Parent Involvement

1
Parent Involvement

• Introduction to
• Home/School Compacts

2
What is a Compact?

• A written commitment/agreement indicating how
  all members of a school community parents,
  teachers, principals, students, and concerned
  community members, agree to share responsibility
  for student learning.

3
Purpose of Compact

• A compact defines the job description and
  development of a partnership between the school,
  parent and student and how all will share the
  responsibility to improve student achievement by
• Student learning
• Communication and
• Building partnerships with trainings and
• volunteering.

4
Compact Requirements

• Title I Part A
• In addition to adopting a school parental
  involvement policy, each school shall jointly
  develop a school-parent compact with parents,
  which needs to target
• The schools responsibility to provide
  high-quality curriculum and instruction school
  section
• The importance of ongoing communication between
  parents and teachers through, at a minimum,
  annual conference, reports on students progress,
  access to staff, and opportunities to volunteer
  and participate in and observe the educational
  program school section and
• The parents responsibility to support their
  childrens learning parent section.

5
Description of Responsibilities

• The schools responsibility section must have
• How the school will provide high-quality
  curriculum and instruction
• How to present a supportive and effective
  learning environment and
• Others as needed.
• The parents responsibility section must have
• How families will support their childrens
  learning environment
• How parents can participate in making decisions
  relating to their childs success and
• Others as needed.
• The students responsibility section must have
• How students can communicate with family and
  school staff about any problems or extra help
  needed and
• Others as needed.

6
Planning for the Compact

• Create a Committee school personnel,
  parents/family members and students (middle
  school)
• Create Compact establish your compact with
  shared responsibility
• Implement Compact publicize compact, have all
  parties sign agreement
• Evaluate and Modify Yearly On a yearly basis
  evaluate compact for improvements or statements
  not working
• District Goal should align with District vision
  and mission statements

District Goal
7
Strategizing together

• When writing your compact keep these
  suggestions in mind
• Compacts define responsibilities to all
  participating partners
• Compacts should be specific to schools academic
  goals
• The compact should represent the ideas of the
  entire school community
• Offer clear statements
• Include information that helps staff, parents and
  students to understand what is expected
• Number of responsibilities should be equal for
  all partners
• Statements should support all groups and
• Be specific in your statements i.e. how often
  homework should be done, read how many minutes.

8
Sample of a Elementary Compact

• As a Member of the School I Pledge
  to
• Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction.
• Communicate regularly with families about student
  progress through annual conferences, report on
  student progress, provide access to staff and an
  opportunity to volunteer and participate in and
  observe the educational program.
• Provide meaningful, daily homework assignments to
  reinforce and extend learning (30 minutes for
  grades 1-3 and 60 minutes for grades 4-6).
• Actively work with families and school staff to
  make schools accessible and a welcoming place for
  families which helps each student achieve the
  school's high academic standards.
• Endeavor to motivate students to learn.
• Have high expectations and help every child to
  develop a love of learning.
• Provide a safe and caring learning environment.
• Respect students, staff and families of different
  cultural backgrounds.
• As a Parent I Pledge to
• Communicate the importance of education and
  learning to my child.
• Ensure that my child attends school every day,
  gets adequate sleep, regular medical attention
  and proper nutrition.
• Participate at school in activities such as
  school decision making, volunteering and/or
  attending parent-teacher conferences.
• Regularly monitor my child's progress in school.
• Communicate with the teacher or the school when I
  have a concern.
• Read to my child or encourage my child to read
  every day (20 minutes K-3, and 30 minutes for
  grades 4-6).
• Provide a quiet time and place for homework and
  limit TV viewing.
• Respect the staff, students, and families of
  different cultural backgrounds.

9
Sample of a Middle/Jr. High Compact

• As a staff member, I will
• Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction.
• Endeavor to motivate my students to learn.
• Have high expectations and help every child to
  develop a love of learning.
• Communicate regularly with families about student
  progress.
• Provide a warm, safe, and caring learning
  environment.
• Provide meaningful, daily homework assignments to
  reinforce and extend learning (30 minutes for
• grades 1-3 and 60 minutes for grades 4-6).
• Participate in professional development
  opportunities that improve teaching and learning
  and
• support the formation of partnerships with
  families and the community.
• Actively participate in collaborative decision
  making and consistently work with families and my
• school colleagues to make schools accessible and
  welcoming
• places for families which help each student
  achieve the school's high academic standards.
• Respect the school, students, staff and families.
  
• As a student, I will
• Come to school ready to learn and work hard.
• Bring necessary materials, completed assignments
  and homework.
• Know and follow school and class rules.
• Ask for help when I need it.

10
Publicize the Compact

• Use the compact in all areas of your school
  programs such as
• School newsletter
• Website
• Community events/assemblies
• Back to School Night
• Parent/Teacher Conference Week and/or
• PTA/Booster club meetings.

11
Yearly evaluation of your Compact

• The compact is an evolving action plan. It
  focuses on all parties doing their equal part.
  Here are a few ideas to help schools evaluate the
  compact
• School data to evaluate whether your compact is
  helping achieve the academic goal
• Parents, teachers, and students (Middle/Jr. High)
  should be included
• Committee should review each bullet for
  effectiveness and
• Committee should ensure that compact aligns with
  District and school plans.
• Schools are required to review the compacts each
  year and
• approve at the School Site Council Meeting.

12
Evaluating Questionnaire

• Ask your compact partners to answer these
• questions to see how well the compact is working
  
• Is your staff, family, and students aware that
  the compact exists?
• Do partners know their commitments under the
  compact and are they fulfilling them?
• Is the compact used frequently in
  parent-teacher meetings and in other ways?
• How do parents, teachers, community members,
  and students use the compact?
• Are resources, including those from Title I,
  designated to help achieve the aims of your
• compact? How much? Are there any other possible
  resources available?
• Does your school community feel that the
  compact is a reasonably balanced statement of
  mutual
• responsibilities for student learning and
  school performance?
• Are there any new initiatives in the school,
  community, or District that could link with your
  compact to
• strengthen its impact?

13
Strengthen your Compact

• Use the following worksheet to design an
  improvement plan.
• Area identified for improvement
  ____________________________________________
• Why improvement is needed (based on progress
  towards standards and local, state, and
• national comparisons)
• __________________________________________________
  _______________________
• Improvement strategies How will the committee
  strengthen the actions for this area?
• What specific actions will be taken with
  reference to learning, to communication, and
• to volunteering and training? How will each
  partner contribute to the effort?
• 1. _______________________________________________
  __________________________
• ______________________________________________
  ___________________________
• 2. _______________________________________________
  __________________________
• _______________________________________________
  __________________________
• 3. _______________________________________________
  __________________________
• _______________________________________________
  __________________________

14
Conclusion

• In order to make a compact successful all
• partners need to put statements into action.
• The compacts success depends on the
• commitment all partners have for student
• achievement.
• For assistance please contact your Parent
  Involvement Liaison