OUR CHILDRENS ACADEMY Title I, Part A Parental Involvement Plan

I, Debra Johnson, do hereby certify that all facts, figures, and representations made in this application are true, correct, and consistent with the statement of assurances for these waivers. Furthermore, all applicable statutes, regulations, and procedures; administrative and programmatic requirements; and procedures for fiscal control and maintenance of records will be implemented to ensure proper accountability for the expenditure of funds on this project. All records necessary to substantiate these requirements will be available for review by appropriate state and federal staff. I further certify that all expenditures will be obligated on or after the effective date and prior to the termination date of the project. Disbursements will be reported only as appropriate to this project, and will not be used for matching funds on this or any special project, where prohibited.

Assurances

  • The school will be governed by the statutory definition of parental involvement, and will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with the definition outlined in Section 9101(32), ESEA;
  • Involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A in decisions about how Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement are spent [Section 1118(b)(1) and (c)(3)];
  • Jointly develop/revise with parents the school parental involvement policy and distribute it to parents of participating children and make available the parental involvement plan to the local community [Section 1118 (b)(1)];
  • Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan under section 1114(b)(2) [Section 1118(c)(3)];
  • Use the findings of the parental involvement policy review to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the school’s parental involvement policy [Section 1118(a)(E)];
  • If the plan for Title I, Part A, developed under Section 1112, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school will submit parent comments with the plan when the school submits the plan to the local educational agency [Section 1118(b)(4)];
  • Provide to each parent an individual student report about the performance of their child on the state assessment in at least mathematics, language arts, and reading [Section 1111(h)(6)(B)(i)];
  • Provide each parent timely notice when their child has been assigned or has been taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified within the meaning of the term in 34 CFR Section 200.56 [Section 1111(h)(6)(B)(ii)]; and
  • Provide each parent timely notice information regarding their right to request information on the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teachers and paraprofessionals [Section (h)(6)(A)].


Date Signed

Signature of Principal or Designee

Mission Statement

     



Parental Involvement Mission Statement (Optional)

Response: District and school-based Title I Parent Involvement Programs in Polk County will strive to build RELATIONSHIPS to create real family engagement for every child, every family,every teacher, every day. Our Children's Academy and Rehab, a 501(3), was founded based on the belief by the founders, Board of Trustees, staff and administration that early intervention is critical to helping children with special needs. They need a safe, positive and nurturing learning environment to develop communication skills, social skills, academic/technical skills and their self-confidence.

Involvement of Parents

     



Describe how the school will involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely manner, in the planning, review, and improvement of Title I programs including involvement in the decisions regarding how funds for parental involvement will be used [Sections1118(c)(3), 1114(b)(2), and 1118(a)(2)(B)].

Response: Parents will be invited to attend the meetings for the planning, review and improvement of Title 1 programs and will be involved in the decisions making of the spending of the 1% Parent Involvement Funds. Parents will be notified by ConnectEd via telephone, flyers sent home through students, postings on the school's website and through notices on the marque.

Coordination and Integration

     



Describe how the school will coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities that teach parents how to help their children at home, to the extent feasible and appropriate, including but not limited to, other federal programs such as: Head Start, Early Reading First, Even Start, Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, public preschool, Title I, Part C, Title II, Title III, Title IV, and Title VI [Section 1118(e)(4)].

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Program

Coordination

1

Title I

Title 1 parents activities correlated to student achievement are described in the Parent Involvement Plan and School Improvement Plan. They are coordinated by the Title 1 Program Facilitator and include activities related to curriculum resources for parents, transition services, state testing, interactive literacy tips, and communication instruction.

2

Title II

Title II funds supplement and support professional development at our school. Specific Title II projects will be designed by the Lead Teacher to assist teachers in determining appropriate access course content, as well as new Florida Standards, as it relates to Common Core State Standards.

3

IDEA funds

All students at Our Children's Academy access IDEA funds for their curriculum and equipment. Programs are driven by IEPs, with instruction coordinated by classroom teachers, Lead Teacher, and instructional support staff.

Annual Parent Meeting

     



Describe the specific steps the school will take to conduct an annual meeting designed to inform parents of participating children about the school’s Title I program, the nature of the Title I program (schoolwide or targeted assistance), Adequately Yearly Progress, school choice, supplemental educational services, and the rights of parents. Include timeline, persons responsible, and evidence the school will use to demonstrate the effectiveness of the activity [Section 1118(c)(1)].

