Family Engagement Plan 2026-2027

Indicators:

1. Parents will have an opportunity to discuss and provide input through the Johnson City Council of PTAs meetings as well as each school’s PTA board meeting
2. Parents will be represented on each school’s site-based council (including all Title I Schools)
3. Parents and educators will have the opportunity to provide input through surveys and through postings on the system’s web page
4. Cultural, economic, language, and demographic issues will be given attention through the selection of focus groups and advisory councils and committees
5. The system will provide parents of English Learners (ELs) the opportunity to provide input through the district’s community liaison.

Indicators:

1. Special Education Department holds an annual spring transition fair, which allows parents of children with disabilities are invited to attend. Vendors and local community partners attend to discuss and showcase community opportunities for students with disabilities.
2. 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
3. The district report card and other key sources of information are linked to the district web site
4. Courses of study may be accessed by a link from the district web site to the state department web site
5. A computer with access to the internet and email will be made available to parents in The Learning Center
6. Title I parent involvement activities will be coordinated with parent involvement activities of other programs such as: the 21st Century grant, preschool, and ESL programs.

Indicators:

1. 1. A variety of planned, goal-oriented programs will be created and implemented to engage all parents in their children’s education in one or more of the following categories:

a. parenting (strategies to promote effective parenting practices at home)

b. communicating (strategies to promote positive school-home communication)

c. volunteering (opportunities for parents to volunteer or be an audience at school)

d. learning at home (learning activities to involve parents with students at home)

e. decision making (opportunities to engage in decision making, governance, and advocacy roles at both the school and system level)

f. collaborating with the community (activities/events that foster school-community partnerships)

(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

Indicators:

1. Annual surveys will be conducted at the system level as well as at each of the school sites to identify barriers to greater participation; to design more effective strategies; and to revise, if necessary, the parent involvement plan
2. Survey results will be analyzed to measure the effectiveness of the plan and to secure input regarding modifications in future practices
3. Measurable goals for increasing the level and quality of family involvement are required as part of every school improvement plan

Indicators:

1. All schools (including schools served under Title I-A) 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

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. Other academic resources can be found on the district web site under the “Curriculum and Instruction” tab
3. School and classroom library collections can be found the district web site under the “Library Media Services“ tab
4. Progress indicators on elementary report cards will be aligned with state standards
5. The textbook adoption process will provide an opportunity for potential textbooks to be reviewed by parents and the community
6. The Learning Center will have specific activities and materials set aside for the involvement of families
7. The system uses a variety of communication tools to support conversations between teachers and families using Parent Square.
8. School Planning documents for each Johnson City School can be found at the ePlan link on the district web site under the “About” tab

Indicators:

1. After school tutoring and homework programs will be provided to improve student homework and achievement.
2. 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; parent meetings will be scheduled at the school level to develop an intervention plan to support student attendance
3. Schools will develop reward programs to acknowledge good character and good student behavior (i.e. the Character Counts Program)
4. Parents and students will receive information about bullying awareness and the system wide anti-bullying program – Olweus Bullying Prevention
5. A monthly district newsletter is distributed via email and parent square which includes community connections, testing schedules, and district wide events.
6. The family resource center can be found on the Johnson City Schools website.
7. School counselors are another resource available to families in need of additional positive parenting skills.

Indicators:

1. School district staff members are friendly towards, respectful of, and helpful to all families
2. All schools are required to have family representation on the site-based team
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)
4. Parent representatives will serve on the Voluntary PreK advisory council and the 21st Century advisory council 5. Parent representatives will serve during the development of the Johnson City Schools Board of Education five-year strategic plan.

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
3. Schools will be supported by the district office in planning/implementing family engagement activities for the purpose of improving student achievement

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
• System wide community liaison
• System and school level newsletters and other publications
• Staff development
• Parent Square language translation capabilities
• LanguageLine Solutions

3. All Title I schools will designate at least 1% of the Title I A budget for parent involvement activities