Clarkton C-4 School District

Parent Involvement Policy

It is the belief of the Clarkton C-4 School District that parental involvement is instrumental to student success.  It is essential that partnerships are formed between the school district and parents to ensure a quality education for the district’s students and to prepare them for the world beyond high school.  Schools, families, and community must all be actively involved in developing strong programs and policies that support the academic success of every student in our district.

For the purposes of this policy, a parent means:

1.  A natural or adoptive parent of a child;
2. A guardian, but not the state if the child is a ward of the state;
3. A foster parent if the natural parents’ authority to make educational decisions on the child’s behalf has been extinguished and the foster parent has an ongoing, long-term parental relationship with the child, is willing to make the educational decisions required of parents and has no interest that would conflict with the interests of the child.

District Responsibilities:

• Create and maintain a responsive and welcoming atmosphere for parents and families
• Support parents and families as partners for lifelong learning and active participants in school issues and programs
• Assist parents and families in acquiring techniques to support their students’ learning and develop tools to help establish those areas where support is needed
• Break down cultural and socioeconomic barriers that stand in the way of education being recognized as a vital part of each child’s development into a full and productive member of society
• Address issues of educational equality and provide for the educational needs of all students
• Work closely with parent groups to support initiatives related to academic achievement
• Assist schools in identifying opportunities for professional development to help teachers, administrators, and staff to work more effectively with families
• Posting a written copy of this plan in the central office, on the district’s website, and in each school

School Responsibilities:

• Each building will have an improvement plan that includes:
  • Methods to promote school-to-home communication
  • Identification of professional development needs for teachers, administrators, and staff to address working with families
  • Demographics of all students
  • Determination of types of learning at home that should take place to support learning at school
  • Definitions of effective parent involvement and how this will impact student learning
• Demonstrate an effort to reach families that are underrepresented in school settings, lack the confidence or time, and/or have limited English language skills
• Schedule an annual meeting for families that is convenient and offered at times that are flexible that explains the curriculum, academic assessments, levels of proficiency, and other relevant school programs
• Provide flexible opportunities for organized, on-going, and timely participation in planning, review and improvement of school programs.