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Cross Creek Elementary School
Parent Involvement Policy
2015-2016
Cross Creek Elementary School recognizes that parent involvement is critical to the success of improving student
achievement. Cross Creek's goal is to provide environments at school and at home that encourage development of the
whole child, especially with regards to each child's academic development. Cross Creek believes that parents should
become involved in any decision-making process concerning their child. With the guidance and assistance of the parent
involvement coordinator, school secretary, administrators, and teachers parent meetings, conferences, and/or workshops
are offered throughout the school year on various topics using flexible times. Our parents are notified of all meetings,
conferences, and/or workshops by school newsletters, newspaper articles, community public service announcements,
postcards, letters, fliers in students' weekly take-home folders, and/or telephone calls. In addition to receiving notification
of upcoming meetings, our parents also receive written and/or verbal information concerning upcoming school or systemwide activities, school programs, Cross Creek's Parent Involvement Policy, results of the annual school review,
opportunities to volunteer in school, individual student assessment results, and the interpretation of those results, a
description and explanation of the school curriculum in the Parent and Student Handbook provided at the beginning of
each school year, and results of parents surveys.
Although most of the responsibility for "getting the word out" to parents falls on the Parent Involvement Coordinator,
Cross Creek realizes that the overall aim of connecting home and school can only be successful if everyone
(administrators, teachers, other faculty and staff, community members, parents, and students) join the effort to encourage
and promote student achievement.
Cross Creek recognizes how important Parent Involvement is to the academic success of all students. Cross
Creek's revised Parent Involvement Policy embodies six standards based on Joyce Epstein's six types of involvement:
Standard I: Planning and Decision Making: Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the
planning, review and improvement of programs, and include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders
and representatives.
Standard II: Communication: Provide parents with appropriate information regarding programs and services.
Standard Ill: Volunteering: Recruit and organize parent help and support.
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Standard IV: Parenting: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.
Standard V: Learning at Home: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with
homework and other curriculum-related activities, conferences, and planning.
Standard VI:Collaborating with the Community: Utilize resources and services from the communities to strengthen
school programs, family practices and student learning.
For each of the six standards, Cross Creek Elementary will be implementing a set of strategies which are designed to
increase and expand the parent involvement activities within our school.
Part I: General Expectations:
A. Cross Creek Elementary School agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:
• The school system will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the involvement of parents in
all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with
meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.
• Consistent with section 1118, the school system will work with its schools to ensure that the required schoollevel parental involvement policies meet the requirements of section 1118(b) of ESEA, and each include, as a
component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1118(d) of the ESEA.
• The school system will incorporate this system-wide parental involvement policy into its LEA plan developed
under section 1112 of ESEA.
• In carrying out the Title I, Part A parental involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the school
system and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English
proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and
school reports required under section 1111 of ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and, including
alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.
• If the system plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents
of participating children, the school system will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school
system submits the plan to the Georgia Department of Education.
• The school system will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how
the minimum 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent and will ensure that
not less than 95 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools.
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• The school system will be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement, a n d
e x p e c t s that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this
definition:
Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication
involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring1. Parents play an integral role in assisting their child's learning;
2. Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education at school;
3. Parents are full partners in their child's education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on
advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and
4. The carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of ESEA.
Part II: Implementation Efforts:
1. Cross Creek Elementary School will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its
school wide parental involvement plan under section 1118 of ESEA:
Parents from each system Title I school are involved in the planning, review, and improvement of parent involvement
programs and activities. The advisory board reviews surveys in the spring and uses results to improve the parent
involvement program. Ideas and suggestions are researched and discussed with parents, teachers, and
administrators. Teachers and administrators are encouraged to review and respond to parent suggestions.
2. Cross Creek Elementary School will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of school review
and improvement under section 1116 of ESEA:
The goal of Cross Creek Elementary School is to increase student achievement of all students, including every
subgroup of students. Parents, teachers, and administrators receive written and verbal information on the College
and Career Ready Performance Index status of the schools including Reward, Alert, Focus, or Priority if appropriate.
Written information is provided in a format, to the extent practicable, in a language that the parents can understand.
3. Cross Creek Elementary School will provide the following necessary coordination, technical assistance, and other
support to assist Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to
improve student academic achievement and school performance:
The Cross Creek Elementary School Parent Involvement Coordinator works with the Title I Director in providing
coordination, technical assistance, and other support services in planning and implementing effective parent
involvement. The Parent Involvement Coordinator provides assistance at Title I schools by meeting with parents
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individually and in groups, by providing transportation and child care when appropriate at parent workshops, and by
providing translation of information when needed.
4. Cross Creek Elementary School will coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies in Part A with
parental involvement strategies under other programs. Parental Involvement activities at the system level are a
coordinated effort between our five school-wide title programs. Title I Part A activities are also coordinated with the
Early Intervention Program (EIP), Migrant Program, English to Speakers of Other Languages Program (ESOL),
Special Education, and our Preschool Program. In addition, Parent Involvement activities are coordinated with
community-wide programs such as Family Connections, Thomasville Resource Center, Business Education
Exchange Partnerships (8.E.E.), and Hands on Thomas County.
5. Cross Creek Elementary School will take the following actions to conduct, with the involvement of parents, an
annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement policy in improving the quality of its
Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in parental
involvement activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have
limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The school
system will use the findings of the evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to design strategies
for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of parents) its parental
involvement policies.
A Parent Advisory Council meeting is held each fall and spring to review the content and effectiveness of parent
involvement on the quality of our Title I school-wide programs. Parents, administrators, and the parent involvement
coordinator from each Title I school, along with system administrators participate in these yearly meetings.
