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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
TITLE I 2014-2015 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY
FOR
Paul D. West Middle School
One Vision, One Team, One Goal
2376 Headland Drive
East Point, GA 30344
(404) 669-8130
Ms. Pammy Darden, Principal
Ms. Tonjie L. Clark, Parent Liaison
Paul D. West Middle School
Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014- 2015
Ms. Pammy Darden, Principal
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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
Statement Of Purpose
Paul D. West Middle School, (PDWMS), has set a strategic goal to increase our
parental involvement for the 2014-2015 school year. We believe that in order to
guarantee student success, a partnership between our school and parents are vital.
Additionally, educational research clearly shows that parents who are actively
involved in their child’s learning at home help their children become more
successful learners in and out of school Moreover, in an effort to facilitate this
involvement and to maximize the performance of our students; a plan has been
formulated and is outlined in this report. The mission, the vision and the student
creed of PDWMS are as follows:
Mission:
The mission of Paul D. West Middle School is to educate our students to their fullest
potential so they will become responsible, productive citizens in a global society.
Vision:
We envision a professional learning community dedicated and committed to
building the future one student at a time, bridging the gap between the school and
the community, and bonding together to achieve our primary goal, which is student
success.
Student Creed:
I am a Paul D. West Panther. I will believe in myself daily and my ability to do
positive things to improve my school environment. I will use my ability to read,
write and think so that I am able to compete in a global society.
Finally, with an active and a feasible effort to improve student achievement, the
PDWMS administrators, the PDWMS parent liaison and parents have established
objectives and will implement strategies to increase parent and community
involvement within our school. Moreover, we have conducted meetings per grade
level with teachers to educate them on Title I, how Title I funds are used and the
roles that parental engagement and the Title I Parent Liaison play at PDWMS.
Finally, teachers are educated at these meetings and at Parental Engagement Events
on best practices of working with parents at PDWMS by our Title I Parent Liaison,
Ms. Clark.
What Is Title I?
Definition:
Title I is a federally funded program under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), that provides funds through the United States
Department of Education to the Georgia Department of Education. At PDWMS,
Title I supports our students to help ensure that they all meet challenging state
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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
academic content and student academic achievement standards. Title I also serves to
reinforce and amplify efforts to improve teaching and learning for our students
furthest from meeting state standards.
What Is A Student-Parent Compact And How Is It Used At PDWMS?
At Paul D. West Middle School, students participating in the Title I, Part A
Program, and their families agree that a Student-Parent Compact outlines how our
parents, our school staff, and our students will share the responsibility for improved
student academic achievement. Additionally, our compact describes how our school
and parents will build and develop a partnership that will help students achieve the
state’s high standards. The compact was jointly developed by PDWMS parents, the
Title I Parent Liaison, Ms. Tonjie Clark, educators, community partners and other
stakeholders in the best interest of student academic achievement for the 2014-2015
school years. Revisions are done collectively by all stakeholders annually to best suit
the academic needs of the students at PDWMS.
Parent Liaison
Paul D. West Middle School, (PDWMS), has one highly, qualified parent liaison,
Ms. Tonjie Clark. Ms. Clark serves to improve the students’ academic, social and
behavioral achievement through parental trainings, workshops and
student/teacher/parent interactions throughout the year.
Ms. Clark thoroughly facilitates this process in the following manner:
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Providing relevant parental workshops and community information
Providing educational material within the Panther Parent Resource Room
Encouraging parental participation in school meetings, parental trainings
and workshops, PTA meetings and teacher-parent conferences.
Providing bi-lingual translations during teacher-parent conferences and as
needed at the school
Implementing multi-cultural programs and activities for bi-lingual families
Parental Involvement Activities and Programs
Our parent involvement meetings are designed to provide parents with resources
and materials they need to become more effective and actively involved in their
children’s education. We will continue to provide our parents and community with
various forms of communication, including translations such as the parent/student
handbook, newsletters, e-mails, PTA information and School Messenger calls, etc.
