Table of Contents

Preface……………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

Parent Advisory Committee…………………………………………….…………………… 4

Parent Involvement Goals…………………………………………………………….……… 6

Strategies to Increase Family Involvement…...…………………………………………....… 7

   Standard 1 – Welcoming All Families

Accessibility…………………………………………………………..………………....…... 9

   Standard 2 – Communicating Effectively

LEA Set Aside Funding…………………………………………………………………..… 11

  Standard 3 – Supporting Student Success

Unsafe Schools…………………………………………………………………………..…. 13

   Standard 4 – Speaking Up For Every Child

Parent-Student-Teacher Compact

Parents’ Right to Know……………………………………………………………………....14   Standard 5 – Sharing Power

Building Capacity…………………………………………………………….………….….. 16

   Standard 6 – Collaborating With Community

Preface

          The administration and faculty of Carthage Elementary School is committed to providing a safe learning environment in which all of our students are given quality educational opportunities that challenge them to reach their full potential while respecting individual differences.

         CES acknowledges that parent involvement is an integral component of a child’s academic success and will, therefore, foster and support an active parental involvement program.

         The following plan was developed jointly with administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents with this commitment to excellence in mind and is in compliance with the legal requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (PL 107-110 Section 1118).

School Wide Title 1 - Parent Advisory Committee

The Parent Involvement Committee consists of the following committee members:

LaShae Johnson…………….Principal

Susie Woodard…………...Assistant Principal

Deanne Roney…………..Literacy Leader

Tammy West ……………...Librarian

Alicia Blair………………..Pre-K Teacher

Brittany Shaw……………... Kindergarten Teacher

Katie Goolsby……………..First Grade Teacher

Beth Payne…….…………..Second Grade Teacher

Maeghan Underwood….………….Third Grade Teacher

Donna Bush ……………….Fourth Grade Teacher

Jennifer Evans…………….ELL Teacher

Jared Stangenburg…………………...SPED Teacher

Michelle Waggoner……….Paraprofessional

Lindsay Boze ………Parent

Kourtney Malone ………………Parent

Erika Poindexter, Johnny Ray Brown………………..Community Representatives

Parent Involvement Goals

· CES families will participate in meaningful and effective parent programs offered throughout the school year.

· Programs and activities will be relevant to the diverse needs of all our families.

· Information will be provided in appropriate languages.

· Programs, meetings, and activities will be presented at varying times to accommodate as many families as possible.

· The principal, faculty, and staff will maintain an open line of communication between school and home.

· CES will gain family and community input through a family survey each spring. This information will be used in the development of specific programs and policies in order to annually update our parent involvement plan.

· Methods of distributing parenting materials, resources, and training will be created and maintained.

Strategies to Increase Parent Involvement

Standard 1 – Welcoming All Families

Carthage Elementary School is part of a small, rural community.  There are approximately four hundred students in grades Pre-K through 4th.  The majority of our teachers at CES live in the area and/or surrounding area and know most of the students’ families.  This close proximity to our students’ lives gives the school a more inviting atmosphere for family members.

         CES promotes programs and practices that enhance parent and family involvement and reflects the specific needs of our students and families.  Our strategies will include:

·        Convening an annual meeting to encourage and facilitate family participation in the development of plans and policies including the School Improvement Plan and the Parent Involvement Plan.

·        Offer a variety of meetings and activities throughout the school year that are relevant to the needs of our students and families including an Open House soon after school starts in the fall. In these meetings, legal requirements and information about the Title I program will be discussed. Agendas, and sign in sheets of the meetings will be kept on file within the school.

·        Conduct a Family/Parent Needs Survey in the spring each year that seeks family/parent input on the effectiveness of our program plans.

·        Maintain a school website that includes the School Improvement Plan and Parent Involvement Plan along with other relevant information for parents.

·        Parents, or an adequate representation of parents, are involved in an organized ongoing and timely way in planning, reviewing, and improvement of the schoolwide program plan (TSIPP). If the TSIPP (school wide program) is not satisfactory to parents upon availability, then parents may submit comments to the school’s administrator, literacy leader, or on the CES website.

·        Provide families with timely information about programs and activities in an understandable format through the website, newsletters, marquee, newspaper, and invitations under NCLB section 118.

·        Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.

·        CES has a parent center located in the  conference room with a wide variety of information concerning services provided by Title I funds and at the annual fall meeting.

·        Host a minimum of two parent-teacher conferences with additional meetings available upon 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.

·        Make Families aware that anyone needing special accommodations for school events may call ahead to the office. This offer will be placed on the school website and school newsletters.

