This is the 2023-2024 Policy updated on 1/25/2024

The written school Parent and Family Engagement Policy establishes the school’s expectations for Parent and Family Engagement and describes how the school will build the school and parent capacity for strong parent and family engagement. This plan includes all federal requirements, was developed with and agreed upon with parents, distributed to parents, and is being implemented. 

(1) Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. 

During the annual, beginning of the year Parent Orientation Portions of this plan and specific events are also communicated to parents via parent letters, school newsletter and parent meetings. The plan is also posted on the school website and in the student planner. 

(2) Such policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. 

Parents can view our plan on the school website or have access to it on site. Periodic updates are made as needed to reflect school needs based on data gleaned from our annual Family and Community Engagement events. Input from parents through our parent and community group is also encouraged. 

(3) The school will convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school's participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved. 

Evidence such as agenda/ minutes , attendance rosters, and communication is collected for documentation. 

(4) The school offers a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement. 

Since a large percentage of our student population qualifies for free and reduced lunch. We continually take measures to accommodate families from diverse backgrounds . We offer our families during and after-school opportunities to be involved and engaged in our school operations. 

(5) Parents are involved in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and the joint development of the schoolwide program

plan under section 1114(b)(2), except that if a school has in place a process for involving parents in the joint planning and design of the school's programs, the school may use that process, if such process includes an adequate representation of parents of participating children. 

(6) The school provides parents of participating children timely information about programs under Title I. 

In order to communicate regularly with families. CES sends home information during the first week of school that welcomes families and how they can be involved. A school handbook is sent home with important papers . A planner with a handbook attached is provided to all students. The Sevier County Board of Education’s webmaster uses the district website to communicate with families. In addition to important school dates and events. The schools have ada compliant websites to communicate school news. Teachers send home progress reports and six week report cards to inform parents of their child’s academic performance. Parents may also check student grades online 

(7) The school provides parents of participating children a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet. 

The following are ways the curriculum and assessment are communicated to our families: Teachers send newsletters highlighting current curricular focus to parents. The curriculum is also discussed with parents at our fall open house at grade-level parent meetings, and our parent events. At the beginning of the school year, each parent receives a Parent’s guide to the curriculum which outlines what their child is expected to know and be able to do and the end of each grade level. In regards to assessment: The Principal and teachers review the prior years test results. Brochures and letters are sent home and accompany state test results for each student. 

(8) Per parent request- 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 suggestions as soon as practically possible. 

Parent teacher conferences with parents to discuss how to motivate their students. We provide 6 different scheduled parent conferences at various times. We also provide meetings when a parent asks for one. We use planning times to accommodate these requests. 

(9) A process is in place to submit parent comments on the school wide program (SIP) if it is not satisfactory to the parents when the school makes the plan available to the district/LEA. (10) A parent school compact is jointly developed with parents and describes the responsibilities of each stakeholder as required by ESSA Sec. 1116. 

(10) A parent school compact is jointly developed with parents and describes the responsibilities of each stakeholder as required by ESSA Sec. 1116.

Our parent-school compact is a written agreement between school staff and families, which provides an opportunity to strengthen partnerships within the school community. The compact explains how families and schools can work together to help students reach high academic standards. This document is jointly developed and updated annually with parents and family members, serving as a reminder of all stakeholders' responsibility to take specific actions at school and at home to support learning. Evidence such as agenda/ minutes , attendance rosters, and communication is collected for documentation. 

(11) Building capacity for involvement- Assistance is provided to parents in understanding topics such as the State’s academic content standards, State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve student achievement. 

Parent training sessions are by our school at different times during the day. Our administrator discusses current changes results in regard to date and the schools area of success and need. Our administration informs families of celebrations and curricular changes/ needs, and upcoming assessments, through newsletters and the school’s website. 

(12) Building capacity for involvement- Materials and training are provided to help parents work with their children to improve their achievement, such as literacy training and using technology to foster parent and family engagement. 

• Title 1 parent materials are placed in our Parent Resource Center.
• Parent training sessions are held by our school counselor at different times of the day.

(13) Building capacity for involvement- Staff are educated, with the assistance of parents, in the value and contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school. 

In addition to attending staff development opportunities relating to family engagement. the CES faculty and staff research and brainstorm on-going ideas on how to increase and promote family participation , collaboration and contribution. Student planners, our website, and our remind program. The website includes school motto, beliefs, and vision. 

(14) Building capacity for involvement- To the extent feasible and appropriate, Title I-A parent and family engagement programs are coordinated and integrated with parent involvement activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start , the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, 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. 

In an effort to smooth the transition from home to school for young children , the following measures are in place:

• K registration / K round up. This is to gather paperwork and make new families feel welcome Many staff members and parent volunteers are involved in this process. l 
• Students entering Kindergarten in the fall begin on a staggered day schedule. Theuse of this schedule helps with K students. 
• We have the Pre-K down the hill come for a visitation before the fall season. This is usually done in the spring. 
• We also visit other Head starts to give parents information. 

(15) Building capacity for involvement- Provide other reasonable support for Parent and Family Engagement activities per parent request. (Example: transportation, childcare). 

Every effort is made to assist our parents with limited English proficiency. Many district/ school documents are available in both English and Spanish. Translators are brought in to interpret in meetings/ office help/ and paperwork. The school staff and PTO also seek to actively involve parents with opportunities to volunteer within the school and provide a mentor to ehop these parents by providing support or translation 

(16) Accessibility-Local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand. 

Parent meetings are conducted throughout the school year or on an as needed basis providing parents with information concerning their child’s education , materials to practice and support identified skills relative to their child’s learning, and tips for parents, while fostering a positive relationship between the home and school environment Two-way communication involves a variety of media such as phones calls emails, and person to person conferencing. 

(17) The school will actively involve the families of children served in Title I, Part A Schools, in decisions about how the funds reserved for parent and family engagement are spent. This will be accomplished by meeting with stakeholders. 

Our school can utilize Title I funding (maintaining federal guidelines) for instructional equipment, supplies, materials, and parent and family engagement events, activities, or workshops. An annual budget is created at the beginning of the year and reviewed with stakeholders for joint decision-making and input on the spending of Title I funds. Evidence such as agenda/ minutes , attendance rosters, and communication is collected for documentation.