Johnson City Schools Family Engagement Plan

Woodland Elementary School

Background

In March 2005, the Johnson City Schools Family Engagement Core Team took the initiative in developing a first draft of a system wide plan for family involvement. The core team was made of staff members who had participated in a state wide family engagement training workshop throughout the spring. After creating an initial framework based upon the requirements of NCLB (No Child Left Behind), the plan was presented to groups of principals, teachers, parents, and board members for feedback and revision. On September 19, a draft of the Family Engagement Plan was evaluated by the system wide Family and Community Advisory Council. Using input from this evaluation, the core team finalized the plan. The plan was then disseminated to school principals at the September 27 Administrative Meeting. In addition, the plan will be shared with other school system stake-holders as well as posted on the school system’s web site. Woodland's committee reviewed this document and The Family Involvement Plan is considered a living document and will be annually reviewed and updated as needed.

Purpose

The Johnson City Schools Family Engagement Plan was developed to:

  • Support Goal Four of the Board of Education’s Long Term Plan
  • Support the learning goals found in the Consolidated Federal Projects Plan
  • Create a common vision of family engagement and the resources needed to sustain that vision
  • Increase and improve the level of family involvement in our students’ education.

Plan

Component 1:

Johnson City Schools is committed to involving families in policy development.

Indicators:

  1. Parents will have an opportunity to discuss and provide input through PTA Council and the monthly PTA president luncheons.
    • (At Woodland) PTA has an executive board that meets monthly. Issues can be submitted to the board for consideration. There is a faculty representative on the executive board that keeps the staff informed of PTA activities and acts as a liaison.
    • An annual meeting is held to inform parents of our schools participation in Title I and Title I requirements. This takes place in our first meeting each year since it is so well attended.
    • PTA meets once a month in the evenings and all parents, students, and teachers are invited to attend. The dates are set a year in advance and published in the PTA handbook, in monthly newsletters, and in the newsletters of classroom teachers. During the “new business” portion of the PTA meeting, the floor is open to parents wishing to bring concerns/ideas to the attention of the PTA membership.
  2. Parents will be represented on each school’s site-based council
    • Site based council meetings currently occur on the second Tuesday of each month.
    • Parents are represented on our site-based council and annually review the school-parent compact before being distributed to the parents.
  3. Parents and educators will have the opportunity to provide input through surveys and through postings on the system’s web page
    • Surveys are used to gain information about their child’s education, school calendar, and communication.
  4. Cultural, economic, language, and demographic issues will be given attention through the selection of focus groups and advisory councils and committees including the system wide Family and Community Advisory Council and the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee
    • Woodland parents are periodically selected to participate in system wide committees and focus groups.
  5. The system will provide parents of English Language Learners the opportunity to provide input an annual community meeting

Component 2:

The Family Engagement Plan includes technical assistance and planning support for effective family engagement.

Indicators:

  1. Workshops for parents are scheduled through the “Resource Central” (previously known as the Teacher Center); in addition, special education sponsors an annual parent workshop
    • Woodland parents receive flyers with descriptions, dates and times of the aforementioned workshops. These are sent home via Wednesday packets.
  2. Title I and the PTA Council co-host an annual program “Looking into our Schools” to provide information regarding federal programs and expenditures and to collect feedback from parents
  4. School newsletters are sent home on a regular basis and contain information regarding school report cards, test results, new programming options, and suggestions for parents to become involved in their child’s education
    • In addition to school newsletters, each classroom teacher sends home a weekly newsletter. These newsletters contain information about activities that are occurring in each classroom, upcoming events, and relevant dates. The teachers also share information about subjects that are being covered in the class. Ideas are given regarding how the parents can extend their learning at home.
    • A copy of our school level parent involvement plan is linked to our school’s web site and will be updated periodically as needs change.
  5. The district report card is linked to the district web site
    • A link is provided on Woodland’s web site leading to the state department web site. There parents can find Woodland’s report card.
  6. Courses of study may be accessed by a link from the district web site to the state department web site
    • Grade level curriculum standards may be accessed by a link from the school’s web site to the state department’s web site.
  7. A computer with access to the internet and email will be made available to parents in the “Family Depot” section of “Resource Central”
    • By accessing the school web site, Woodland’s Parent Corner, parents can link to a site that provides parenting tips and other information. This resource is also available in Spanish. This information is provided by the Parent’s Institute.
  8. Preschool and kindergarten bags are provided at the time of student registration and contain education materials for parents to use at home
    • Preschool and Kindergarten teachers distribute the bags during their initial parent meeting. The materials are shown to the parents and the teachers explain how these materials can be used at home to supplement classroom instruction.

Component 3:

The Family Engagement Plan supports clearly articulated goals for extent and type of family engagement.

Indicators:

  1. A variety of planned, goal oriented programs will be organized and implemented to engage all parents in their children’s education in one or more of the following categories:
    • parenting (strategies to promote effective parenting practices at home)
      • "Helping Your Child Succeed” brochures, published by the Master Teacher, Inc., are sent home each month. These brochures contain information on a variety of issues relevant to the education of children and how parents can be a partner in the educational process.
      • “Home & School Connection: Working Together for Success” is a publication that provides parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement, and more effective parenting. These are also sent home monthly in student packets.
    • communicating (strategies to promote positive school-home communication )
      • Parent teacher conferences, phone calls, e-mails, Wednesday packets, journals, brochures, etc. are examples of school wide communication tools.
    • volunteering (opportunities for parents to volunteer or be an audience at school)
      • Parent and community volunteers are an invaluable asset in the education of Woodland students. Many efforts are made to extend our appreciation to these stakeholders including a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon that is hosted by the staff.
    • learning at home (learning activities to involve parents with students at home)
      • “Reading Connection: Tips for Reading Success” is one publication sent home monthly that provides parents with practical ways to promote reading, writing, and language skills. Woodland teachers make an attempt to design projects and homework assignments that engage both parents and students.
    • decision making (opportunities to engage in decision making, governance, and advocacy roles at both the school and system level)
    • collaborating with the community (activities/events that foster school community partnerships)
      • Woodland has a number of active Partners in Education from within the community. Volunteers are used in a number of capacities other than working with students in the classroom. Strong partnerships exist between our school and area higher education institutions as well as local businesses. (NOTE: the link to student achievement and the importance of providing activities in each of the above categories is derived from Joyce Epstein’s research at Johns Hopkins University.)
  2. Sign-in sheets and other forms of documentation will be kept on file and reviewed annually to assess parent participation in system and school activities in each of the six areas