Standard 2 – Communicating Effectively

Carthage Elementary School will, to the best of its ability, engage in regular, meaningful communication with its parents.  We are as accessible as possible to our families:

·        Parents are notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, information is provided in a language the parents can understand.

·        Provide translators if needed when presenting information.

·        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.

·        Parents of migratory students will be provided information for assistance in meeting the needs of their child.

·        Documents converted to Spanish using online translator, Babelfish, if needed.

·        Provide reasonable support for parent involvement activities per parent request.

·        Parents will be notified via phone, letter, school marquee, website, or newspaper of meetings, conferences, programs, and activities.

·        The use of Skylert will notify parents of any alerts or important information via phone, email, or text.

·        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, how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve student achievement.  This information will be provided by the Title I Coordinator, at parent-teacher conferences, and the school newsletter.

·        Conduct a minimum of two parent teacher conferences in the fall of each year and more throughout the school year if needed. Within the conferences, teachers will provide assistance to parents in understanding the state academic content standards, state and local assessments, and how to monitor student progress.

·        Weekly folders, progress reports every four weeks, documented phone calls, emails, and individual student notes to and from parents are used to provide parents information about their child's progress.

·        Send home a mid-nine weeks progress reports and report cards each nine week grading period.

·        Maintain a school website that includes information on school programs and policies.

·        TN Ready academic testing results sent home every year.

·        Link to the Tennessee State Report Card for each school is available via the county and CES website.

·        The school provides parents a description and explanation of the curriculum the school uses, forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.

·        Notify parents after each benchmark assessment period as to achievement, improvement, and grade level expectations.

·        Utilize the local newspaper to acknowledge student achievements and successes as well as school events.

·        Parents may 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 such suggestions as soon as possible.

·      

·        CES will provide parents with timely information about school programs under NCLB section 1118.

Standard 3 – Supporting Student Success

·        Each year, Title I funds are allotted to Carthage Elementary School in support of student success through supplemental instruction and resources.

·        These Title I funds are used for materials, equipment, parent involvement, professional development, and resources that would otherwise be unobtainable through general funding.

·        The parent-school compact, jointly developed with parents, describes how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and how the school and parents will build a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high standards.

·        Parent meetings dedicated to teaching parents’ strategies to increase reading comprehension skills in fiction and nonfiction and promoting family reading together.

·        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 parental involvement.

·        The Parent Advisory Committee will make determinations on expenditures based on parent surveys, teacher requests, standardized assessment results, and the School Improvement Plan.

·        Decisions made by the committee will be offered to families during the annual meeting to gain any additional input or comments.

·        Technology, equipment, and professional development consistently remain a high priority response on surveys and questionnaires.

·        Parents can request regular meetings.  Materials and training opportunities will also be available to help parents improve their child’s school success.  Information will be provided during the annual open house, meetings, conferences, and at the request of parents.

·        CES shall work with local businesses and community agencies to develop partnerships with student and school recognition programs like book fairs, school-wide awards, AR rewards, volunteer recognition, teacher recognition, Pizza Hut Book It program, fire department, financial institutions, medical personnel, rescue squad, division of forestry, and Red Ribbon Week.

·        The staff at CES is educated along with the assistance of parents in the value and contributions of parents, and in working with parents – how to reach out to, communicate with, work as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.

Standard 4 – Speaking Up For Every Child

·        Carthage Elementary School proudly holds a safe school status.

·        CES has incorporated the OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Program encouraging students to stand-up and speak-up against bullying. The program’s goals are to reduce and prevent bullying problems among school children and to improve peer relations at school.

·        Information is shared with parents and families through the School Improvement Plan, annual school meeting, website, and the school newsletter.

·        Students are encouraged to discuss any fears or concerns they may have with either the school counselor, principal, or teachers.

·        The guidance counselor teaches classes covering topics such as Dealing with Bullies, Drug Awareness, and Life Skills at all grade levels as appropriate.

·        Parents are encouraged to be their child’s advocate anytime they feel the child is experiencing difficulty at school and contact the principal, teacher, or counselor.

Parents’ Right to Know

Standard 5 – Sharing Power

To assure that CES parents and families are equal partners in the decision making process of our programs, plans, and policies, we put forth the following information each year:

·        The school and parents will jointly develop an acceptable school compact that meets the requirements of Title I/NCLB.  The compact is presented online to parents and students at the beginning of school and accepted.  The compact will describe the responsibilities of the school, the parents, and the students.  Moreover, the compact will address the importance of communication among the stakeholders as well as ways to enhance student achievement and the importance of regular school attendance.

·        A Parents’ Right to Know letter is included at each registration.  Carthage Elementary School will provide parents information on their right to know the qualifications of their child’s teacher and paraprofessionals.

