Pulaski County Special School District

Superintendent: Dr. Jerry Guess
School Improvement Status: Year 3

Parent Involvement Committee Members

Parents included: Martha Patlan, NaTasha Boyland, Patrick Boyland, Cynthia White, Carel Berry, Meredith Kitchin, Beth Cook, Melissa Moss, Nedra Green, Kim Baldridge, Katina Stephens, Marjorie Plichta, Roger Fosburgh, Susan Robertson, Eva Doyle, Angela Jones, and Edward Campbell

Certified Staff included: Tirrell Brown, Laconya Isaac, Philicia Bell, Kelli Kamanga, Laura Ashby, Marsha Hamm, LuAnne Bryan, Peggy McKinney, Audra Norris, Tracy Bailey, Lori Davis, Pam Lane, Mary Allen, Debora Harris, Kelly Devun, Tonya Raborn, Zondria Campbell, Pamela Freeman, Pamela Dobson, Lil Williams, Mariann Lunsford, Mignon Hatton, Michele Pickett, Kelly Luth, Sabrina Harris, Felecia Dotson, Justin Robken, Kari Townsend, Rachel Dukes, Trina Coleman, Kristen Beach, Yvette Dillingham, LaSheena Neal, Renee George, Sandy Ray, and Chanda Bailey.

Goal 1: How will the LEA foster effective parental involvement strategies and support partnerships among school, parents, and the community to improve student achievement?

The Pulaski County Special School District will foster effective parental involvement strategies and support partnerships among school, parents, and the community to improve student achievement by establishing a Parent Advisory Council, which will include: Parents, Teachers, and Community Leaders. This committee will meet annually to review the Parental Involvement Plan. Training will be provided by Higher Education Staff which will give committee members strategies to implement in the local schools. In addition, PCSSD will coordinate parental involvement activities with those of other programs. Each school will establish a Parent Facilitator to oversee Parental Involvement implementation. A survey (annual review) of the effectiveness of the parental involvement policy will be utilized to get feedback. The Parental Involvement Survey from the previous year will be analyzed to better meet the needs of the
Parents. In addition, a Perception survey will be sent to all parents to determine perceptions of each school’s effectiveness in the Fall of the school year.

Goal 2: How will the district provide coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement?

Conduct ongoing site visits to observe parental involvement practices. Enhance the awareness and skills of teachers, pupil service personnel, principals, and staff in reaching out to, communicating with, and working with parents as equal partners. In addition the district will:

Monitor each Title I, Part A school to ensure that each school performs the following tasks:

1. Develop parental involvement policy.
2. Offer flexible meeting times.
3. Provide information to parents about the school’s program, include parent information guide.
4. Develop and use the School-Parent Compact.
5. Provide training for parents in working with their child to improve academic achievement
6. Encourage parents to visit/volunteer at school by assisting staff in developing volunteer opportunities as well as training staff to encourage and build volunteer efforts.
7. Encourage parent participation through innovative scheduling of activities through strategies such as holding meetings at a variety of times, such as morning and evening, in order to maximize the opportunities for parents to participate in school-related activities

Parental Involvement trainings will be held to train Parent Facilitators on effective Parental Involvement practices. Parent Facilitators will take the information back to the local school. Perception surveys and other parental involvement surveys will be developed from the district office for each school’s use. The district Parent Facilitator will attend conferences and outside trainings to provide meaningful technical assistance. Representatives from Higher Education Institutes will be brought in to train Administrators in every building in dealing with better ways of Communicating with Parents.

Goal 3: How will the district build the school’s capacity for strong parental involvement?

1. Involve parents through an annual survey to improve school effectiveness.
2. Approve reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement activities.
3. Provide any reasonable support for parental involvement at the request of participating Title I, Part A schools.
4. Provide resources for parents to learn about child development, child rearing practices, and academic strategies that are designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their child.

Goal 4: How will the district conduct, with the involvement of parents, ongoing evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy as it relates to strategies for increasing parental participation and identifying barriers to greater participation?

1. Survey parents annually, including questions to identify barriers to parental involvement.
2. Develop procedures for collecting parent participation documentation through sign-in lists for workshops, meetings, and conferences; schedules; brochures; meeting notes; and other means as appropriate throughout the school year.
3. Use findings from evaluation process to make recommendations to each participating school for parental involvement policy revision.
4. Provide suggestions for designing school improvement policies, as they relate to parental involvement.
5. Develop and disseminate an annual parent activity evaluation report to share with parents, staff and the community.

District Parent Involvement Policy Submitted on: 10/20/2011