• NORTH ALLEGHENY TITLE I LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCY (LEA) PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY

    All Local Education Agencies (LEA) receiving Title I funds are required under Section 1116 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to develop a written Parent and Family Engagement Policy for the LEA.  The ESSA states that the LEA Parent and Family Engagement Policy must be jointly developed with parents and family members, incorporated into the LEA plan (Consolidated Application), and distributed to parents of participating children in a format and language that parents can understand.  Such programs, activities, and procedures shall be planned and implemented with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children. The North Allegheny School District will serve as the LEA for this policy.

    The policy states that the LEA involves parents and family members in the joint development of the Title I Plan (Title I Application). (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(A))

    • A Stakeholder’s meeting is held at the end of the school year to discuss the year’s Title I budget, activities, and spending for the school year. During this meeting, the stakeholders, including parents and family members, staff members, and community members, reflect on the school year and provide input for the July consolidated application submission. 
    • A parent survey is sent out to all Title I parents at the end of the school year to reflect on the effectiveness of the Title I program.  The results will also help determine needs for the upcoming school year to be included in the Title I Plan. 


    The policy states how the LEA involves parents and family members in the process of school review and improvement.  (ESSA, Section, 1116(a)(2)(A)).

    • An annual meeting is held at the beginning of the school year to review the LEA Family and Engagement policy and make revisions and updates as necessary.  At this meeting, individual school Family and Engagement policies are also reviewed and adapted to fit the needs of the current students. 
    • Parent surveys are sent home in the middle of the year and end of the year to collect parent input for program effectiveness and improvement. 
    • Title I teachers are required to hold conferences throughout the year to gather input from parents on resources needed and program feedback. 
    • Upon information gathered at any of these events, the Family and Engagement policies can be updated as deemed necessary. 

     


    The policy states how the LEA provides technical assistance and support to schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance (ESSA, Section, 1116(a)(2)(B)).

    • Bimonthly meetings are held with the Title I reading staff where the LEA provides professional development on Parent and Family Engagement Policy and parent and family engagement activities. 
    • Principals at Title I schools provide professional development for parents and staff at monthly PTA and staff meetings. 
    • Weekly School newsletters are sent electronically to staff with resources. 

     


    The policy states how the LEA will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies with other federal, State, and local laws and programs (ESSA, Section, 1116(a)(2)(C)).

    • Kindergarten teachers and administrators attend local preschools and daycares to present upcoming kindergarten expectations and programs to help prepare parents for the upcoming school year.
    • The district will send a team of people to observe incoming kindergarten students. 
    • DART transition meetings are held every spring and fall. 

     


    The policy states how the LEA conducts, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, and annual evaluation of the content and the effectiveness of the Parent and Family Engagement Policy in improving the academic quality of all schools, including identifying

    • barriers to greater participation by parent and family members, with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, and disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background; 
    • the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of the children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers; and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. ESSA, Section, 1116(a)(2)(D)(i-iii).
      • Parent surveys are sent at the middle and end of the school year that focus on the effectiveness of the program.  
      • A stakeholder’s meeting is held at the end of the school year asking parents to identify any barriers experienced to help improve the Title I program. 
      • The school parent and family engagement policies are sent home to all parents with a form ensuring it is understandable and appropriate for all families. 
      • We offer the Translate/Transperfect program to help meet the needs of our non-English speaking families. 

     


    The policy states how the LEA will use the findings of the annual evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family involvement, and revise, if necessary, the Parent and Family Engagement Policy (ESSA, Section, 1116(a)(2)(E)).

    • After the end of year survey is completed and results are collated, the LEA meets with the Title I team to evaluate the effectiveness of the current research-based strategies.  If necessary, professional development is sought out to identify additional research-based strategies to meet our needs. 
    • A follow-up with the survey findings/data is communicated to parents. 

     


    The policy states how the LEA involves parents and family members in the activities of the school, which may include establishing a parent advisory board comprised of a sufficient number and representative group of parents or family members to adequately represent the needs to the population; revising; and reviewing the Parent and Family Engagement Policy (ESSA, Section, 1116(a)(2)(F)).

    • The LEA attends monthly PTA meetings to gain parent input and participation for school activities. 
    • Title teachers are in constant communication with their Title families to help meet the needs of their students. 
    • At any time throughout the school year, communication occurs and is welcomed.  Any changes warranted to the Parent and Family Engagement policy will again involve all of the stakeholders. 

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