ROGERS CREEK ELEMENTARY
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY
2023-2024
This policy was adopted from the Family Engagement Policy of McMinn County Schools. The county policy is also included in the scope of our policy and is included as evidence.
Rogers Creek Elementary School (RCES) desires to make our school more inviting to parents and guardians. It is our hope that student success will increase as parents become more involved in their child’s school, life, and academics. We have jointly developed with parents a written involvement plan. These goals are established under section 1116(a)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which establishes expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement. We established SMART goals for our school that were derived from our school Parent Survey. These goals include the following areas: Welcome Environment, Involvement, Home Learning and Communication.
Our goals are as follows:
1. Translation will be given to parents who have a need for translation.
2. RCES will continue to provide more workshops and parent training along with educational materials, in the language they understand, in order to help their child/children at home.
3. RCES encourages opportunities for our parents to be involved with various activities throughout the year. We are working on ways to provide increased opportunities for our upper grade parents to get more involved as well as provide activities for parents with limited English.
Building Capacity of Parents, Staff, and Family Members
In an ongoing effort to increase communication and parent involvement, the Family Engagement Team will plan to initiate the following procedures:
• RCES Family Friendly meetings will be held periodically at different times (mornings and evenings). We will discuss ways we can involve more parents in their child’s education.
• RCES has developed a School Parent Compact written by parents and teachers that outlines how parents, students, and staff share the responsibility for improving student academic achievement and how parents will develop a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high standards.
• RCES will plan and set up virtual meetings, conference calls, or in-person meetings with parents. We want them to give suggestions and be part of the decision-making process concerning their child’s education. We will respond to their suggestions as soon as possible.
RCES will provide for other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request. The following activities for parent involvement will be implemented: RCES Family Title I Meeting, Open House, Movie Night, Game Night, STEM Night, Donuts with Grownups, Veterans Day, Spring Festival, Sporting Events, Field Day, Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), and other events as they arise.
RCES will provide parents timely information about parent involvement programs, school curriculum, and academic assessments to improve student progress. We provide this information through communication tools such as: school newsletters, website, progress reports, report cards, daily communication folder, curriculum mapping, emails, Apptegy, Response to Intervention (RTI) process.
Note: translation and materials in each family’s native language is provided as needed.
• RCES will have an annual Family Title I Meeting at the beginning of the year so parents and families can meet the teachers and staff, and learn of relevant information about the school and its mission to help students be successful. This event will be at flexible times and posted on our school website and Facebook page.
• RCES will hold Parent-Teacher Conferences in October and in February with flexible scheduling to allow family members to participate. We will also provide a translator, if needed, for non-English speaking parents. Parents will be informed on how to encourage academic improvement, promote attendance, encourage good behavior, and what strategies to be used in helping their student with homework.
Progress reports will be sent home every 4 l/2 weeks to give parents frequent review of their child’s academic progress. Students receiving interventions through the RTI process will receive progress monitoring reports and meetings with parents will be scheduled upon RTI reviews.
Parents will have access with faculty through emails, TEAMS, Edu-point, Remind, Class DOJO phone calls, and notes. Communication records of contacts will be kept through parent sign in sheets, phone logs, planners, conference notes, communication logs, emails and notes sent from the parent’s emails.
• RCES will collaborate and discuss educational partnerships through online/virtual resources. Our Family-School Compact outlines how parents, school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high standards. We will provide assistance to parents in understanding the State standards and assessments that are utilized at RCES.
Accelerated Reading reports, aimswebPlus reports, progress monitoring tests through the RTI process, baseline tests, chapter/unit tests, and report card information will be disseminated at both Parent/Teacher Conferences and called parent meetings conducted throughout the school year. Through virtual/online resources, the school website and newsletter, and parent trainings/meetings, literature and brochures will be made available.
RCES will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children. We will jointly plan and share a virtual meeting to inform the parents of school information. If needed, an interpreter will be provided, and pertinent information will be translated in the language they understand. Transact or other language resources will be utilized by school personnel to help communicate with parents who have limited English proficiency. Information such as: school newsletters, state reports, school reports and school notes (ie. field trip notes) will be made available in the language preferred. We will make available limited English proficiency. Information such as: school newsletters, state reports, school reports and school notes (i.e. field trip notes) will be made available in the language preferred. We will make available educational personnel, including student services personnel such as: ELL, Speech, etc.
· RCES will utilize community groups, including faith-based organizations in appropriate roles withing the school setting.
· Provide opportunities for parents to participate in meetings virtually in attempts to minimize COVID spread and provide another means of meeting with parents.
Adoption:
RCES’ Family-School 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 meeting sign in sheets.
Our Family Engagement Policy was adopted on August 22, 2023 and will be in effect for the period of the 2023-2024 school year. The policy and plan will be revisited annually. At that time, any necessary changes will be made to promote more parent involvement.
RCES will distribute this policy to all families of participating Title 1, Part A children on or before the first of September of the current school year.
Daris Burke
Rogers Creek Elementary School
Family Engagement Coordinator
423-745-2123