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RCPS Parental Involvement Policy,

FY17, 
Revised August 31, 2016.

Click here for PDF of RCPS Parental Involvement Policy, FY17.
Click here for Word Document of RCPS Parental Involvement Policy, FY17.

Click here for Research, Assessment and Accountability Office page and contact information.

What is Parental Involvement?
Parental involvement is the participation of parents in regular, two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities.  RCPS believes that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning, and are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.  We believe that parents should be full partners in their child’s education, and every effort is made to include parents, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.

Jointly Developed.
The RCPS Parent Involvement Policy, Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP) and school parent involvement policies are updated annually.  Parents are given several opportunities to provide input and feedback.  A district parent advisory council is established each year, with parents from each school, who are able to provide feedback at quarterly meetings.  In the spring of each year, all parents are invited via flyers, newsletters, school and district website and the local newspaper, to attend revision meetings at their child’s school.  Input and feedback is collected for the revision of the parent involvement policies and Comprehensive LEA School Improvement Plan (CLIP).

Parents are also given opportunities for input through the annual Title I parent involvement survey and additional surveys provided at all Title I parent meetings and workshops.  School websites encourage parents to contact the school’s parent liaison with suggestions at any time during the school year.  All parental feedback is collected, documented and used in the annual updating of policies.   The district parent involvement policy is posted on the RCPS district website.  Each Title I school will post their parent involvement policy on their school website, and will also have them available in their parent resource centers.

Reservation of Funds.
1% of the district’s annual Title I allocation is distributed to the Title I schools to carry out parental involvement activities.  This includes, but it not limited to, family literacy services, numeracy skills workshops and various other workshop topics as requested by parents.  Parents are given several opportunities to provide suggestions and input on how these funds are used.  Comments can be submitted via school websites and to the school’s parent liaison.  Surveys are also collected at Title I workshops, giving parents opportunities for input on the expenditures of parental involvement funds.

Annual Evaluation.
Each year, RCPS will conduct an evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy.  Parents are able to participate in the parent involvement survey in many ways.  Surveys will be sent home with students and are made available on school websites.  Parents are also encouraged to complete surveys when entering their child’s school, or to pick up from their school’s parent resource centers.  The district and schools will utilize feedback from the surveys to improve the effectiveness of their parental involvement programs and policies. 

Supporting Our Schools.
The RCPS Title I director and Title I technician provide assistance and support to help Title I schools build effective partnerships between the school and parents.  Parent liaisons meet twice a year with the Title I technician to ensure Title I requirements are being satisfied and that parent involvement strategies and activities are being on-site visits with parent liaisons to provide guidance on ways to strengthen and improve family engagement.  The Title I technician will communicate with parent liaisons on a monthly basis, and ensure compliance with the Title I parental involvement program is being met.  Parent liaisons are encouraged to attend family engagement conferences, workshops and any other learning opportunities that would enable them to enhance their strategies for stronger parental involvement.

Building School and Parent Capacity
The RCPS district and each Title I school support obligations that will build both school and parent capacity for parental involvement.

RCPS will work with all Title I schools to provide assistance to parents in understanding the state’s academic standards and state student academic achievement standards.  Title I schools offer various parent workshops which provide information about the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards and the Georgia Milestones Assessment System.  Dates and times are determined and announced by each individual school, and are posted on school websites and marquees.  Flyers and notices are also sent home to parents.
 
RCPS supports all Title I schools with materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their academic achievement.  “Home and School Connection” and “Parents Make a Difference” are two parent newsletters that the district provides to Title I schools.  These newsletters are sent home to each parent, in English and Spanish, and are also available online. Title I workshops are conducted throughout the year at all Title I schools for parents, offering  topics such as numeracy and literacy training, test taking skills and technology support.  The district also supports the RCPS Parent Academy, a bi-annual, free event for parents and the community.  The Parent Academy is a day-long event, providing an expansive learning opportunity for parents. Workshops offered include parenting skills, college and career readiness, computer skills, preparing for Ga. Milestones tests, how to help your child with math and many others.

Teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff are trained on the value and utility of contributions of parents and how to work with, reach out and communicate with parents as equal partners.  Parent liaisons will re-deliver training modules provided by the GaDOE family engagement program, to all school staff twice a year. These trainings encourage and enable teachers and administrators to effectively reach out to parents in a meaningful and productive manner and build ties between parents and the school. 

RCPS parent involvement activities include coordination with state-funded pre-school programs and the Parents as Teachers program.  All eleven of our school wide Title I elementary schools provide Pre-Kindergarten classes for the district.  Pre-K services and activities are coordinated within the buildings, integrating Title I and locally funded supplies, equipment and personnel services with the Pre-K program. Pre-K children and parents from all area preschools are included in our district’s annual Kindergarten Roundup.  This program is conducted at all eleven elementary schools in Rockdale County each spring.  Preschool children and parents visit the schools for informational meetings, student academic evaluations, and health screenings from school nurses.  The system publicizes this event in the newspaper, at all local preschool centers, and at  local grocery stores and pharmacies.  The RCPS Title I program also supports the Parents as Teachers program, through two Title I elementary schools.  These two teachers provide parent education and support in the form of personal and home visits, group meetings, child screenings and linkages to a network of resources for parents and children.  By working with the families, early learning programs, community and the school, the PAT’s help ensure a successful transition to school for these children.

Information related to district, school and parent programs, meetings and activities are available to all parents in an understandable and uniform format.  All parent notifications and resources are sent home in the parents’ native language, where applicable.  Interpreters will be available at parent events and meetings when needed. 

RCPS has established the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council, in which parents from each of the districts’ schools are represented.  The council meets quarterly to provide advice to the district on school matters and parental involvement.  In addition, each Title I school forms a school advisory council comprised of  teachers, administrators, support staff and parents, who work together to build effective partnerships  between the school and parents. 


All parents of 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. Input and suggestions from parents are an essential component of the district and school improvement plans that are developed each year. 



Click here for PDF of RCPS Parental Involvement Policy, FY17.
Click here for Word Document of RCPS Parental Involvement Policy, FY17.

Click here for Research, Assessment and Accountability Office page and contact information.