Caledonia Elementary School
Parental Involvement Policy
2011-2012
Statement of Purpose
Caledonia Elementary School (CES) teachers and staff are committed to providing a quality
educational program that will challenge all students to attain their greatest potential. Our
belief is that when school and parents work together children will succeed in school and
throughout life. Parents play an extremely important role as children’s first teachers and their
support for their children and for the school is critical to the success of the children and the
school. CES believes in the importance of good communication between the home and the
school in building a successful learning environment for all students. It is our desire to provide
multiple opportunities for parents, students and school staff to establish strong, meaningful
and lasting connections.
Development of the Parental Involvement Policy
CES has developed with parents, distributed to parents, the CES Parental Involvement Policy
that the school and parents agreed upon. Parents have been notified about the school parental
involvement policy in an understandable and uniform format and the policy has been
distributed to parents in a language that parents can understand. The Parental Involvement
Team and the Parent Advisory Committee will annually update the CES Parental Involvement
Policy to meet the changing needs of the parents and the school.
Caledonia Elementary will implement the following:
 Administer a Parents Needs Survey in the spring of each year to obtain feedback on the
school wide program.
 Make the Parental Involvement Policy available to parents and the community.
 Involve parents in the development of the Parental Involvement Policy.
 Hold flexible meetings at varying times to accommodate parents’ schedule. An active
parent coordinator will be designated.
School-Family Compact
CES will distribute to parents the school-family compact that outlines how parents, school staff,
and students share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement.
Building Capacity
In order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among CES,
parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, the following activities
will occur:
 Provide training opportunities for parents, faculty, and staff for improved student
achievement:
o Professional development for faculty and staff
o District Parent Resource Center for parents where materials are made available
to promote parent involvement
 Provide school performance profiles that show school progress toward meeting the
state’s challenging performance standards and provide individual student results and
interpretation to parents.
o CES will disseminate assessment data in the following ways:
1. Distribution of district and school level report cards
2. Individual parent-teacher conference
3. Annual Title 1 meeting
4. Spring Planning meetings
 Implement the following key strategies to increase meaningful parental involvement
that is designed to enhance home-school partnerships and improve student learning:
o Start the year with an open house meeting before the first day of school. Parents
often come to the classroom with preconceived ideas and fears. This is an
opportunity to interact with parents and develop the parent-teacher
relationship. Parents are able to focus on the words of the teacher and principal
and interact with teachers and the other parents in the class. This meeting also
allows teachers to set the expectations and tone for the year, relieve parent
concerns, and establish a positive parent climate in their room. The underlying
theme for this first meeting: that both educators and parents are the child's
teachers.
o Schedule parent meetings through the year to build and maintain parent
relationships.
o Bridge the gap between home and school through thematic home projects.
o Clearly communicate assessment goals and dates.
o Share the results of assessment with parents.
o Collaborate with all specialists who work with students, so all adults and parents
work toward student success.
o Never give up... some parents take longer to become a member of your learning
community.
o Provide regular events that showcase your students' learning and invite parents
to participate. Use each event as an opportunity for parent education and
encouragement while developing a community.
o Encourage parents and provide parents with volunteer opportunities.
o Allow parents to access their child’s attendance and grades online by accessing
the Active Parent program via the district website
Annual Parent Meeting
CES will convene an annual meeting at the beginning of the school year to acquaint parents
with the parent involvement policy, curriculum, classroom standards, homework policy,
assessment, and proficiency levels that students are expected to achieve. The school shall
provide the program information to parents by way of:

Newsletters each grading period

Telephone calls

School website

Alert now
Parents’ Right to Know
The Parents’ Right to Know letter is included in the registration packet at the beginning of the
year and for incoming students throughout the year. CES will provide parents information
about their right to know the qualifications of their child’s teacher. Notice of this right and of
any person that does not meet the highly qualified criteria required by No Child Left Behind will
be sent to parents each year. In the event a substitute will be in a classroom for four or more
consecutive weeks and is not highly qualified, a notification letter will be sent home to parents
of those students.
Shared Responsibilities for High Student Academic Achievement


In order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among
the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic
achievement, the following activities will occur:
o
Send letters home
o
Hold meetings to discuss student’s progress
o
Provide workshops as needed
The school will, with the assistance of its district, provide assistance to parents of
children served by the school in understanding topics such as the following:
o the District’s academic standards,
o the State’s student academic achievement standards,
o the State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments,
o the requirements of Title I,
o how to monitor their child’s progress
o how to work with educators to ensure success
Coordination of Programs
The designation of parent coordinators on the CES campus is a way to help coordinate parents
and parental involvement programs. The parent coordinator serves as a liaison between the
school and the parent. The parent coordinator helps to organize regular open house meetings
and other programs and events where parents are invited to come out and meet with teachers
and administrators concerning their child’s progress in the school. These meetings are set aside
as a time to build and help maintain parent relationships with the school and the teachers.
Parent Coordinators also use The Megaskills program to help build success through books, staff
trainings, and parent workshops. At least four (4) workshops are held throughout the year. The
topics discussed at the workshops are selected from the eleven (11) Megaskills: Confidence,
Motivation, Effort, Responsibility, Initiative, Perseverance, Caring, Teamwork, Common Sense,
Problem Solving, and Focus. These workshops are geared to help parents continue the learning
process at home with their child. The parent coordinators also discuss other issues such as
homework help methods, time management strategies and organizational skills.
Evaluation
CES works with the Title I parental advisory committee to evaluate the effectiveness of the
parental involvement program. Needs assessment surveys, parent feedback from meetings, and
other resources are used to determine the needs of the school and revise the parental
involvement policy and program in order to meet the changing needs of the parents and
students. All revisions are voted on by the parents and are communicated to the parents in a
timely manner. The parental involvement policy is revised on a yearly basis.