Title I School-Level Parent and Family Engagement Policy
McKinna Elementary School

August 1, 2024

2.0  With approval from the local governing board, McKinna Elementary has developed a written Title I parent and family engagement policy with input from parents and family members of participating children. The policy is created and approved annually with input and feedback from School Site Council and English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC).  The policy reflects the Oxnard School District Strategic Plan (4.21-4.24). The school has distributed the policy to parents and family members of children served under Title I, Part A. Through parent email, our website, and directly to our parents and student iPads via application.  (EC Section 11503; 20 United States Code [U.S.C.] Section [§] 6318[b][1-4])

2.1        Involvement of Parents in the Title I Program

The policy describes the means for carrying out Title I parent and family engagement requirements. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[b][1])

To involve parents and family members in the Title I program at McKinna Elementary, the following practices have been established:

1. The school convenes an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited to attend and encouraged to attend, to inform parents and family members of their school’s participation in the Title I program and to explain the requirements, and the right of the parents to be involved. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[c][1])

• Inform parents of their school’s participation in the title 1 program
• Explain the requirements of Title 1
• Explain the right of parents to be involved
• Election of parents to advisory committees as needed

2. The school offers a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with Title I funds, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parent involvement. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[c][2])

• Parent meetings are held regularly throughout the school year including parent workshops, parent trainings, tech trainings, school site council, ELAC, Family Fridays, etc.
• Parent meetings are held at different days/times to accommodate parent availability
• Title I funds are utilized to provide parent education opportunities for parents and provide translation to encourage parents to participate
• A variety of different parent education programs are offered throughout the school year

3. The school involves parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s Title I program, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parent and family engagement policy and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[c][3])

• McKinna holds annual Title 1 meeting
• Title funds and activities are reviewed at school site council meetings throughout the school year and adjustments are made based upon available data/information regarding effectiveness of activities
• Regular/ongoing messages with parents regarding opportunities for students regarding activities to support student achievement
• Parent training, parent education, school site council, ELAC, Family Fridays, etc. are regularly offered and Title funds will be utilized to provide training, food, etc. for parent trainings/meetings

4. The school provides parents of participating children with the following:

1. Timely information about the Title I program. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[c][4][A])
   • School holds annual Title 1 meeting

• Timely information through parent emails, phone calls, flyers, Back to School  

   Night, weekly updates, ELAC Committee, SSC, PTA, and Family Fridays

   (English/Spanish for all activities)

 • Parent/teacher conferences for all students after the first trimester, and as

   needed after the second trimester (translation available as needed)

2. A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the achievement levels of the challenging State academic standards. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[c][4][B])

• Parent meetings including ELAC, SSC, and other meetings regularly where

  student achievement is presented with an opportunity for questions from

  parents

• Parent/Teacher conferences for all students in the Fall, and as needed in the

  spring trimester. Parent/teacher conferences are also scheduled as necessary

• Posting of California School Report Card annually as required

• McKinna parents receive a parent/student handbook (in both English and

  Spanish)

• McKinna parents receive a curriculum descriptions for English Language Arts

   and Math (in both English and Spanish)

• The McKinna website provides information about the staff, classroom activities

   and parent resources

 

3. 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. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[c][4][C])

• If requested by parents, McKinna provides opportunities for regular meetings to formulate questions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their child, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible
• Through informal requests for parent meetings, Back to School Night, and other parent training opportunities

5. If the schoolwide program plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school submits any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[c][5])

McKinna will immediately submit all written documentation of parent comments that reflect that the program is not satisfactory to the LEA (Oxnard School District)

2.2        Building Capacity for Involvement
(Parent and Family Engagement Policy Continued)

To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, each school and local educational agency assisted with Title I, Part A funds establishes the practices listed below. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[e])

1. The school provides parents with assistance in understanding such topics as the challenging State academic standards, State and local assessments, the requirements of Title I, Part A, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[e][1])

• Assist parents in understanding the academic content and achievement  

  standards and how to monitor and improve achievement of their child through

  general parent information and parent education meetings

• Hold parent/teacher conferences for all students in the fall and as necessary

  or requested by parents throughout the school year

• Review state standards for the grade level at parent/teacher conferences

• Explain and discuss student achievement expectations and results at ELAC

  and SSC meetings

• Discuss student achievement and opportunities for students at Back to School

  Night

2. The school provides parents with materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children's achievement. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[e][2])

• Parent trainings including parent workshops, school site council, ELAC, technology trainings, Family Fridays, A-G Requirement meetings, Literacy and Math Nights, etc. are offered throughout the school year as coordinated by the school administration, counselors, and outreach specialist
• Family Fridays are held, where parents come read with their child and then stay for trainings on ways to support their child in reading, math, learn about resources and much more.  
• Various community agencies are invited to provide information to our families including presentations on healthy eating and more.

