Cedar Grove Elementary

20-21 Parent and Family Engagement Plan

The Parent and Family Engagement Plan (PFEP) must be jointly developed with parents and must be distributed to parents in an understandable and uniform format, and in the language parents can understand. It must be made available for the community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of the parents and the school. [Section 1116(b)].

 Instructions: Describe the means by which the school will carry out the ESSA requirements below. 

1. POLICY INVOLVEMENT

 A. By what means will the school conduct a Title I Annual Meeting (convened at a convenient time, to which all parents are invited and encouraged to attend) to inform parents of their school’s participation in Title I, the requirements of Title I, and the right of parents to be involved [Section 1116(c)(1)]? 

Due to COVID, virtual Title I Annual Meeting will be held virtually on three different days – one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. Notification, in English and Spanish, will be distributed via Peachjar, on dojo, and the school’s facebook page. The PowerPoint will be distributed for parents who were not able to attend the virtual meetings through the district’s social media accounts.

 B. By what means will the school involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the PFEP [Section 1116(c)(3)]? 

All parents are given the opportunity to complete a paper or online Title 1 Spring Parent Survey. The results of the survey are tallied and shared with faculty members for their thoughts on ways to improve the PFEP for the next year. An evaluation of the current PFEP is conducted during a SAC meeting. Based on the survey results and staff input, the plan is revised for the next school year. The plan will then be reviewed during SAC meetings throughout the year to make revisions according to the changing needs of the parents and the school.

 C. By what means will the school involve parents in the joint development of the School Improvement Plan [Section 1116(c)(3)]? 

Parents will be involved in the joint development of the School Improvement Plan during SAC meetings. During the SAC meeting results from a comprehensive needs assessment will be reviewed. The current SIP will be reviewed. Revisions to the plan will be made based on needs, barriers and parental input. We will use the School Improvement Plan Review /Input to record parent input.

 D. By what means will the school provide parents opportunities, if requested, for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in making decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible [Section 1116(c)(4)(C)]? 

The school will provide opportunities for parents to participate in making decisions related to the education of their children through parent/teacher conferences, IEP and CST meetings, Open House, Parental Workshops, Family Nights, and SAC meetings which due to Covid restrictions will be offered virtually until in-person meetings are acceptable... Suggestions made by the parents, if practical, will be implemented in a timely manner.

 E. If the School Improvement Plan is not satisfactory to the parents, by what means will the school provide parents an opportunity to submit comments with the plan when it is submitted to the district [Section 1116(c)(5)]? 

Parents not satisfied with the school wide plan will complete a form to be submitted with the plan to the district.

2. BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT

 In Table A, list the activities that will address topics F - J.                                                                      F. Assist parents in understanding:

• State academic standards;
• State and local academic assessments;
• requirements of Title I;
•  monitoring a child’s progress; and
•  work with educators to improve the achievement of their children [Section 1116(e)(1)] 

G. Description and explanation of:

• Curriculum in use at the school [Section 1116(4)(B)]

H. Description and explanation of:

•  Academic assessments used to measure student progress [Section 1116(4) (B)]? 

  I. Description and explanation of:

•  Achievement levels of the State academic standards that students are expected to obtain [Section 1116(4)(B)] 

J. Provide materials and training to:

•  help parents work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology (including the harms of copyright piracy), to foster parental involvement [Section 1116(e)(2)]  (LEA note: this includes Parent Portal training)

Table A - 

Parent Training Opportunities

 List all activities for requirements F through J and transition activities that involve parents. 

*To be updated throughout the year.                                                                                                                Table B - Other Events/Activities

 Other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children [Section 1116(e)(4)]. 

*To be updated throughout the year

 K. By what means will the school educate the faculty, staff, and administrators, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school [Section 1116(e)(3)]? 

Based on the parents’ responses to the Spring Survey, 30% suggested that the faculty/staff could benefit from professional development that addresses Communicating with Parents. During Pre-school in-service days, the Title I coordinator will review the results of the spring survey with teachers and staff so they are aware of the best times, days, and ways to communicate with parents about conferences and events. Any other input parents offered to improve parent engagement will also be provided. This will be followed by training to address why communication is important and suggestions for what needs to be communicated to help engage parents in their child’s education. Teachers will then be trained on the use of technology the school uses to communicate with parents and other means of communication for parents without technology.

