AR 5124.1Family Engagement

The administration may train, support, and improve school and family partnership by integrating some of the following approaches.

Welcome and Inclusive Environment

• Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for parents, guardians, and families by providing clear and accessible information about school policies, programs, and activities.
• Supporting meaningful two-way communication between school and home that welcomes families into the school and learning environment.
• Hosting orientation events, open houses, and parent-teacher conferences to foster connections between parents, guardians, and families.
• Respecting and welcoming parents, guardians, and family members as partners in decisions affecting children and families, as well as visitors to the schools.
• Encouraging parents, guardians, and family members to be in the schools and help co-lead school-related activities.
• Encouraging school administrators to set expectations and create a climate conducive to parent, guardian, and family participation.

Communication and Collaboration

• Communicating with parents, guardians, and family members about Board policies and regulations, as well as how to navigate to them.
• Establishing multiple channels of communication to facilitate regular and meaningful dialogue between parents, guardians, families, and school staff, including newsletters, emails, school websites, social media, and other appropriate platforms.
• Providing parents, guardians, and families with timely and relevant information about their child’s academic progress, attendance, and behavior. Progress reports, report cards, and parent teacher conferences will be utilized to maintain ongoing communication.
• Engaging in meaningful parent-teacher conferences to discuss student progress toward meeting academic content standards and other family learning goals, individual instructional needs and student welfare issues.
• Providing opportunities for parents, guardians, and families to engage in decision making processes, such as through family surveys, focus groups, and participation in school improvement planning will be provided.
• Expanding parent, guardian, and family involvement in decision-making through parent groups and Board and school advisory committees.

Capacity Building

• Creating meaningful roles for parents, guardians, and family members to support, reinforce and assist student learning.
• Promoting parent, guardian, family involvement in their child's learning through the provision of tools, strategies, and resources that families can use at home.
• Providing opportunities for parent, guardian, and family input in school programs and curriculum. Promoting the creation of authentic opportunities for families to support one another in school and with parenting that integrate the diverse knowledge, learning styles, and cultural backgrounds within the school community.
• Offering workshops, training sessions, and resources to support parents, guardians, and families in understanding the curriculum, effective parenting practices, and strategies to support their child's learning and well-being.
• Collaborating with community organizations and agencies will be encouraged to provide additional support and resources for parents, guardians, and families, such as workshops on health and wellness, financial literacy, and college and career readiness.

School Staff Capacity

• Supporting meaningful roles for school staff in supporting and reinforcing meaningful partnerships with families.
• Providing professional development opportunities that enable staff members to build stronger relationships and increase the effectiveness of parent, guardian, and family involvement strategies.
• Cultural Responsiveness
• Striving to create an inclusive environment that celebrates and honors the cultural backgrounds, languages, and traditions of all families.
• Actively seeking input from parents, guardians, and families to inform culturally responsive teaching practices and curriculum development.
• Developing methods to accommodate and support parent, guardian, and family involvement for families with special needs such as Special Education.
• Developing methods to accommodate and support parent, guardian, and family involvement for families with English Language Learners.
• Assessing the effectiveness of family and school partnership, including previously underserved parents, guardians, and families with special needs.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The effectiveness of this Family Engagement Policy will be periodically assessed and reviewed by the district. Feedback from parents, guardians, families, staff, and community members will be sought to identify areas of improvement and make necessary revisions to the policy.