Title I, Part A LEA-Level Parent and Family Engagement Policy

Hanford Joint Union High School District will implement the following statutory requirements:

• The school district will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I programs. Those programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating students.
• The school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parental involvement policies meet the Title I requirements, and include, as a component, a school parent compact.
• The school district will incorporate this district-wide parental involvement policy into its district plan.
• In carrying out the Title I parental involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with children with limited English proficiency, parents with children with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in an understandable and uniform format and, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.
• The school district will involve the parents of children served in Title I schools in decisions about how the one percent of Title I funds reserved for parental involvement is spent, and will ensure that not less than 95 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools.
• The school district will be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement, and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition: 

Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring— (A) that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning; (B) that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; (C) that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; 

The purpose of this Policy is to:

Provide an equitable education for all students in our district. In support of the district mission to “Prepare Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s World” Hanford Joint Union High School District will develop and nurture partnerships with parents/caregivers, students, and community stakeholders. Furthermore, the district will involve parents/caregivers in all aspects of the various local, state and federal programs offered in HJUHSD schools. 

Parent Involvement in Developing the Policy 

Hanford Joint Union High School District will provide the following necessary coordination, technical assistance, and other support to assist Title I schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance:  

• Campus visitation by Director of Educational Services to serve in an advisory capacity to Title I campuses  
• A district parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in Title I, Part A programs  
• A district meeting of parents/caregivers, community members and campus personnel to provide feedback and input on campus plans, policies and budget allocations  

Hanford Joint Union School District will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its district/school parental involvement plan:  

• Actively recruit parents/caregivers to participate in parent advisory capacity  
• Schedule meetings at convenient times and locations to participate in a comprehensive review of policy, budget and programs for parent involvement  
• Offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening
• Facilitate communication between parents/caregivers

Annual Meetings for Title I Parents 

Hanford Joint Union High School District uses Title I funds to provide school-wide services for all students enrolled on Title I campuses. The Title I campuses will hold at least one meeting annually to review Title I guidelines and services offered at campus level. Copies of the district’s current Parent Involvement Policy and campus designed Parent-Student Compact will be distributed at the meeting. Both documents will be provided in English and in Spanish. The meeting will be held at a convenient time and location; notice of the meeting will be provided through public announcements and school based information flyers. Translators will be available to help with non-English speaking parents/caregivers. 

HJUHSD will provide parents of participating students, if requested by parents, 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 such suggestions as soon as practically possible. The district will, with the assistance of its Title I schools,  

• Provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their students’ academic achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement  
• Pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions  
• Train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents  
• Arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend those conferences at school 

Matching Parent Involvement Programs to the Needs of the Community 

Hanford Joint Union High School District will build the schools’ and parents’ capacity for strong parental involvement in order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the schools involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, through the following activities:  

• The school/district will, with the assistance of its Title I schools, provide assistance to parents of children served by the school district or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following:
• the state’s academic content standards
• the state’s student academic achievement standards
• the state and local academic assessments including alternate assessments
• the requirements of Title I
• how to monitor their child’s progress
• how to work with educators 

Staff/Parent Communications 

With the assistance of its Title I schools and parents, the district will educate its teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and schools. 

The school/district will take the following actions to ensure that Title I information related to the school and parent- programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand:  

• Translators provided at the campus level for Spanish speaking parents  
• District communication system set up in English and Language based upon the primary language identified for the home  
• Translations or all Title I information will be provided in both English and Spanish 

In carrying out parental involvement communication, districts and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with children with limited English proficiency, parents with children 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 can understand. 

School-Parent Compacts 

As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy, each school shall jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement. This compact will be provided by each Title I campus and parent/campus/student signature will remain on file for easy access. The parent compact will be reviewed yearly for updates and revision. 

Evaluation 

HJUHSD will take action to conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement policy in improving the quality of Title I schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in parental involvement activities with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background. The school district will use the findings of the evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary and with the involvement of parents its parental involvement policies.