In addition we will have the following activities in an effort to bridge the gap
between home and school:
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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
Parental Involvement Seminars
1. Panther Parent Partners In Literacy Coffee Chat and Chew: Fall
Reading Extravaganza The PDWMS reading coach, grade level
reading chairs and the parent liaison, Ms. Tonjie Clark, will partner to
encourage literacy among the students and parents at PDWMS. A
seminar given in which parents and students will learn strategies that
foster a successful collaboration with one another through literacy
knowledge. Parents will learn what literacy means, the importance of
literacy in every subject area and engage in relationship/team building
exercises. Parents will learn “text-language” and begin to understand
“what their kids are really saying”. Additionally, the East Point
Library will discuss how to get a library card and how to access online services for assisting students with study skills, writing papers and
tutorials services. In the “spirit” of building relationships, parents will
be encouraged to volunteer at PDWMS. Finally, pertinent Title I
information will be discussed, e.g. Parent Compacts.
2. Empowering Our Parents Lunch and Learn: Strategies For
Students’ Academic Success
This seminar will be implemented to foster an interest and
understanding of reading, science, technology, engineering and
mathematics and how they affect student academic success. PDWMS
parents and students will learn strategies such as probability, deductive
reasoning, calculations, the scientific method, and grade level
standards that foster student success. The PDWMS grade level
math/science chairs and math/science teachers will partner with the
Parent Liaison, Ms. Clark, to conduct “break-out” seminars as follows:
a. Reducing Test Anxiety: A counselor from PDWMS will discuss
how to alleviate test anxiety and overall stress in learning and
performing academically in math/science. Through problem
solving, predicting and creating timelines for
assignment/homework completion in math students and parents
will learn strategies to reduce stress and test anxiety in math.
b. Developing Good Study Habits: Teachers will lecture on
organizational skills for math classes and other classes and on
ways to be prepared for class daily.
c. Careers in Reading, Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics: Parents will learn how to prepare their children for
careers where core academic subject areas are utilized. Career
professionals will discuss how to prepare at the middle school level
for future careers.
3. Georgia Milestones: Narrowing the Achievement Gap Night: A
seminar that targets the academic areas of Mathematics, Science,
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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
Social Studies, etc. for the overall academic success for students prior
to the taking the Georgia Milestones. This will be held during the
second semester, per grade level with teachers, parents and students.
The “night” is conducted in one general session in which a panel of
educators and professionals speak about how parents can assist their
students with a successful performance on the Georgia Milestones
during the 2014- 2015 school year. Following, there will be “breakout” sessions in which teachers will meet with parents and students
about test-taking strategies, practice testing information and bestpractices for improving their test scores in preparation for the Georgia
Milestones.
4. Math and Literacy Day: With Operation Hope of Atlanta
a. Banking On Our Future, (BOOF)- These seminars educate parents on
money management and makes math “come alive” for students. Operation
Hope will set-up “mini-banks” at PDWMS where students could make
minor transactions. This effort is in collaboration with Bank of America
and Capital City Bank. Also, this supports our math initiative for academic
improvement at PDWMS.
b. Hope Business In A Box, (HBIAB)- Parents and students will learn
additional information on state standards in math and more mathematical
concepts through business planning. Also, these seminars will educate
parents and students on financial dignity and financial literacy as it relates
to math and academic standards in math. Additionally, parents and
students are exposed to opportunities for entrepreneurship and future
financial independence. Finally, students will participate in an
entrepreneurship activity similar to the reality television show, “Shark
Tank”. While utilizing this business model, students and parents will learn
how the aspects of starting a business, charting and calculating data in the
form of investments, reading and interpreting stock and industrial averages
are all inter-related to math strategies and standards in their math classes.
5. Partners In Education Breakfast: Honoring Parents and Community
Partners That Make A Difference
Parents will learn how they can bridge the gap between home, school and
the community to promote student achievement and success. Parents will
learn about community resources that will assist them with educating their
children at home while utilizing community partners. The community
partners will educate PDWMS parents on services, programs and
strategies to foster learning and academic growth among our students at
West. These resources will complement reading and literacy
involvement/practices across the academic curriculum e.g. Reading, Math,
Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and Technology.
