Springfield Elementary School
Parent and Family Engagement
Plan for Shared Student Success
2017-2018 School Year
Office: (912)754-3326
www.effinghamcountyschools.com/ses
Plan Revised: August 24, 2017
Springfield Elementary School believes that a child's success and achievement depends on the essential partnership between home and school. SES continues to encourage parents to be involved in various aspects of their child’s education. We believe that parents should have an integral role in the continued growth and achievement of their child, as well as their child’s total academic experience.
In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Springfield Elementary School receives Title I, Part A funds and therefore must develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to parents and family members of participating children, a written Parent and Family Engagement Plan that contains information required by section 1116(b) and (c) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The plan establishes the school’s expectations for parent and family involvement and describes how the school will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities, and it is incorporated into the school’s plan submitted to the local educational agency (LEA).
JOINTLY DEVELOPED
· We will jointly develop with, and distribute to, parents of participating children in a written Parent and Family Engagement Plan, agreed on by parents
· Make the plan available to the local community and updated annually to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. Plans are available in the school’s Family Resource Center during school hours, on the school’s website, and a copy is sent home to parents
· Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs including the planning, review, and improvement of the school Parent and Family Engagement Plan and the joint development of the school-wide program plan
· If requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible
· If the school-wide plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school will submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency
· At the start of each new school year, the Beginning of Year SES Parent Survey is distributed to all parents for the purpose of gathering input towards parent programs offered at the school. The survey allows parents to provide feedback regarding:
o effective communication between home and school,
o topics for parent workshops designed to help parents better support students’ academic progress,
o suggestions for the use of the 1% of Title I funds set aside for the purpose of enhancing parental involvement, and
o atmosphere of the school
· During the last month of the school year, SES holds a parent and family engagement meeting as a follow-up to the annual survey and for the purpose of reviewing the year’s progress and gathering further input into the development of the Schoolwide Plan/School Improvement Plan (SWP/SIP), School-Parent Compact and the SES Parent and Family Engagement Plan for the upcoming school year. Each of the plans is fully explained to parents before offering them the opportunity to provide their verbal and / or written input. The SES School Council (represented by parents, teachers, administrators, and community members) is also provided this information and encouraged to offer feedback towards the development of each plan.
· Once input is gathered from all stakeholders through surveys and/or meetings (parents, students, teachers, and community) and the school data has been fully reviewed and evaluated, the Schoolwide/ School Improvement Plan (SWP/SIP) is developed. The School-Parent Compact is subsequently developed so that it is in alignment with the goals outlined in the SWP/SIP and reflects the input of all relevant parties. The Parent and Family Engagement Plan is also finalized.
· Each of the finalized plans (SWP/SIP, School-Parent-Student Compact, and PFEP) is presented by the end of October at the Annual Title I Parent Meeting. The primary purpose of this meeting is to inform parents about the final plans.
· In April/May of each school year, an End of the Year Title I Survey is distributed to parents in order to garner feedback for the school year. The data, including all unsatisfactory comments, is collected and submitted to our LEA (Local Education Agency). The results of the survey are shared with the School Council so that they may address suggestions and concerns. An End of Year Title I input meeting is also held to allow parents to discuss the year’s progress and offer suggestions towards the school’s ongoing participation with the Title I program.
ANNUAL TITLE I MEETING
What is Title I?
Springfield Elementary School is identified as a Title I school as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Title I is designed to support state and local school reform efforts tied to the challenging state academic standards to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support family engagement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with parents and family members a written Parent and Family Engagement Plan.
Springfield Elementary School will conduct an annual Title I meeting at a convenient time, in the month of September. All parents will be invited and encouraged to attend. The annual meeting will inform parents of the school’s participation under Title I and explain the requirements and the right for them to be involved. The annual Title I meeting is advertised through multiple sources including school/teacher newsletters, phone calls through the School Messenger system, flyers sent home with the students and the school marquee.
SCHOOL PLAN FOR SHARED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
What is it?
This is a plan that describes how Springfield Elementary School will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to support student learning. Springfield Elementary School values the contributions and involvement of parents and family members to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This plan describes the different ways that Springfield Elementary School will support family engagement and how parents can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home.
How is it revised?
Springfield Elementary School invited all parents to attend our End-of-the-Year parent input meeting last spring. During this meeting, parents, teachers, and administrators had the opportunity to review and revise the Parent and Family Engagement Plan, our School-Parent Compact, and the 1% parental involvement budget. Parents can provide input and feedback regarding those documents throughout the school year. The Parent and Family Engagement Plan, School-Parent Compact, and feedback forms are posted on our school website. We also have the forms available in our Family Resource Center. We send home surveys twice a year to ask parents for their suggestions on the plan and the use of funds for parental involvement. Parents can also give feedback during meetings and activities during the school year. The Parent and Family Engagement Plan is updated annually in order to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.
