Parent Involvement Plan
School Year
2007-2008
Parent/Family Involvement Plan
Implementation of this plan is intent on providing in-depth support to ensure understanding and implementation of Federal, State, and local standards for family engagement at McDonald . This plan has been developed by a coordinated effort of representatives from the District staff, community members, and parents.
This plan is a living document. The McDonald Parent Involvement Team will meet in October and March of each school year to review and update this plan to correspond with the detected and assessed needs for engagement of the families and community of McDonald.
Our mission is to empower the students with the skills necessary to become productive citizens and achieve an infinite desire for learning.
I.
McDonald
Technical Assistance and Support
A. The Principal will serve as the technical advisor for the district in all aspects of Family and Community Engagement. The coordinators responsibilities include the following:
1. Serve on the Family and Community Engagement Team.
2. Serve on the Parent Involvement Planning Team.
3. Schedule on-going and meaningful professional development in family engagement for professional and support staff.
4. Provide training for parents who will help other parents in need.
5. Assist the school in planning and evaluating the effectiveness of activities.
6. Maintain school survey data.
7. Help coordinate and administer the annual Parenting Fair.
B. The Family and Community Engagement Team will guide the following activities:
1. Coordinate the incorporation of Parent Involvement strategies into the TCSPP and the McDonald Plan.
2. Using the Family Friendly School-District Family Engagement Policy Assessment and Development Rubric as a self Evaluation for federal and state compliance.
II.
Sharing
information with parents:
A. McDonald Parent Involvement Plan – The McDonald Parent Involvement Plan will be posted on Greene County Schools’ Parent Involvement website. The Plan will be distributed to school as a resource to professional and support staff. The leaders of the school’s parent organization will be provided a copy to share with members of their organization. A copy of this plan will be made available to any parent who requests it.
B. Student Achievement – It is the policy of the Greene County School System that parents will receive frequent student performance reports. Grade reports will be issued for each six week period to the parents of each student. Mid-term (3 week reports) will be issued to parents of students. The parents of all students involved in Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) will receive Home Reports in a timely manner upon receipt from the State Department.
C.
School Performance – Reporting of
1. Local news media
2. System and state websites.
3. School newsletters.
4. In the event that a school does not make Annual Yearly Progress, No Child Left Behind guidelines about Parent Notification will be followed.
D. Meetings and Activities – Opportunities for parent participation will be advertised using a combination of the following activities.
1. Newsletters or notes home.
2. Website.
3. Local news media
4. Announcements at other events (i.e. PTO and Conferences.).
5. Phone messaging.
E.
Access to Children’s Official Records – Board
Policy 6.209 directs our schools to provide student records in the following
method. “Parents or guardians shall have
the right to receive information contained in school records concerning their
minor child. 1 The Board, unless informed
otherwise, assumes there are no restrictions regarding the non-custodial
parent's right to be kept informed of the student's progress and activities. If
restrictions are made relative to the rights of the non-custodial parent, the
custodial parent shall be requested to submit a certified copy of the court
order which curtails these specific rights.”
This policy is accessible on the District’s website and a copy is
located at each school.
F. Curriculum, Assessment, and Proficiency Levels
1. The curriculum for each grade is accessible on both the district and state website. The curriculum description is reference to Standard Performance Objectives which are linked to the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).
2. Assessments
a. Home information pamphlets are issued to each child before administration of Tennessee Writing Assessment and before the Achievement Test for elementary students.
b. School and District newsletters advertise upcoming assessments and their content.
3. The grading system for the Greene County School System is defined in local Board Policy and by the State Board of Education. This information is made available to parents via Student Handbooks, Newsletters, Report Cards, and on the system/school websites.
III.
Defined
programs, activities, and training for the involvement of parents
A.
The following activities are listed as a minimum
requirement for
1. Open House – To give parents the opportunity to tour the school and meet the staff.
2. Parent – Teacher Conferences – The system will schedule 3 open sessions per year. The school is encouraged to respond to parent needs in meeting at any time convenient to the parent/family member.
3. School will assist and participate in the formation and operation of a Parent-Teacher organization.
4. McDonald will have an active Parent Advisory Committee. This committee will meet at least quarterly with the school administration.
B. Parents will be provided with packet information that will include at least the following:
1. School-year calendar.
2. Student Discipline Policy
3. Homework Policy
4. Attendance Policy
5. Grading Scale
6. No Child Left Behind required notifications:
a. Title I eligibility
b. Annual Yearly Progress Status
c. Rights of parents to request information on “Teacher Qualifications”
d. Right to exclude access of student records from Military Recruiters.
C. Training activities will be available from the district for the following subjects:
1. Training for school leadership teams for implementation of No Child Left Behind requirements in Parent Involvement.
2. Strategies for involving parents in Parent-Teacher organizations.
3. Strategies for involving parents in the school for the school staff. (In-service or staff development)
4. East Tennessee Title I Conference slots available for school staff members.
D.
Annual Greeneville/Greene
IV.
The
following strategies are listed to improve homework, attendance and discipline.
A. Homework
1. Tutoring programs available through extended contract.
2. Homework
tips in Parent Newsletters posted on
3. Parent Newsletter available on the web.
4. Parent/Teacher Email.
5. Notes/Letters from the teacher.
6. Personal contact by the teacher or parent.
7. Parent/teacher conferences.
B. Attendance
1. Explicit attendance policy requires parent contact upon absence.
2. System Intervention Specialist works closely with all schools in matters of attendance and parent notification.
3. Five and Ten day letters are sent home to encourage and inform parents of students with excessive absences.
4. Schools are encouraged to provide a rewards program for good attendance.
C. Discipline
1. System discipline policy is available online, in student handbooks or folders, and a copy is maintained at all schools.
2. In-school
3. An alternative school is available as a resource for students with discipline problems to allow them to remain in school.
4. Schools are encouraged to provide a rewards program for good behavior.
5. The system uses CHARACTER COUNTS! as its character education model.
V.
Procedures
for parents to learn about the course of study for their children and have
access to learning materials.
A. Open houses and parent nights. Teachers are encouraged to use these opportunities to share course requirements with parents.
B. All elementary curriculum standards are maintained on the system webpage.
C.
D. Information will be made available about student requirements for the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).
E. Curriculum maps for all High School courses are available on system website.
VI.
Plan to
include all stakeholders
Every effort will be made to help parents with limited English, disabilities and migrants to insure they have access to the Parent Involvement Plan, school and/or system information, and school performance reports written in an understandable format. The special accommodations needed for these occasions will be addressed as needed on a case by case method.