AN AGREEMENT FOR SUCCESS: Title I Parent/School Compacts

Compacts: Definition SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. —As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy developed … each school served under this part shall jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high standards. TITLE I – SECTION 1118

What needs to be included? describe the school’s responsibility to provide high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under this part to meet the State’s student academic achievement standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and television watching; volunteering in their child’s classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time;

In Simpler Terms… Compacts are a “job description” that defines the “jobs” of the school, the parents (and sometimes the student) in order to ensure that the student receives and achieves the best possible education.

Purpose of Compacts Process vs. Outcome –Link (process) activities of school/staff, parents and children to (outcome) student learning and achievement Open Communication –Parents can understand the school system better –Teachers can understand the needs of parents better –Students can understand their responsibilities Creating a “team” to support every student.

TEAM EDUCATION Student Teacher Principal Title I Parent Community Agencies PDE Aides School

STARTING LINEUP School Parents Student Teachers Team EDUCATION

CREATING A COMPACT TEAM Parents (required) Teachers (required) Optional: –Students –Administrators –Community Members Libraries Businesses Faith Based Organizations –Community Organizations Who Should Be Included?

GETTING STARTED ESEA/NCLB Goal –All Students at Proficient or Advanced on the PA System of School Assessment (PSSA) by 2014 Issues currently facing our school Issues currently facing our parents Issues currently facing our community Understanding the Challenges Facing Education Today

Goals for Educating our Children Discussion Questions: Parents: What do you want for your child as they go through school? Parents: What goals do you have for your child after they graduate? Teachers: What do you want for your students as they go through your classroom this year? Teachers: What do you want for their future?

What Do We Expect From Each Other? All parents and teachers want to ensure that every child is: –Healthy –Safe –Engaged in Learning –Supported by Caring Adults –Exposed to a Challenging Curriculum (includes arts, music and other essential courses) * From Education.org

DEVELOPING OUR COMPACT Compacts are required to address three areas for families and the school to work together: –Student learning and high achievement; –Effective and frequent communication between school and home; and –Building capacity for the family/school partnership through volunteering and training.

Student Learning & High Achievement Discussion Questions: –What does our current compact include to address student learning and high achievement? Parents: –What do you see happening in your child’s school and/or classroom to support this topic? –What can parents do at home and school to help students achieve? –Are there any other things we can add to the compact?

Student Learning & High Achievement Discussion Questions: School: –What can teacher/school do at school to help students achieve? –What are the teacher/school responsibilities in the compact? –Are there any other things we can add to the compact?

Student Learning and High Achievement Suggestions for Compact: –School’s responsibility includes offering a rigorous and challenging academic program [be specific in what your school offers here], and making sure every student gets help as soon as it’s needed. –School agrees to provide training for parents on ways to help them help their children at home, and to send home materials they can use. –Parents agree to monitor homework completion, and to help their child see how to use reading and math to pursue interests and goals. –Parents agree to support learning at home by reading with their children every night, and using the materials the school sends home weekly [or whatever is agreed upon at this meeting…]

Discussion Questions: What does our current compact include that relates to communication between the home and school? Parents: What do you see happening in your child’s classroom to support this? Teachers/School: What do you see happening from parents to support communication? Define “effective” communication. Define “frequent” communication. Are those definitions reflected in the current compact? Is it enough? Do the parents feel that they are “kept in the loop” of their child’s progress in school? Do teachers feel that they are getting enough parent support? Effective and Frequent Communication Between Home/School

Suggestions for Compact: –School agrees to communicate frequently (define frequently) with families about student progress through [agreed upon methods i.e., , phone calls, newsletters, etc.]. –Teachers agree to build a relationship with every family in their class, and to keep families informed of their children’s progress and needs in each subject. –Parents agree to monitor child’s progress, contact the teacher with questions, and let the teacher know right away if their child has any problems. Suggestions for compacts:

Building Capacity through Volunteering and Training Discussion Questions: Identify activities that parents could volunteer for or be trained to help their children do better in school. Are there opportunities for parents to be involved at a governance level at this school? How and what? How can we get more parents involved? What are the barriers? How are we eliminating them?

Building Capacity through Volunteering and Training Suggestions for Compact: –School agrees to involve parents in school governance by….. –Teachers will train parents on these strategies to help their children do better in school… –Parents agree to volunteer at least ___ hours a year at the school.

USING THE COMPACT Moves the Compact from a Planning Document to an Action Document Get the Word Out! –School Newsletter –Weekly Lunch Menus –Web Sites – –Listserv –School’s Voice Mail System –Mailing –Local Newspaper –Community Events –Special School Events

USING THE COMPACT Use the Compact in All Parts of Your School Program –DISCUSS STUDENT PROGRESS AT PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES (required by NCLB) –Help launch programs for family involvement –Support training for teachers and other staff to work with families –Complement School Improvement Plans –Help partners discuss their responsibilities in meeting the goals of the school

EVALUATING THE RESULTS Schools are required to review the compacts each year to determine if they are effective and to make changes, if needed –Parents must be involved –Need to more than whether it is in place – Need to know what’s working and what’s not How do you know whether or not your compact is working?

Resources US Department of Education – –No Child Left Behind –Title I Legislation (Section 1118 – Compacts) Project Appleseed (National Campaign for Public School Improvement – PA Academic Standards –PA Department of Education –

Questions

Congratulations! You’ve completed the update of your parent/school compact. For further information on ways to increase parent involvement in your school: – (State Parent Advisory Council website) – (USDE Website)