Who is it for?
All students participating in the Title I, Part A program, and their families are encouraged and invited to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. Springfield Elementary School will provide full opportunity for the participation of parents and family members with limited English, with disabilities, and of migratory children.
Where is it available?
A copy of the plan is sent home with all students before November 1, 2017. It is posted on the school website and copies are maintained in the front office as well as the Instructional Supervisor’s office. Parents can also receive a copy of the plan in the Family Resource Center.
School-Parent Compact
As part of this plan, SES and our families will develop a School-Parent Compact which is an agreement that parents, teachers, and students will develop explaining how we will work together to make sure all our students reach grade-level standards. The compacts will be reviewed and updated annually based on feedback from parents, students and teachers during the End-of-Year Parent Meeting and surveys. The school will provide parents with a copy of the compact to reference throughout the school year.
Feedback for our School-Parent Compact begins at the close of each year at our End of Year Title I Parent Input Meeting. Parents and staff have an opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of the School-Parent Compact and decide what needs to be changed, added, or deleted to adjust the compact for the following school year.
Analysis of data from the state mandated testing (Georgia Milestones) is also available for making any necessary changes to the compact. Parents are also given the opportunity to provide feedback on the August and May parent surveys distributed each school year.
Teachers and staff have opportunities to provide feedback at faculty and staff meetings, School Council meetings, and School Improvement Committee meetings.
Student input is gathered with help from homeroom teachers. The SES Family Engagement Specialist requests that homeroom teachers gather feedback from students regarding what they feel students, parents, and teachers can each do to best support academic success. This feedback is reviewed, summarized and incorporated into the development of the School-Parent Compact.
District & School Goals
Reservations of Funds
We welcome and encourage parent input and provide a variety of opportunities for parents to give feedback about how the 1% of the Title I, Part A funds is spent. Parents are given the opportunity at the Parent Input Meeting to provide input towards the 1% set-aside that is allotted for parental involvement activities. Parents can provide feedback through surveys that are sent home with students twice per school year; parents can access forms from our school website; parents can email their suggestions to the Family Engagement Specialist; parents have the opportunity to provide input/suggestions anytime throughout the school year; feedback forms can be retrieved from our Family Resource Center.
Coordination of Services:
Parent Involvement
Springfield Elementary School believes that family engagement means the participation of parents and family members in regular two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, ensuring:
· That parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning.
How? Springfield Elementary School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with Head Start and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.
· That parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.
How? SES hosts a transitional program in the spring, “Kindergarten, Here we Come” for all students entering kindergarten. Parents are presented valuable information about the kindergarten curriculum, standards, and examples of handwriting, sight words, and a supply list. At this time, parents often meet potential teachers and administrators.
SES maintains a parent resource area with free resources and materials available to any SES family. These materials include pamphlets, books, and other resources available to help their child succeed in school, teach their children organizational and study skills, give opportunities for their child’s educational experience. The resource room is available to parents during the school day. Parents may choose to access the materials at school or check them out to utilize at home.
Parent-Teacher conferences are held semi-annually, in October and February, to provide parents with information regarding the academic performance of their child. Parents are also encouraged to schedule conferences as needed during the school year.
Parents at SES are informed of school-related information, programs, meetings and other activities via various forms of communications such as phone calls, emails, district social media WebPages, teacher websites, Parent Portal, Title I Parent meetings, and announcements on school the marquee.
Information related 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 alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.
· 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.
How? Springfield Elementary School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate pand activities that encourage and support parents in the education of their children by:
ü The annual Title I Parent Meeting takes place during September/October after the School Improvement Plan, School-Parent Compact and Parent and Family Engagement Plan are finalized.
ü The parent survey is sent to parents at the beginning and end of the school year and offers parents and opportunity to provide input and feedback on school policy and procedures.
ü SES parents are invited to engagements such as Open House, the Annual Title I meeting and the End of Year Title I Parent Meeting to provide input and feedback towards the development of our school’s Title I policies, curriculum and testing, as well as school and district goals that students are expected to meet.
ü Each year, SES holds the Milestones parent night for the purpose of providing specific information regarding upcoming state assessments and how parents can help their children prepare to perform their best on these assessments.
Springfield Elementary School is Branching Out!!