Parent and Family Engagement Policy

What is a parent and family engagement policy?

This plan describes how Riverside Elementary will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to support student learning. Riverside Elementary values the contributions and involvement of families to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This plan describes the variety of ways that Riverside Elementary will support family engagement and how families can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and in the home.

Who is it for?

All students participating in the Title I, Part A program, and their families are encouraged and invited to fully participate and engage in this partnership. Riverside Elementary will provide opportunities for the participation of parents and family members with limited English, with disabilities, and of migratory children.

Where is it available?

At the beginning of the year, the plan is distributed at our annual Title I Open House. The plan will be posted on our website, and can obtain a copy from the front office.

How is it revised?

Riverside Elementary invited our leadership team, which includes representatives from the school, families, and community sponsors, to review and revise this parent and family engagement policy. Throughout the school year, family input and comments regarding the policy are welcomed. The plan is posted on the school website for families to view and submit feedback. All feedback received will be utilized to revise the plan for the following school year.

Riverside Elementary is identified as a Title I school as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Title I is intentionally designed to support the state and local school efforts tied to the challenging state academic standards in order to improve teaching and learning for all students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to help support family engagement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with parents and family members a written parent and family engagement policy.

Riverside Elementary is a firm believer that family engagement is the participation of parents and family members in regular two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities. This ensures that:

• families plan an integral role in assisting their child's learning;
• families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education at school; and
• families are full partners in their child's education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.

School-Parent Compacts

As part of this plan, Riverside Elementary and our families will develop a school-parent compact. A compact is a written agreement that families, teachers, and students jointly develop to explain how everyone will work together to ensure all students reach grade-level standards. Parents and families are an integral part of Riverside's leadership team. The School-Parent Compact will be available at the Title I Open House, sent home at the beginning of the year, posted on the school website, and available in the front office. If you would like to provide feedback on the compact any time during the year, please contact Brianna Coogan at bcoogan@mauryk12.org.

Riverside Elementary will take the following measures to empower and support parents and family members as an important foundation of our school to strengthen the school and reach our goals.

We will:

• Ensure that all information related to school and family programs, meetings, and other activities is published in both English, Spanish, and languages requested; posted on the school website; and included in the monthly school newsletter for all families.
• Provide monthly trainings for staff during their planning periods on strategies to improve communication with families and ideas to increase family engagement and/or provide strategies in Reading and Math for our students outside of the classroom. Staff will also share promising practices during regularly scheduled Data meetings.
• Partner with early childhood programs, middle and high schools, college and career ready resources or organizations, parent resource centers, or other programs (as applicable) to help prepare parents and their children for successful school transitioning.
• Share information on the school website and in the school newsletters for families to understand the school’s academic standards and assessments as well as the ways families can monitor their child’s progress and work with educators.
• Communicate with all families and the community on a regular basis regarding school wide events and activities, through phone messages, our website, social media, and flyers.
• Work with our families to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of parent and family engagement and how to support student learning.
• Provide necessary materials and handouts for parents at conferences, meetings, and activities to help parents work with their child to improve their child’s achievement.
• Collect feedback from parents and family members at all events and through emails, social media, or in person discussions.

Updated 8/25/2024