Florida Scholars Academy Title I, Part A

School Parent & Family Engagement Plan (PFEP) 2024-2025

I, Julian Cazañas, do hereby certify that all facts, figures, and representations made in this application are true, correct, and consistent with the statement of assurances for these waivers. Furthermore, all applicable statutes, regulations, and procedures; administrative and programmatic requirements; and procedures for fiscal control and maintenance of records will be implemented to ensure proper accountability for the expenditure of funds on this project. All records necessary to substantiate these requirements will be available for review by appropriate state and federal staff. I further certify that all expenditures will be obligated on or after the effective date and prior to the termination date of the project. Disbursements will be reported only as appropriate to this project and will not be used to match funds on this or any special project, where prohibited.

Assurances

• The school will be governed by the statutory definition of parent and family engagement, and will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with the definition:
• Involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A in decisions about how Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement are spent;
• Jointly develop/revise with parents the school parent and family engagement plan and distribute it to parents of participating children and make available the parent and family engagement plan to the local community;
• Involve parents, 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 parent and family engagement plan and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan;
• Use the findings of the parent and family engagement plan review to design strategies for more effective parent and family engagement, and to revise, if necessary, the school’s parent and family engagement plan;
• If the plan for Title I, Part A, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school will submit parent comments with the plan when the school submits the plan;
• Provide each parent with an individual student report about the performance of their child on the state assessment in at least mathematics, language arts, and reading;
• Provide each parent with timely notice when their child has been assigned or has been taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified; and
• Provide each parent with timely notice information regarding their right to request information on the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teachers and paraprofessionals.

Mission Statement

Parent & Family Engagement Mission Statement (Optional)

Response: The mission of the Florida Scholars Academy is to provide an appropriate high-quality education to eligible students within the juvenile justice system, and to prepare students for gainful employment as productive citizens upon their reentry into the community. Educational pathways will include a K-12 education, a high school equivalency diploma, a career and technical education credential (pursuant to Florida Statute 1003.4282(10)), or enrollment in a degree program at a state college or university, with an emphasis on attaining an industry-recognized credential of value from the Master Credentials List (under Florida Statute. 445.004(4)(h)).

Engagement of Parents

Describe how the school will involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely manner, in the planning, review, and improvement of Title I programs including engagement in the decisions regarding how funds for parent and family engagement will be used.

Response: Parent engagement is an integral part of student success. Florida Scholars Academy will involve parents in all aspects of its Title I programs. These programs will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children, including the school-parent compact. The trimester Title I meetings will evaluate the various school-level plans, including the Schoolwide Plan (SWP), Parent and Family Engagement Plan (PFEP), and use of Title I funds. All parents are invited to each trimester meeting and given the opportunity to review the program and plans. Parents offer their input prior to final approval during the Title I trimester Meetings, the End of Year Annual Evaluation Meeting, and through posts and surveys. The PFEP is sent to all parents through FOCUS and placed on the school Family Resource Center website. Parents are also provided with the Parent Satisfaction Survey twice per year requesting their input regarding curriculum, parent engagement activities, Title I activities, school communication, and student achievement. Results are shared during the End of Year Title I meeting to obtain suggestions for change.

Coordination and Integration

Describe how the school will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement programs and activities that teach parents how to help their children at home, to the extent feasible and appropriate, including but not limited to, other federal programs such as: Head Start, Early Reading First, Even Start, Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, public preschool, Title I, Part C, Title II, Title III, Title IV, Title VI and Title IX.

Annual Parent Meeting

Describe the specific steps the school will take to conduct an annual meeting designed to inform parents of participating children about the school’s Title I program, the nature of the Title I programs (schoolwide), Adequate Yearly Progress, school choice, supplemental educational services, and the rights of parents. Include timeline, persons responsible, and evidence the school will use to demonstrate the effectiveness of the activity.

Flexible Parent Meetings

Describe how the school will offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide Title I funds, transportation, childcare, or home visits, as such services related to parent and family engagement.

Response: Florida Scholars Academy has the unique ability to communicate with parents in a variety of ways and at times that are convenient to parents. Parent Sessions are held virtually and recorded for the convenience of those unable to attend, making the information available any day at any time. Recordings are readily available to all families as they are posted on the Family Resource Center. This provides flexibility for families to be involved. In addition, phone and video conferencing are available and used, so families are constantly provided with an opportunity for academic information and meetings.  Parents are informed that they may request meetings at any time of the year to discuss the Title I program and suggest improvements. Parents are also given information about survey tools, assessment information presentations, and family academic support sessions. Parent meetings will be planned throughout the year at flexible times to provide parents with many opportunities to become involved and better understand their child's expectations and curriculum. The Family Resource Center allows parents to view events and stay informed while being able to choose their preferred language by translating the site.

Due to the nature of Florida Scholars Academy's structure, transportation, and home visits are not necessary.