 L. To the extent feasible, by what means will the school coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs that encourage and support parents in participating in the education of their children [Section 1116(e)(4)]? 

The school will coordinate with the State Funded VPK program. All VPK parents will be invited to attend all events that the school holds to include, Muffins with Mom, Donuts with Dad, and Curriculum based and Transition Family Nights either virtually or in-person.

 M. By what means will the school provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request [Section 1116(e)(13)]? (Based on the Title I Spring Parent Survey results, what activities did the parents request that are included in this plan?) 

Based on the Title 1 Spring Survey Results, parents requested help in understanding and using Parent Portal. For the school year 20/21 the school will offer individual virtual sessions for the parents in the use of parent portal.

 N. Elementary Only - How will the school ensure that teachers conduct a parent-teacher conference for individual students at least annually, during which the compact is discussed [Section 1116 (d)(2)(A)]? 

Parents will be encouraged at virtual family events, through Class Dojo messages, emails, and phone calls to schedule a conference. Should Covid persist and an in-person meeting is not possible, then a virtual meeting or phone conference will be held.

 O. Optional – How will the school develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parent involvement activities [Section 1116(e)(13)]? 

 P. Optional – By what means will the school involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of the trainings [Section 1116(e)(6)]? 

The school will involve parents in the development of training for staff members to improve the training by surveying the parents on what training(s) they feel are necessary and having a parent share their positive experience with a teacher.

 Q. Optional – By what means will the school provide literacy training for parents if the LEA has exhausted all other sources of funding [Section 1116(e)(7)]? 

 R. Optional – By what means will the school pay reasonable and necessary expenses, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions [Section 1116(e)(8)]? 

Should in-person events be held and are held at meal times the school will provide the entire family a meal to ensure that parents are able to participate. Students and Siblings will be allowed to attend the events to aid with unnecessary child care.

 S. Optional – By what means will the school train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents [Section 1116(e)(9)]? 

Once Covid restrictions are lifted, the Parent Liaison will work with current volunteers to encourage new parents to attend events and volunteer. Should there be volunteer virtual volunteer opportunities, the parent liaison will work to secure parent volunteers.

 T. Optional – By what means will the school conduct in-home conferences for parents who are unable to attend at school [Section 1116(e)(10)]? 

The school will make home visits for parents who are unable to attend conferences in school with the assistance of the school’s social worker and guidance counselor.

 U. Optional – By what means will the school adopt and implement model approaches to improve parent involvement [Section 1116(e)(11)]? 

3. ACCESSIBILITY

 V. By what means will the school provide opportunities for informed participation of parents and family members (including parents and family members with limited English proficiency, with disabilities, and parents of migratory children). [Section 1116(f)]? (List the barriers identified by parents in the Title I Spring Survey and the methods by which the school will assist to overcome the barriers.) 

Based on the Title 1 Spring Parent Survey results, work schedule was listed as the top barrier to participation. The parents also noted in the comments that communication farther out from the event would allow them to ask for the time off to attend the event. We plan to offer both morning and evening events as well as give a notice out with more time for parents to plan to attend the event. This will be done using Newsletters, Classroom Dojo, and the sign in front of the school.

 W. By what means will the school ensure that information related to school and parent programs, school reports, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents in a format and in a language the parents can understand [Section 1116(e)(5) and (f)]? 

All school communications will be available and translated for our ELL families. Google Translate and staff members assist with this. Bilingual staff members assist with conferences and phone calls.

 X. By what means will the school offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening to accommodate parents’ schedules [Section 1116(c)(2)]? 

Based on the Spring Survey Results the majority of parents indicated that evening was the best time for them to attend an event. Other times (before school, morning, lunch, and after school) all received similar results.

 Y. By what means will the school provide parents with timely information about meetings, activities, and events [Section 1116(c) (4)(A)]. 

The school’s policy will be a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice for events. This will give parents an opportunity to save the date and make plans to attend. The school will use a variety of methods to communicate about the event as well as to remind parents about the event.

Title I Expenditures Parent and Family Engagement