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The Board of Education endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I and encourages the regular participation by parents of Title I eligible children in all aspects of the program. The education of children is viewed as a cooperative effort among the parents, school and community. In this policy, the word "parent" also includes guardians and other family members involved in supervising the child's schooling. Pursuant to federal law, the district will develop jointly with and distribute to parents of children participating in the Title I program a written parent involvement policy. At the required annual meeting of district staff and Title I parents, parents will have opportunities to participate in the design, development, operation and evaluation of the program for the next school year. Parents will also have the opportunity to bring comments, if they are satisfied or dissatisfied with the school's Title I program, to the district level. The Title I "School-Parent Compact", outlining the manner in which parents, school staff and students share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting state standards, will be jointly developed. The "School-Parent Compact" will: 1. Describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment enabling children in the Title I program to meet the state's academic achievement standards; 2. Indicate the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting his and/or her child's learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, moni-toring television watching, volunteering in the classroom, and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to the child's education and positive use of extra-curricular time; and 3. Address the importance of parent-teacher communication with, at a minimum, parent-teacher conferences, reports to parents, and reasonable access to staff. In addition to the required annual meeting, at least one additional meeting at each school will be held for parents of children participating in the Title I program. School meetings will be scheduled at various times of the day and/or evenings to provide optimum parent participation. The meeting objective is to provide parents with: 1. Information about programs provided under Title I; 2. A description and explanation of the curriculum in use, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency level students are expected to meet; 3. Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children. Title I funding, if sufficient, may be used to facilitate parent attendance at meetings by providing on-site childcare. The parents of children identified to participate in Title I programs will receive an explanation of the reasons supporting each child's selection for the program and an explanation of the student's literacy plan. Opportunities will be provided for the parents to meet with the classroom and Title I teachers to discuss their child's progress. Parents will also receive guidance as to how they can assist in the education of their child at home. The newly authorized Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act, requires that "parents of students attending any school which receives Title I funds shall be notified at the beginning of each school year that they may request, and the district will provide, information regarding the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teacher." If you would like information concerning the certification of your child's teacher, please write a letter to the Superintendent of Schools at Old Colchester Road, Oakdale, CT 06370. Policy 6172.4 |