Board of Education Revises District Parent Engagement Policy

On December 20, 2007, the Board of Education approved revisions to the District Parent Engagement Policy #6020.  The Policy was revised to update Title I mandates and to strengthen the District’s commitment to provide parents with the information, technical assistance and training to help them increase their children’s academic and school success.  The newly approved District Parent Engagement Policy is as follows:                                                                         

The Governing Board believes that family and community engagement is a fundamental component to student success and achievement.  When families are engaged at home and at school, children increase student achievement in school.  The engagement of families and community members in the education of our children create a positive bond between the home and the school.

The Board also believes that strong, ongoing family and community engagement, in all aspects of school programs and activities, provides support for measurable improvement in student achievement. 

Consequently, the Board supports a collaborative environment in which the parents, families, and communities of our students are empowered to become partners with our schools and to participate as stakeholders in the vision of creating a world-class educational system that enables all students to excel. 

In order to establish the framework and responsibilities for the implementation of strategies to increase family and community engagement in student achievement in schools, the District shall ensure that:  

1. The District commits to building engagement capacity in developing parenting skills, communication, home learning, volunteering at school, classroom support roles, decision making, advocacy, and collaboration.
    

2. The District will provide awareness of the importance of family and community engagement, academic goals and assessment of their student and of the resources and programs available to support their student’s learning and post secondary preparation. 
    

3. The District will support the Teacher-Parent Home Visitation program upon available fiscal resources.
    

4. The District will develop and implement district-wide and school-based strategies and programs based on the California Strategic Plan for Parental Involvement in Education.

5. 
   Schools will create and communicate participation opportunities for parents/guardians and community members to partner with schools to participate in and support students’ education at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
    

6. Parent/guardians shall be notified annually of their rights to be informed about and to participate in their children’s education and the parent and family engagement opportunities available to them.
    

7. Teachers and administrators will receive training, including all Title I and non-Title I schools, that fosters effective and culturally sensitive communication with parents/guardians.  This includes training on how to communicate with non-English speakers and how to give parents/guardians opportunities to participate in the decision-making process and to support their student's instruction both at school and at home.
    

8. The District welcomes and creates opportunities for parent/guardians to volunteer and participate in leadership and school site councils, advisory councils, and in other activities in which they may undertake governance, advisory and advocacy roles.
    

9. The District will encourage school-family-community partnerships that reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the District.
    

10. The District will encourage a School-Family-Community Partnerships Plan to provide support and technical assistance to schools in order to help them integrate family involvement practices.
     

11. Family engagement programs and activities in schools will recognize the diversity of family structures, circumstances, and cultural backgrounds and respects families as important decision-makers for their children’s education.
     

12. The District will regularly evaluate and report to the Board on the effectiveness of the District’s parent engagement efforts, including, but not limited to input from parents/guardians and school staff on the adequacy of parent engagement opportunities.
     

13. The District shall develop and implement strategies, including Title I and non-Title I schools, to involve and support parents/guardians in the education of their children, which describe how the District and schools will address the purposes and goals described in Education Code 11502. (Education Code 11504)

Title I Schools

1. Each year the District shall ensure that the District’s parent engagement  strategies are jointly developed with the parents/guardians of students participating in Title I programs.  These strategies to establish greater expectations for parent engagement  and describe how the district shall carry out each activity listed in 20 USC 6318.

2. The District will consult with parents/guardians of participating students in the planning and implementation of parent engagement programs, activities, and regulations.   The District shall also involve parents/guardians of participating students in decisions regarding how District’s Title I funds will be allocated for parent engagement activities. (20 USC 6318)

3. The District will ensure that each school receiving Title I funds develop a school-level parent engagement policy. (20 USC 6318)

4. The District shall coordinate Title I funded programs for the purpose of coordinating and integrating parent engagement programs and activities.  The District shall also promote parent resource centers in District schools that encourage and support parents/guardians.

Policy   SACRAMENTO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

adopted:  November 16, 1998      Sacramento, California

revised:  December 20, 2007