Component 4:

The Family Engagement Plan provides for an evaluation process to promote continuous improvement of the engagement of all families.

Indicators:

  1. Annual surveys will be conducted at the system level as well as at each of the school sites
    • Woodland survey data will be used to monitor the effectiveness of the strategies being implemented.
  2. Survey results will be analyzed to measure the effectiveness of the plan and to secure input regarding modifications in future practices
    • If our school level parent involvement plan is not satisfactory to our parents, comments may be made to the Johnson City Schools which will submit them to the State Department of Education.
  3. Measurable goals for increasing the level and quality of family involvement are required as part of every school improvement plan
  4. The system wide Family and Community Advisory Council will use the Family Friendly Schools-District Family Policy Assessment and Development (rubric) to evaluate the system wide Family Engagement Plan

Component 5:

The Family Engagement Plan requires family engagement at all school sites.

Indicators:

  1. All schools will develop a Family Engagement Plan that provides opportunities for family engagement in the six categories supported by Epstein’s research (see component 3) and submit an annual update of the plan to the district office
  2. All schools will conduct an annual parent survey regarding the family practices provided at each school site and submit the survey results to the district office
  3. Each school will set a goal for family engagement for each major strategy.
  4. All schools will submit their plans to the central office for review and evaluation

Component 6:

The Family Engagement Plan includes procedures for parents to access and understand course of study or curricular materials as well as Federal, State, and local standards.

Indicators:

  1. The district web site will contain a link to the Tennessee State Department of Education where the state curriculum for each grade level and subject area can be accessed
  2. Each school site will house a hard copy of all state curriculum available for parent and community review
    • This information will be kept in Woodland’s school library. Each classroom teacher has a copy of the standards that can be reviewed and discussed with parents.
  3. The textbook adoption process will provide an opportunity for potential textbooks to be reviewed by parents and the community
    • This review occurs at our systems central office. Notice of the review will be sent home via Wednesday packets.
  4. The current resource known as the “Teacher Center” will be renamed the “Resource Central” and will have specific activities and materials set aside for the involvement of families
  5. The Johnson City Schools’ Consolidated Plan (including learning goals and action steps) is posted on the school system web site

Component 7:

The Family Engagement Plan encourages the support of district involvement in positive parenting skills.

Indicators:

  1. Parenting workshops will be offered through the “Resource Central” and an annual special education conference
  2. Parenting programs such as “STEP” and “PASSport to Success” will be provided on an annual basis
  3. “Resource Central” will provide a variety of parenting materials for review and checkout
  4. Adult literacy and adult education courses will be made available through the technology center at Science Hill High School
  5. After school tutoring and homework programs will be provided to improve student homework and achievement
    • Homework club and a number of grade level remediation and enrichment programs are available after school.
  6. Parents will receive phone calls to confirm student absences and to encourage better student attendance; a letter will be sent home once a student has accrued five unexcused absences; each school will receive money to develop attendance incentives
  7. Schools will develop reward programs to acknowledge good character and good student behavior (i.e., Character Counts!)
    • Woodland uses the Life Skills model by Susan Kovalik to recognize and build the qualities necessary to become productive and responsible citizens.

Component 8:

The Family Engagement Plan incorporates family involvement in decision making and governance.

Indicators:

  1. School district staff members are friendly towards, respectful of, and helpful to all families
    • Woodland staff strives to foster a family friendly atmosphere where parents feel valued and welcome.
  2. All schools are required to have family representation on the site-based team
    • Site based council meetings currently occur on the second Tuesday of each month. There are two parent representatives on this council, one of which is the PTA president.
  3. The district has several ways of listening to parents and engaging them in two-way communication (for example, giving time at Board meetings, holding open forums, and providing ways to give input on the district web site)
    • Woodland has an open door policy for meeting with parents to discuss issues and concerns. Parents can schedule meetings with the principal, teachers, and other personnel at their convenience.
  4. Parents representatives will serve on the system wide Family and Community Advisory Council and Special Education Parent Advisory Committee

Component 9:

The Family Engagement Plan supports professional development to build the capacity for family engagement.

Indicators:

  1. Professional development in the area of family engagement will be provided to all staff members.
  2. Families will have opportunities to be included in family engagement training.

Component 10:

The Family Engagement Plan specifies budget and funding for family engagement.

Indicators:

  1. The district has adequate staff and resources to implement the family involvement standards
  2. District and site-based budgets will reflect a commitment to the effective development, implementation, and evaluation of family engagement programs including but not limited to the following:
    • System wide Spanish interpreter
    • “Resource Central” workshops and materials
    • System and school level newsletters and other publications
    • Staff development
    • PreK and K parent bags
  3. “Resource Central” will serve as a clearinghouse to gather best practices, ideas, materials, new approaches, research, and other program information in order to help schools improve their family involvement programs.