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Activity/Tasks

Person Responsible

Timeline

Evidence of Effectiveness

1

Annual Parent Meeting: Parent meeting will be held in conjunction with Open House.

Principal/ Parent Involvement Contact

October 7, 2014

Parent Evaluations

2

Distribution of school information packets, including Parent Compact

Parent Involvement Contact

October 7, 2014

Distribution Tally

3

Teacher introductions/conferences

Our Children's Academy Faculty

On-going through June, 4, 2015

Teacher-reported attendance

4

Title I Powerpoint shared with parents

Parent Involvement Contact

October 7, 2014

Parent Evaluations

5

Parent phone calls inviting families to the Annual Parent Meeting

Our Children's Academy Faculty

October 3, 2015

Teacher-reported tally

6

Date, time, and location of Annual Parent Meeting placed on school website

Parent Involvement Contact

September 26, 2014

Parent Turnout

Flexible Parent Meetings

     



Describe how the school will offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide with Title I funds, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services related to parental involvement [Section 1118(c)(2)].

Response: Our Children's Academy offers a Parent Education Series on campus in the evenings. During these meetings, childcare is provided free of charge to all participating families. Parents also receive handouts containing all important information covered in the series meeting.



Additionally, parent/teacher conferences are offered to parents to discuss report cards, progress reports, and student progress at a minimum of two face-to-face conferences per year and are available throughout the school year upon request.

Building Capacity

     



Describe how the school will implement activities that will build the capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement [Section 1118(e)]. Describe the actions the school will take to provide materials and training to help parents work with their child to improve their child’s academic achievement [Section 1118(e)(2)].Include information on how the school will provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under Section 1118 as parents may request [Section 1118(e)(14)].

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Content and Type of Activity

Person Responsible

Anticipated Impact on Student Achievement

Timeline

Evidence of Effectiveness

1

Orientation

Parent Involvement Contact

Curricular resources related to literacy/parent involvement

August 14, 2014

Parent Turnout

2

K-5th Math Family Night

Parent Involvement Contact

Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS) will be discussed and presented to families. Parents will engage in math activities with their children. Educators will assist families by explaining steps for scaffolding children's learning.

October 21, 2014

Parent Evaluations/Surveys

3

6th-8th Math Family Night

Parent Involvement Contact

Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS) will be discussed and presented to families. Parents will engage in math activities with their children. Educators will assist families by explaining steps for scaffolding children's learning.

October 23, 2014

Parent Evaluations/Surveys

4

K-5th Literacy Family Night

Parent Involvement Contact

Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS) will be discussed and presented to parents. Parents will engage their children in shared storybook reading activities. Educational staff will assist parents by presenting information about scaffolding children's literacy and increasing comprehension through wh- questions.

January 20, 2015

Parent Evaluations/Surveys

5

6th-8th Literacy Family Night

Parent Involvement Contact

Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS) will be discussed and presented to parents. Parents will engage their children in print referencing activities. Educational staff will assist parents by presenting information about scaffolding children's literacy and increasing comprehension through wh- questions.

January 22, 2015

Parent Evaluations/Surveys

6

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Family Night

Parent Involvement Contact

Educators will present information regarding the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to parents. Information will include options for augmentative and alternative communication for children with complex communication needs.

February 17, 2015

Parent Evaluations/Surveys

Staff Training

     



Describe the professional development activities the school will provide to educate the teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and schools [Section 1118(e)(3)].

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Content and Type of Activity

Person Responsible

Anticipated Impact on Student Achievement

Timeline

Evidence of Effectiveness

1

Leadership Team Meetings (Team Leaders, Principal, and Executive Director)

Principal

Discussion of current status of staff and what areas we need to better address related to parent communication.

2014-2015 school year, weekly meetings

Leadership team agendas

2

IEP (process discussion at faculty meetings)

LEA Facilitator

Acceptance as equal members of the IEP process will lead to more active parent participation and could lead to to follow-through at home.

on-going, June 4, 2015

Meeting agendas

3

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Sensitivity Training

Parent Involvement Contact

Accepting parents as equal contributors to children's communication abilities. Educators will learn about the role parents play as children's first educator and communication model.

October Teacher Workday

Staff Evaluations/Survey

Other Activities

     



Describe the other activities, such as parent resource centers, the school will conduct to encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children [Section 1118 (e)(4)].

