PURPOSE:
Tulsa Public Schools shall promote parent involvement in all schools as mandated by Title I, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and work as equal partners with parents in providing quality learning experiences for every student, every day, without exception.
The Board believes and acknowledges that parent involvement raises the academic achievement level of students. Additionally, parents become empowered, teacher morale improves and communities grow stronger when parents take an active role in educating their children. To this end, schools shall involve parents in the education of their children at all grades levels. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist all schools in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. Public Law 107-110, No Child Left Behind; section 1118-Title I Parent Involvement establishes that to build capacity for parent involvement within schools, a district is to “develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to parents of participating children a written Parent Involvement Policy”.
Building Parents Capacity for Involvement
The Board believes that empowering parents to insist on improvement and giving schools extra incentive to do so and by giving parents options regarding their children’s education helps the district to realize its vision to become the “District of Choice” for patrons of the community. As a result of this belief, the Board shall create an environment of supportive and collaborative parent involvement.
1. Program Information for Parents: Lindbergh Elementary School will assist parents of all children in understanding such topics as the state’s academic content and achievement standards, the assessments being used, the requirements of Title 1, and how to monitor their children’s progress and work with educators to improve their achievement.
2. Materials and Training: Lindbergh Elementary shall provide materials and training, such as literacy training and training on how to use technology, to help parents work with their children to improve achievement.
3. Educate Educators: Lindbergh Elementary shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and the school.
4. By 2020, each school community will demonstrate exceptional parent/guardian involvement and support through 25% membership in its respective parent/guardian organization.
· Parent Teacher Organization
· Parent Facilitator
· Partners in Education with Tulsa Wesleyan Church, CNBB Bank, Delta Pi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, John Zink Co., Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, Freddies Hamburgers, Eastwood Baptist Church, Boy Scouts of America-Learning for Life, and Route 66 Automotive.
· Supplies for Success
5. Understandable Communication: Lindbergh Elementary School shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings and other activities are sent to parents of all children in a formatted language the parents can understand.
6. Other Requested Activities: Lindbergh Elementary School shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request. Such as Translation of documents and interpreting as a third party during teacher/parent meetings or student conferences as need.
7. The school supports on site programs as cooperative efforts between the school and community. Spaces are provided for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Service projects are encouraged, with collaboration between leaders of the programs, classroom teachers and student leaders.
8. Tulsa City County Library provides a Literacy Night. Free books and library card applications are available for those in attendance.
Athletic organizations use the playing fields and gymnasium. Accomplishments of the students in these organizations are recognized at school functions.
Parent Teacher Organization actively promotes parent involvement with school events, student recognition, rewards, classroom parties and special programs.
Junior Achievement provides volunteers and materials to support the curriculum. Students participate in Fine Arts Programs provided by the Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council and Philbrook Museumexpose students to the visual, dramatic, and musical arts.
The Tulsa Zoo provides classroom demonstrations and study trips.
Master Gardeners assist with science instruction for plants and soils.
Tulsa City-Couty.
9. By 2020, each school community will demonstrate exceptional parent/guardian involvement and support through 25% membership in its respective parent/guardian organization.
· Parent Teacher Organization
· Parent Facilitator
· Partners in Education with Eastwood Baptist Church, CNB Bank, Tulsa Wesleyan Church, Delta Pi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, STARBASEoklahoma, Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, Boy Scouts of America-Learning for Life, Route 66 Automotive, and Freddie’s Hamburgers.
· School supplies
· Parent-Teacher Conferences
· School Website
· School Social Media
· Collaboration with Community Counseling Agencies
10. First grade teachers will provide training for how to help students learn at home (homework or other content related projects) at Curriculum Nights.
· First grade teachers will compose weekly newsletters about what students are learning.
· Parent/teacher conferences will provide a basis for periodic communication between parents and teachers regarding children’s literacy development. Samples of work and assessment data will be presented to parents as well as explanations of the work and what the work samples and assessment data mean. Information will be presented in an understandable way to parents.
Learning at Home:
· Reading Logs will provide parents a means to communicate their child’s reading progress at home.
· When available, information to parents will be in an understandable language (i.e. Spanish) to ensure the necessary information is conveyed.
· First grade teachers will provide training for how to help students learn at home (homework or other content related projects) at Curriculum Nights.
· First grade teachers will compose weekly newsletters about what students are learning.
· Parent/teacher conferences will provide a basis for periodic communication between parents and teachers regarding children’s literacy Make-It/Take-It nights will provide first grade teachers with the opportunity to demonstrate strategies and techniques parents can use at home to further their child’s overall literacy development.
· Second grade teachers will keep a weekly homework folder containing contact forms where parents and teacher can correspond regarding child’s literacy development on an on-going basis.
· Second grade teachers will use parent/teacher conferences to update parents on student’s overall literacy development and show samples or work and assessment data.
· Second grade teachers will host a curriculum night where they will model questioning techniques for comprehension strategies when reading with child at home, as well as educate parents on the integral role they play in their child’s overall literacy development. Second grade teachers will utilize reading logs with parent-input/teacher feedback section in which parents and teacher correspond regarding the child’s reading progress at school and at home. Teacher will use information to inform parents of strategies to use at home to further child’s literacy development..
· Third grade teachers will submit periodic parent surveys giving parents the opportunity to voice their opinions regarding their child’s literacy strengths and needs. This will be in the form of two-way communication as parents then inform parents of how to further develop their child’s literacy skill Teachers will give homework as needed.
· Teachers will use communication notes signed by parents.
· Teachers will encourage parents to participate in reading at home with the use of reading logs.
· Progress reports/report cards will communicate student progress to parents.
· Teachers will make phone calls and write emails and hand-written notes as needed.
Revised Sept. 15, 2018
Legal Reference: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
