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Parent Involvement Policy Sonoraville Elementary School recognizes that a child's education is a responsibility shared between the school and family during the entire period a child spends in school. Our mission: "Building Exceptional Students" is built upon the fact that we believe that educational excellence creates lifelong learners. To achieve this, students must have a strong academic foundation in which the school staff members and the guardians of all students are each knowledgeable partners. While diverse in culture, language, and needs, parents share the school's commitment to the educational success of their children. Sonoraville Elementary School in collaboration with parents shall establish programs and practices that enhance parent involvement and reflect the specific needs of students and their families. Further, Sonoraville Elementary School affirms and assures that such programs and practices meet or exceed the requirements set forth by any federal and/or state legislation for the involvement of parents in all programs with associated funding. This includes, but is not limited to, federal programs (specifically Title I), Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Early Intervention Programs (EIP), Programs for the Limited English Proficient (LEP), Gifted, Students with Disabilities, Student Support Services, and any other related programs. To this end, Sonoraville Elementary School supports the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of parent involvement programs which involve parents at all grade levels in a variety of roles. The parent involvement programs shall be comprehensive and coordinated in nature and may include, but not be limited to, the following components of successful parent involvement programs: Communication - Communication between home and school shall be regular, two-way, and meaningful. Communication may be maintained through direct contact, conferences, written documents, web-based networks, and other multi-media strategies and activities including local radio and TV support. School plans shall include measures to communicate with parents in a language that can be understood. Student Learning - Parents shall play an integral role in assisting student learning. Parents shall be informed of expectations and standards for students in each subject area at each grade level. Further, parents shall be provided opportunities, resources, and information to support student learning, educational programs, and post-secondary education and career choices. In compliance with federal Title I legislation, parents shall be informed annually of the school's accountability (adequate yearly progress) status, school choice and supplemental services provisions, and applicable teacher quality provisions. Such information, if required, shall be sent to parents by the school principal at the beginning of each school year. Parenting - Parenting skills are promoted and supported. Sonoraville Elementary School shall reach out to all families and demonstrate respect for the family's primary role in the rearing of children to become responsible adults. Support, through such means as the Family Advocate Program, school nurses and counselors, and Family Connections, shall be provided by the system to communicate the importance of positive relationships between parents and their children and to link parents to programs and resources within the community that provide support services to families. Volunteering - Parents shall be welcome in the school, and their support and assistance shall be sought and appreciated. Parents shall be valued as resources and provided appropriate opportunities to use their interests and talents within the school. The system in conjunction with the school shall create and maintain a climate in which parents feel valued and welcomed. The school's culture shall reflect the system's mission of providing a caring and nurturing environment. School Decision Making and Advocacy - Parents shall be involved in decisions that affect children and families. Parents shall have representation and advisory responsibilities on the School Council as set forth by Georgia state law. Additionally, parents shall be encouraged to participate in parent-teacher organizations and other program advisory groups to identify and respond to issues of interest to parents. Input from parents shall be sought in compliance with programs such as Title I, LEP, Special Education, EIP, Pre-K, Gifted, and all other federal and state programs with parent involvement requirements. Subsequent to Title I requirements, an annual program review shall be conducted by the Title I Director. Documentation of parent involvement shall be kept, as required, at the school and system level. Community Collaboration- Community resources shall be used to strengthen schools, families, and student learning. Business partners and services groups shall be engaged with our school in meaningful collaboration to advance student learning. Community business partners shall have representation and advisory responsibilities on the School Council as set forth by Georgia state law. Collaborative approaches to providing cultural, recreational, academic, health, social, and other resources and information shall be supported. Employers shall be encouraged to adopt policies and practices that promote and support adult participation in children's education. Sonoraville Elementary School supports professional development opportunities for staff members to enhance understanding of effective parent involvement strategies. Sonoraville Elementary School also recognizes the importance of administrative leadership in setting expectations and creating a climate conducive to parental participation. In addition to programs at the school level, Sonoraville Elementary School supports the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of a program created to involve parents in the decisions and practices of the school system, using to the degree possible, the components listed above. It is believed that parents are more likely to make their child's education a priority when parents are involved in the instructional processes at school. Our team, consisting of parents, students, community members, Sonoraville Elementary School faculty and staff, also believes parent involvement is crucial to the success of our students. We strive to enable all students to be responsible, productive, caring citizens and lifelong learners in an ever changing, often challenging society. To attain our goals, parent involvement is vital in the joint development, implementation, and review of the Title I plan and policy. School support and coordination will be provided to assist personnel in planning and implementing effective parent involvement programs. These programs will encourage parents to be involved in the academic achievement of their children. Every effort will be made to coordinate parent involvement that includes a broad range of programs based on the results and responses of the parent involvement surveys. Sonoravile Elementary School will also work in collaboration with other parenting programs in the area. These include, but are not conclusive to, Head Start, Reading First, applicable pre-school programs, Family Connections, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and other programs concerned with developing more effective parenting skills, stronger families and improving the literacy of our community. Coordinated community efforts will help Sonoraville better serve its families. Our school will also support the business partnership initiative in our county. They are involved in providing mentors and special projects throughout the year. We will have a parent involvement resource area which will provide resources such as training, technology, printed materials and workshops for Sonoravile Elementary School families. We believe this will provide parenting support and an environment conducive for the implementation of this policy.
Engaging parents is essential to improved student achievement. Sonoraville Elementary School shall foster and support active parent involvement as set forth in this policy. This policy is made available to all parents through Sonoraville Elementary School's web site at www.gcbe.org.
Additionally, school level parent involvement strategies shall be integrated with the school's overall improvement plan design and process, updated annually, and made available to the local school community. The National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE) school improvement process used by the Gordon County Schools in fulfillment of accreditation standards under the Georgia Commission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and School Councils required by Georgia law provide the structure for parent involvement in joint planning and program design as required under section 1114 (b) (2) of the Title I law. Additional Resources: http://www.gordonconnection.org/
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