·        A notification letter is sent home to parents when a teacher who has failed to reach highly qualified status is teaching their child or a substitute not deemed highly qualified has been in the classroom for four consecutive weeks.

·        Parents are encouraged to serve on various committees that are responsible for the decisions affecting CES programs and policies.

·        Staff are educated with the assistance of parents in the value and contributions of parents, and in working with parents-how to reach out to, communicate with, and work as equal partners, to implement and coordinate parent programs, build ties between parents and the school.

·        The goal of improving parent involvement at CES is embedded in the School Improvement Plan.

·        CES will offer a flexible number of meetings – both morning and evening when possible.

·        CES will ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents in a format easy to understand and in a language that the parents can understand.

·        CES and the SCBOE 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.

·        

Building Capacity

Standard 6 – Collaborating with Community

·        Carthage Elementary School recognizes the importance of its support from community and area businesses through their contributions of money and sponsorships.

·        Wilson Bank and Trust, Smith County Bank and Citizens Bank are sponsors of CES programs that recognize student achievement and success.  Rewards such as tee shirts for perfect attendance, plaques for achievements, and trophies for extracurricular events are paid for with funds from these contributors.

·        All parental involvement strategies are coordinated and integrated with parent involvement strategies under other programs, such as Head Start, Parents as Teachers, Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, State-run preschool programs, and Title III language instructional programs.

·        The local health department, hospital, doctor and dentist offices contribute materials and information about community resources available to families.

·        The county mayor, commissioners, and school board members frequently attend school functions and participate in programs such as Read Across America Day.

·        CES coordinates with Head Start and area preschools through visitation days and pre-registration.  These visitations offer parents an introduction to Carthage Elementary School and the principal, teachers, and staff prior to the start of school.

·        Programs and resources for homeless and migratory families are available through the school and the board of education.  A backpack program is implemented so that students who are considered latch key children have access to healthy foods they can prepare themselves.

·        CES sends home updated information on a regular basis regarding the new TNReady State Standards and is also linked to the CES website.

·         Buster, the Bus Safety Program.

·        Olweus Bullying Program

·        Carthage Fire Department visits CES each year for a program for students about fire safety.

·        The local newspaper graciously allows the school to advertise meetings, conferences, and school events as well as acknowledge student achievement and success without charge.

·        Citizens Bank and Wilson Bank and Trust present a savings program.

·        CES participates in the annual Kidz Central Celebration. It is a fun filled day for the students and families of Smith County. The celebration is held on a Saturday in October from 10 am until 2 pm. This event focuses on the community and promotes parent education and the health and safety needs of children.  

·        CES holds training sessions to help parents work with their children to improve their achievement, such as literacy training, math methods training, understanding state standards and assessments, and using technology to foster parental involvement.

·        CES provides assistance to parents in understanding topics such as the State of Tennessee’s academic content standards, TN student academic standards, State of TN and local assessments, how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve student achievement.

·       The Smith County Sheriff’s Department presents a Halloween Safety Program and treat bags.

·        CES strives to emphasize the importance of helping others within the Middle Tennessee area.  Our students participate in:

o   Donating games, pajamas, play dough, and can tabs to the Ronald McDonald House

o   Canned food to the Smith County Help Center

·        Programs are held throughout the school year during the day and evening hours.  These include:

o   Literacy and STEM Nights

o   Ollie the Otter

o   Parent Nights

o   Tennessee Program

o   End of the Year Awards Day

o   PreK and Kindergarten Graduations

·        Carthage Elementary School believes the shared responsibility of its students and a partnership between school, home, and community will produce a positive effect on student achievement and create a sense of stakeholder ownership in our school’s success.

Tennessee Parent Involvement Standards

Carthage Elementary School agrees to implement the Tennessee Standards listed below that are based on the PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. These standards were adopted by the State Board of Education on July 30, 2010.

Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community- Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class and school.

Standard 2: Communicating effectively- Families and school staff engages in regular, meaningful communication about student learning.

Standard 3: Supporting student success- Families and school staff continuously work together to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

Standard 4: Speaking up for every child- Families are informed and enabled to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support success.

Standard 5: Sharing power- Families and school staff are equal partners with equal representation in decisions that affect students and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.

Standard 6: Collaborating with community- Families and school staff work together with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

Tools Carthage Elementary School uses to monitor compliance on the parental involvement standards include:

• Tennessee School Improvement Plan

• Family/Parental Involvement Plan

• Surveys and Needs Assessments

Annual Review Adoption

The school Parent Involvement Plan will be reviewed and updated by the Parent Advisory Committee for Carthage Elementary School in the spring of the current year and will be in effect for the period of the following SY. This plan will be available to all parents on the school’s website.