 

3. The school educates teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other school leaders, 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. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[e][3])

 

• Parent trainings including parent workshops, school site council, ELAC, technology trainings, Literacy Night, Math Night, A-G requirements, and PTA Art Nights, etc. are offered throughout the school year as coordinated by the school administration, counselor, social worker and outreach specialist
• Professional development for teachers and support staff throughout the school year.
• Parents are adequately represented on school/stakeholder groups including school site council, PTA, and ELAC.

 

4. The school, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs and activities with other Federal, State, and local programs, including public preschool programs, and conducts other activities, such as parent resource centers, to encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[e][4])

 

• Parent trainings including parent workshops, school site council, ELAC, technology trainings, etc. are offered throughout the school year as coordinated by the school administration, counselor, and outreach specialist
• McKinna coordinates with parents/families to ensure that we have parent representation at all district committees including DELAC, Parent Advisory Committee, etc.

5. The school ensures 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. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[e][5])

• All school communications, including print, video, and pictures, are sent home in both English and Spanish
• Translation is offered for all committee meetings including SSC, ELAC, etc.
• Spanish translation is immediately available when necessary for a parent. Mixteco translation is arranged through the utilization of OSD Mixteco translators.

6. The school provides such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[e][14])

• McKinna immediately provides translation for parents in person, online, or on the telephone.
• Parents are encouraged to participate in workshops and trainings, and parents are frequently asked at these meetings for suggestions about future meeting agenda/information requests.

2.3        Accessibility

McKinna to the extent practicable, provides opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members (including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children) including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. § 6311), as amended by ESSA, in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents understand. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[f])

 

• All school communications, including print, video, and pictures, are sent home in both English and Spanish
• Translation is offered for all committee meetings including SSC, ELAC, etc.
• Spanish translation is immediately available when necessary for a parent. Mixteco translation is arranged through the utilization of OSD Mixteco translators.

2.4        School-Parent Compact

As a component of the school-level parent and family engagement policy, each school served under this part shall jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the state’s high standards. The school-parent compact shall carry out the requirements listed below. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[d])

1. Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under this part to meet the challenging state academic standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning; volunteering in their child’s classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[d][1])

 

• The school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a meaningful, supportive, and effective learning environment in which students served under Title 1 meet the statewide academic grade level content standards. This responsibility includes parent information about intervention and enrichment opportunities, staff availability to work directly with parents to support students, parent trainings on how to support students, and ongoing regular communication with parents regarding their students’ progress including progress reports, parent conferences, implementation of parent monitoring tools within Canvas, and creating a positive school climate through the implementation of CHAMPS and other programs to create a safe and nurturing school and classroom environment that is conducive to learning

 

b)        Address the importance of communication between teachers and parents on an ongoing basis through, at a minimum, the requirements listed below. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[d][2])

1.        Parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[d][2][A])

 

• Hold parent/teacher conferences for all students in the fall and as necessary or requested by parents throughout the school year

2.        Frequent reports to parents on their children’s progress. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[d][2][B])

 

• McKinna sends out formal grade notifications three times per year (at the conclusion of each trimester in November, March, and June)

3.        Reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and observation of classroom activities. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[d][2][C])

 

• McKinna regularly communicates with parents regarding the variety of ways in which parents/guardians can directly communicate with staff members including email, phone communication, Parent Square and parent/teacher conferences
• McKinna Parents are welcome to observe in classrooms with previous notification to the school

4.        Ensuring regular two-way, meaningful communication between family members and school staff, and, to the extent practicable, in a language that family members can understand. (20 U.S.C. § 6318[d][2][D])

 

• McKinna regularly communicates with parents, guardians, and stakeholders in an ongoing manner throughout the year. This communication includes weekly updates, phone calls, email communication, voice messages, our district website, Parent Square, through our student applications on iPads, and through our school sponsored social media platforms.

*It may be helpful to include the parent and family engagement policy review in the annual review of the Single Plan for Student Achievement.

**The policy must be updated periodically to meet changing needs of parents and family members and the school. If the school has a process in place for involving parents and family members in planning and designing the school’s programs, the school may use that process if it includes adequate representation of parents and family members of children receiving Title I, Part A services.