OF SCHOOL STAFF
Scott County Schools will, with the assistance of its schools and families, educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other school leaders, and other staff in the value and utility of contributions of families, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with families as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between families and schools by:

Seeking, adopting, and implementing model approaches in improving family engagement.
Developing appropriate relationships with community-based organizations and businesses in family engagement activities.
Establishing a districtwide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parent and family engagement in Title I, Part A programs.

ADOPTION
This district parent and family engagement policy has been developed jointly and agreed on with parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced by the agenda, sign in sheet and minutes from the Advisory Committee Meeting on September 28, 2023.

This policy was adopted by the Scott County Schools District and will be in effect for the period of the 2023-2024 school year. The school district will distribute this policy to all families of participating Title I, Part A children.