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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
6. High School Prep Day: Muffins and Mentoring-Inspiring Students and
Educating Parents On High School Expectations
This will be held prior to the end of the year for students and for parents.
a. Requirements for high school
b. PDWMS Alumni Panel Discussion about the high school experience
Matching Program Needs To PDWMS
A formal meeting is conducted yearly to include parents in the planning process for
the school program and revision of the school-parent compact. In addition, an
initial meeting is held to inform parents of the school’s Title 1 Plan, its requirements
and their right to be involved in the program during the month of September. This
process will continue throughout the year in order to reach as many parents as
possible. Additionally, parents will be involved in the planning review and
improvement of programs for Title I in an organized, ongoing and timely way. A
written notice will be given to all parents of the students identified as needing
program services. A parent meeting will be held once a year highlighting the
student’s achievements and interpreting assessment results to monitor the
progression of the school program. The school will also describe the curriculum and
the assessments used by the school system to measure student progress in meeting
the State’s student achievement standards. A State of the School newsletter will be
shared with our community in January and May of each year, notifying
stakeholders of our progress. Moreover, family literacy and math activities will be
provided as appropriate to foster parental involvement and increased student
achievement. Finally, through regular meetings we will provide the opportunity to
volunteer and participate in the decision making process by offering suggestions and
receiving timely feedback to their suggestions.
Parental Education on State Academic Standards and Title I Expectations
During Curriculum Night, parents will receive information regarding the focus of
learning for the year. Parents will also receive Common Core, Georgia Performance
Standards and other relevant assessment information to enable them to become
knowledgeable of the yearly benchmark targets. Parents are also invited to attend
Standardized Testing informational workshops to keep them abreast of current
state requirements of achievement. Workshops will be conducted to train parents in
ways they can contribute to their child’s progress at home. Ideas will be shared for
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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
monitoring attendance and television viewing, completing homework, and
opportunities provided for volunteering at PDWMS. Efforts will be made to
provide a supportive and effective learning environment by collaborating with the
Special Education Department and other pertinent departments, and we will also
utilize our bilingual services to facilitate the translation of pertinent information for
parents where English is not their first language. Parents and students with
disabilities will also be accommodated with collaboration of the Special Education
Department at the PDWMS and county levels.
Also, Parent teacher conferences will be held periodically to relate individual
student’s achievement to parents. The parent liaison will provide workshops,
meetings and conferences with parents concerning information about Title I
expectations and guidelines. Also, parents will be informed of their student’s
academic progress through Progress Reports and formal Report Cards that will be
sent home as scheduled by Fulton County Schools. Additionally, parents will also be
encouraged to participate in their student’s class and observe classroom activities.
Finally, the PDWMS parent liaison will provide support as needed, e.g. the GA
Department of Education Website, for the parents.
PDWMS Business Partners and Partners In Education
Local area business partners will be acquired and utilized to build relationships
with our parents, students and teachers of PDWMS. Formal compacts between
parents, school, community stakeholders, and students will be used to specify
everyone’s contributing role in reaching the individual student’s goals. Community
resources will be used to strengthen schools, families, and support programs.
Partners in Education and service groups will be engaged with our school in a
meaningful collaboration to advance student learning. Partners in Education are
encouraged to become involved in the schools in ways that include volunteering in
the classrooms, mentoring students, and attending parent meetings as guest
speakers and resource people through the PDWMS parent liaison.
PDWMS Panther Parent Resource Room
On-going and through utilizing the parent resource room at PDWMS, training
programs will be conducted throughout the school year to provide resources to help
parents work with their children to improve their performance. These programs
will address literacy, technology, and other skills that will foster parental
involvement. Examples of activities that will be provided include:
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PDWMS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 2014-2015
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Literacy programs that bond families through reading and using the
public library
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Providing information on the essential components of reading and
math instruction to enable the parents to support the instructional
practices used by the teacher
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Training for parents in the use of the internet to enable their access to
children’s homework, communication with the teachers, and access to
information posted about opportunities to promote student
achievement.
Information regarding parent workshops, school activities, and other pertinent
information will be available in the parent resource room. Additionally, information
will be sent home with students to encourage participation of all parents including
parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, families that are
homeless in a format that will provide information to limited English proficient
parents through our bilingual services.
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