Building Capacity

Describe how the school will implement activities that will build the capacity for strong parent and family engagement, in order to ensure effective engagement of parents and families and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement. Describe the actions the school will take to provide materials and training to help parents and families work with their children to improve their child’s academic achievement. Include information on how the school will provide other reasonable support for parent and family engagement activities as parents may request.

Staff Training

Describes the professional development activities the school will provide to educate the teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff on 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 and family engagement programs and build ties between parents and schools.

Other Activities

Describe the other activities, such as parent resource centers, that the school will conduct to encourage and support parents and families in more fully participating in the education of their children.

Response: Florida Scholars Academy administration, teachers, and paraprofessionals offer parents and students individualized conferences monthly. Family Engagement Resources are made available to parents through the Family Resource Center site.

  Communication

Describe how the school will provide parents and families of participating children with the following:

• Timely information about the Title I programs;
• Description and explanation of the academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet;
• 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
• If the schoolwide program plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school will include submitting the parents’ comments with the plan that will be made available to the local education agency.

Response: Florida Scholars Academy makes effective use of email, Virtual Sessions, and telephone conferencing to distribute information to parents. Live calendars and invites will be posted on the Family Resource Center website. The Title I Annual Meeting will be held in October 2024. The meeting will provide parents with information about the Title I programs and opportunities available to parents so that they can become involved in their student’s education. Parents will be involved in creating the Parent & Family Engagement Plan (PFEP) for the school and provide suggestions for parental engagement activities annually during the end-of-year program evaluation and Annual Title I Meeting. Parents and teachers will have the opportunity to discuss curriculum, academic assessments, student expectations, and proficiency levels during monthly phone conferences. Parents can request meetings at any time throughout the year. The School Improvement Plan (SIP) is discussed with parents during a schoolwide meeting in October. If parents have comments or suggestions about the SIP, parents can voice their concerns, and their feedback is considered before the SIP is finalized. Their suggestions can be sent via email to the Family Engagement Specialist.  Parents will receive a copy of the school and district PFEPs (Parent and Family Engagement Plan) and a link to access the plan on the school website. During parent conferences and meetings, paraprofessionals will further share information on curriculum, promotion requirements, academic assessments, and how parents can be involved in and monitor their student’s education. Translation services are available for parents who need them.

Accessibility

Describe how the school will provide full opportunities for participation in parent and family engagement activities for all parents (including parents with limited English proficiency, disabilities, and migratory children). Include how the school plans to share information related to school and parent programs, meetings, school reports, and other activities in an understandable and uniform format and to the extent practical, in a language parents can understand.

Response: The school has access to bilingual staff members who can assist non-English speaking parents.  Florida Scholars Academy can use technology and the working partnership between parents/learning coaches and the school staff to facilitate the full participation of parents who might otherwise face barriers to engagement. Family Resource Center website allows parents to translate all information into their native language. All required communications and notifications can be translated into the family's native language using Google Translate tools under the web language settings on the Family Resource Center. Parent communications are written clearly and concisely and are easily understood by all parents. Parents with disabilities are provided extra care by the child's teacher in understanding communications and student requirements. Any parent activity is planned with all parents in mind, and accommodations are made for parents with limited English proficiency, disabilities, and migratory children.

  Discretionary Activities

Discretionary School Level parent and family engagement plan Components Check if the school does not plan to implement discretionary parent and family engagement activities. Check all activities the school plans to implement:        

X Not Applicable

Upload Evidence of Input from Parents

Please provide evidence of parent input in the development of the Parent & Family Engagement Plan.

Please upload into SharePoint and keep copies for our records.

Upload Parent-School Compact

Note: As a component of the school-level parent and family engagement plan, each school shall jointly develop, with parents for all children served under this part, a parent-school compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

Please upload into SharePoint and keep copies for your records.

Upload Evidence of Parent and Family Engagement in Development of Parent-School Compact

Note: As a component of the school-level parent and family engagement plan, Florida Scholars Academy shall jointly develop, with parents for all children served under this part, a parent-school compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

Please upload into SharePoint and keep copies for your records.

Evaluation of the previous year's Parental & Family Engagement Plan

Building Capacity Summary

Provide a summary of activities provided during the previous school year that were designed to build the capacity of parents to help their children. Include participation data on the Title I Annual Meeting.

Staff Training Summary

Provide a summary of the professional development activities provided by the school during the previous school year to educate staff on the value and utility of contributions of parents; how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners; the implementation and coordination of parent programs; and how to build ties between parents and the school.

Barriers

Describe the barriers that hindered participation by parents during the previous school year in parent and family engagement activities. Include the steps the school will take during the upcoming school year to overcome the barriers (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).

Best Practices (Optional)

Describe the parent and family engagement activity/strategy the school implemented during the previous school year that the school considers the most effective. This information may be shared with other LEAs and schools as a best practice. (Optional)