Raymond School District Parent Involvement Policy and Procedures

Raymond School District is committed to the goal of providing quality education for every child in this district. To this end, we want to establish partnerships with parents and with the community. Everyone gains if Raymond School District and home work together to promote high achievement by our children. Neither home nor Raymond School District can do the job alone. Parents play an extremely important role as children's first teachers. Support for their children and for the school is critical to children’s success at every step along the way.

Raymond recognizes that some students may need the extra assistance available through the Title I program to reach the state's high academic standards. Raymond intends to include parents in all aspects of the school's Title I program. The goal is a school-home partnership that will help all students to succeed.

• Raymond School District will jointly develop/revise with parents the school parental involvement policy/procedures and distribute it to parents of participating children and make available the parent involvement policy/procedures to the local community.
  • School Newsletter
  • Back to school Title I Parent Night
  • Informational letter sent home to Title I parents
  • District online website
• Convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school's participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved. This meeting will be held within the first two weeks of school.
• Offer flexible meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, childcare, or home visits, as such services related to parental involvement. Parents may make classroom visitations throughout the school year. Information is available on the district website for those parents unable to attend meetings. Childcare and transportation are available to parents as needed. All preschool students have home visits, and the principal is available for home visits as requested.
• Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the school plan under Section 1112, schoolwide under Section 1114, and the process of the school review and improvement under Section 1116. Parent Title I meeting times and date are on the district website and on notices sent home with students within the first two weeks of school.
• Provide parents of participating children
  • Timely information about programs under this part.
  • A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.
  • 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 practically possible.
    • Parent letter to all Title I students at the beginning of the school year
    • School newsletter notices
    • District website
    • Parent/Teacher conferences Elementary students 5½ days JH/HS 2 days. Fifth through twelth grades student led conferences
    • Parent Title I information meeting first two weeks of school
    • Schools are open to parents daily
    • Parent surveys are sent each year
• If the schoolwide program plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the district.
  • Parent surveys are distributed each year
  • Comments and suggestions are accepted from parents during conferences
• Raymond School District will inform parents and parental organizations of the purpose and existence of the Parental Information and Resources Center (PIRC) in Washington.

PART II-REQUIRED SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy, each school 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.

• Conduct a parent/teacher conference in elementary schools, annually (at a minimum), during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement.
• Provide frequent reports to parents on their child’s progress.
• Provide parents with reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class and observation of classroom activities.
  • Conference at least once a year and as parents request
  • Ongoing invitation for parents to visit classrooms
  • Progress reports available monthly
  • Progress reports and/or grades quarterly (JH/HS)
  • Student handbook outlines parent volunteers in the classrooms
  • Parents are invited to participate in and join PTA
  • Sign up lists are posted in classrooms for volunteers at the beginning of the school year

BUILDING CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS FOR INVOLVEMENT
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 district under this part-

• Shall provide assistance to the parents of children served by the school or district, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the state's academic content standards and state student academic achievement standards. State and district assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children.
  • Measure of academic progress (MAPs) are administered twice a year to track student progress
  • Teachers have one paid day to view and set plans for each student
• Shall provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children's achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement. Parents have their child's code to view progress on the district website
  • Parent math night
  • Parent night for reading
  • Daily activities for parents and students sent monthly in newsletter
• Shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, 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.
• Shall to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.
  • Public ECEAP preschool
  • 21st Century Grant After school program
• Shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents can understand.
  • Most notes are in English and Spanish
  • Spanish translator is available during school hours
• Shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this part as parents may request.
  • Libraries are available for student and parent checkout. Informational pamphlets for parent involvement are available in the hall corridor. PTA sponsored family nights are ongoing. Daily activities parents and students are available in the school newsletter. Vision Alive Team meets yearly with community members, parents, and staff to improve school academics and climate.
• May involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training.
• May provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this part if the district has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for such training.
• May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.
• May train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents.
• May arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school, in order to maximize parental involvement and participation.
• May adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement.
• May establish a district parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in programs supported under this section.
• May develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parent involvement activities.

PART III-ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
In carrying out the parental involvement requirements districts and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with children with limited English proficiency, parents with children with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents can understand.

• District appointed translator
• Most notices are in English and Spanish
• Updated and new buildings are all handicap accessible
• New playground equipment will be handicap accesible