School Parent Involvement Policy
New Heights Middle School
Policy Involvement
The Parent Involvement Policy at New Heights Middle School is jointly developed with, agreed with, distributed to all of the parents of participating children. We will, to the extent possible, 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 language that the parent can understand. Furthermore, we will coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities at the school level with other federal, state, and district programs. We will meet to update and revise this policy as needed with a team including parents, community members, school and district administrators, and school faculty and staff.
Due to the Covid-19 procedures, our parent meetings may be held virtually. Any information that would normally be given to parents during these meetings will be posted on our school’s website and Facebook page and will be made available for download. If you have any questions about these processes, please feel free to contact the school at 843-658-6830.
New Heights Middle School adheres to the mandates set forth by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I. Those mandates require the following:
Convene an annual meeting at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school’s participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part and the right of the parents to be involved.
Our annual Title I meeting will be held in September. All parents and guardians will be invited to attend the virtual meeting.
Offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening
Meetings will be held at different times during the school day and evenings for the purposes of providing training for parents as well as distributing information
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 parental involvement policy and the joint development of the school wide program plan under section 1114(b)(2).
Parent Surveys
Drafts for Parent Involvement and School Compact are sent home encouraging input.
Title I meeting committee which includes parent and community leaders
Title I information flyer sent home.
Provide parents of participating children:
Timely information about programs under this part.
A meeting is held in September informing parents of Title I programs.
A packet containing Title I information is sent home with each child.
A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet;
Assessments, goals (proficiency levels), and curriculum are discussed at the September annual meeting.
Goals and expectations are addressed during parent-teacher conferences.
Teacher letters and Student Handbooks contain descriptions of academic assessments used to measure student progress.
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 practicably possible.
Parents are given opportunities to participate in decision making.
Teachers are available as needed for parent conferences to discuss progress or concerns.
If the school-wide program plan under section 1114 (b) (2) is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the LEA.
Any unsatisfactory parental comments are forwarded to the District Title I Coordinator.
Title I Committee meets to address concerns.
School-Parent Compact
The Home School Compact at New Heights Middle School will be developed jointly with, agreed upon with, and distributed to all parents, students and the entire school staff. The goal is to share in the responsibility for high student achievement. A team including parents, community members, school and district administrators and school faculty and staff will meet annually to review the compact.
Parents are given the opportunity to make comments and suggestions about the School-Parent Compact.
The Title I committee meets and addresses suggestions and concerns.
Building Capacity for Involvement
To ensure effective involvement of parents, and to support a partnership among the parents, community and school to improve student achievement, we will:
Provide assistance to parents of children served by the school, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the State’s academic content standards, and State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children.
Flyers and /or letters are sent home explaining assessments.
Weekly folders with student’s work, Interim reports, and assessment results help parents monitor their child’s progress.
Required parent-teacher conferences are held in the fall to discuss standards, assessments, and student progress.
Teachers are available as needed for parent conferences.
Provide materials and training to parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement;
Parenting workshops are held throughout the year.
Educate teachers, pupil services, personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.
A district-wide Title I meeting is held each year consisting of teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, parents, and others.
School level Title I meeting is held in September for community and parents.
Annual staff development is provided in the area of parent communications.
Coordinate and integrate, to the extent feasible and appropriate, parent involvement programs and activities with other federal programs.
The school works closely with 21st Century grant and others as appropriate.
Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and activities is sent to parents in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.
All information is parent friendly.
When needed, information is sent home in a language the parent can understand.
Provide reasonable support for parental involvement as parents may request.
School meetings are arranged at a variety of times
Conduct in-home conferences between educator and parent for those unable to attend.
Encourage parent volunteers
Parenting workshops
Open door policy for parents.