Response: Activity: Encourage parents to attend IEP meetings

Person Responsible: LEA Facilitator/ Parent Involvement Contact

Timeline: August 2014- June 2015

Specific Steps: Send out meeting notices and/or phone calls and collect current student information and goals.

Timeline and Evaluation: Annually, or more frequently as needed.


Communication

     



Describe how the school will provide parents of participating children the following [Section 1118(c)(4)]:

  • Timely information about the Title I programs [Section 1118(c)(4)(A)];
  • Description and explanation of the curriculum at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet [Section 1118(c)(4)(B)];
  • 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[Section 1118(c)(4)(C)]; and
  • If the schoolwide program plan under Section 1114 (b)(2) is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school will include submit the parents’ comments with the plan that will be made available to the local education agency [Section 1118(c)(5)].

Response: Our Children's Academy held an Open House/Title 1 Annual Meeting where the Parent Involvement Contact, as well as the classroom teachers, discussed and explained the curriculum used at the school as well as the academic assessments used to measure student progress. The Title 1 Power Point provided in the Task Hub was displayed as well as read during the Open House. Parents and teachers met individually to discuss the proficiency levels of their student. Each parent is encouraged to set up at least one parent/teacher conference to discuss their child's academic achievement. Each parent is also invited and encouraged to participate in their child's Individual Education Plan which is reviewed with the classroom teacher and therapists.

Accessibility

     



Describe how the school will provide full opportunities for participation in parental involvement activities for all parents (including parents with limited English proficiency, disabilities, and migratory children). Include how the school plans to share information related to school and parent programs, meetings, school reports, and other activities in an understandable and uniform format and to the extent practical, in a language parents can understand [Section 1118(e)(5) and 1118(f)].

Response: Our facility is equipped with ramps for all the classrooms to make them accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. There are translators available for any Spanish speaking parents. All materials are available for translation as needed.

Discretionary Activities

     



Discretionary School Level Parental Involvement Policy Components Check if the school does not plan to implement discretionary parental involvement activities. Check all activities the school plans to implement:

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Activity

Description of Implementation Strategy

Person Responsible

Anticipated Impact on Student Achievement

Timeline

1

Maximizing parental involvement and participation in their children’s education by arranging school meetings at a variety of times, or conducting in-home conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend those conferences at school [Section 1118(e)(10)];

Teachers were given the students address and telephone number and they coordinated a time to meet with each student's parent.

Principal and Lead Teacher

Meeting the parents of the students in a teacher's classroom improves parent involvement and student's achievement.

2014-2015 school year

Upload Evidence of Input from Parents



Upload evidence of parent input in the development of the plan.

Upload Parent-School Compact



Note: As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy/plan, each school shall jointly develop, with parents for all children served under this part, a parent-school compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement Section 1118(d)].

Upload an electronic version of the Parent-School Compact.

Upload Evidence of Parent Involvement in Development of Parent-School Compact



Note: As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy/plan, each school shall jointly develop, with parents for all children served under this part, a parent-school compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement Section 1118(d)].

Upload evidence of parent input in the development of the compact.

Evaluation of the previous year's Parental Involvement Plan

Building Capacity Summary



Provide a summary of activities provided during the previous school year that were designed to build the capacity of parents to help their children [Section 1118 (e)(1-2)]. Include participation data on the Title I annual meeting.

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Content and Type of Activity

Number of Activities

Number of Participants

Anticipated Impact on Student Achievement

Staff Training Summary



Provide a summary of the professional development activities provided by the school during the previous school year to educate staff on the value and utility of contributions of parents; how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners; the implementation and coordination of parent programs; and how to build ties between parents and the school [Section 1118 (e)(3)].

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Content and Type of Activity

Number of Activities

Number of Participants

Anticipated Impact on Student Achievement

Barriers



Describe the barriers that hindered participation by parents during the previous school year in parental involvement activities. Include the steps the school will take during the current school year to overcome the barriers (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background) [Section 1118(a)(E)].

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Barrier (Including the Specific Subgroup)

Steps the School will Take to Overcome

Best Practices (Optional)



Describe the parental involvement activity/strategy the school implemented during the previous schoool year that the school considers the most effective. This information may be shared with other LEAs and schools as a best practice. (Optional)

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Content/Purpose

Description of the Activity