Information is gathered and recorded from parents concerning barriers to parental involvement in all subgroups
including economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited English proficient, limited literacy, and racial or ethnic
minorities. Parents are also encouraged to complete surveys from the parent involvement coordinator. Results from
these annual reviews and from the surveys are used to plan and implement parent involvement policies and activities
for the following school year.
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Cross Creek Elementary School will build the school's and parents' capacity for strong parental involvement 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, through the following activities specifically described below:
A. The school system will, with the assistance of its Title I, Part A allotment, provide assistance to parents of
children served by the school system or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by
undertaking the actions described in this paragraph -• Georgia's academic content standards,
• Georgia's student academic achievement standards,
• Georgia and Thomas County academic assessments including alternate assessments,
• Requirements of Title I Part A,
• Monitoring student progress, and
• Working with educators.
Parents are provided a handbook at the beginning of each school year that describes and explains the school
curriculum. Written information and parent workshops are provided to explain assessments used to measure student
progress and proficiency. Report cards are sent home to parents, and family nights are held quarterly. School
newsletters and the system monthly publications are available to parents in print and on the system website.
B. Cross Creek Elementary School will provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to
improve their children's academic achievement, such as literacy training, and using technology, as appropriate, to
foster parental involvement. This is accomplished by promoting literacy training and the use of technology through
workshops and through collaborative efforts with Southwest Georgia Technical College. Each Title I school also has
a parent resource center with a variety of free materials and items that can be borrowed. One computer is available
for parent use in the parent resource room; others are available with prior approval.
C. Cross Creek Elementary School will, with the assistance of parents, educate its teachers, pupil services
personnel, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal
partners, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs
and build ties between parents and schools by providing professional learning opportunities and printed material
throughout the school year for administrators, faculty, and staff to develop an understanding of the value of parental
involvement. In addition, the knowledge of how to reach out to parents and the ability to establish partnerships
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between parents and schools are promoted through professional learning and printed material. Certified and
classified school personnel are reminded that parents are equal partners in the education process. Learning
opportunities are not limited to local events but may include participation in regional, state, or national conferences.
D. Cross Creek Elementary School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental
involvement programs and activities with Head Start, public preschool and other programs, and conduct additional
activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the
education of their children as deemed appropriate.
E. Cross Creek Elementary School endeavors to provide information related to the school and parent programs,
meetings, and other activities, to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format,
including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.
The school system has made available training and access to the translated documents for all required notifications
in print and obtainable through the Internet. Also the Google Translate feature, available on the school and system
webpages, will translate any page or document posted online. Staff will use Language Line, which provides
translation services for parent conferences over the phone.
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Part Ill: Discretionary Activities:
A. Cross Creek Elementary School provides additional discretionary activities for parental involvement that the
school system, in consultation with its parents, chooses to undertake to build parents' capacity for involvement in the
school and school system to support their children's academic achievement, such as the following discretionary
activities listed under section 1118(e) of ESEA:
• Involving parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the
effectiveness of that training;
• Providing necessary literacy training for parents from Title I, Part A funds, if the school system has exhausted
all other reasonably available sources of funding for that training;
• Paying reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement activities, including
transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training
sessions;
• Training parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;
• Maximizing parents' involvement and participation in their children's education by arranging school meetings at
a variety of times, or by conducting in-home conferences between teachers or other educators who work
directly with participating children whose parents are unable to attend those conferences at school;
• Adopting and implementing model approaches to improving parental involvement;
• Establishing a system-wide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental
involvement in Title I, Part A programs;
• Developing appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based
organizations, in parental involvement activities; and
• Providing other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under section 1118 as parents may
request.
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Part IV: Adoption:
Adoption of Cross Creek Elementary School's Parent Involvement Policy
Cross Creek Elementary School's Parental Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children
participating in Title I, Part A programs and Cross Creek's administrators. The policy was adopted by the Cross Creek Elementary
School/Thomas County Schools on July 31.2015 and will remain in effect for 2015-2016. The school district will make this policy
available on the school's homepage for all parents of participating Title I students on or before September 4. 2015. Copies of this policy
will be given to all Cross Creek parents, and extra copies will be available in the front office.
DatJ
Title I Director of Thomas County Schools
Date
Su
Date
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Cross Creek Elementary School
Standards and Activities for 2015-2016
Standard I: Planning and Decision Making: Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review and
improvement of programs, and include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.
Activity/Strategies
School Improvement Planning
Meeting
May, 2015
School Council
TBA
Parent Advisory Committee
Meetings
Fall, 2015, Spring, 2016
Agenda for Meeting
Minutes from Meetinq
Agenda, Minutes from Meeting
Academic Booster Executive
Meetinqs
Parent Surveys
August, 2015
Agenda, Minutes
Spring, 2016
Survey Results
Parent Involvement Policy Revision
May, 2016
Revised copy available in front office
and on the school's homepage
Timeline
Methods/Evaluation
School Improvement
Plan Sign-In Sheets
Person/Staff Responsible
Principal (Stanaland)
Assistant Principal (Pope)
Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis) &
Leadership Team Members
(Educators)
Principal (Stanaland)
Parent Coordinator
(M. Dennis)
Title I Director (Dechman)
Amanda Gandy(President)
Principal (Stanaland)
Parent Coordinator
(M. Dennis)
Title I
Director (Dechman)
Title I Secretary (Whitley)
Principal (Stanaland)
Assistant
Principal (Pope)
Parent Coordinator
(M. Dennis)
CC Parent (A. Gandy) and
Academic Booster Committee
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Standard II: Communication: Provide parents with appropriate information regarding programs and services.
Activity/Strategies
Timeline
Methods/Evaluation
Person/Staff Responsible
Flyers for Special Activities and
Workshops
Calendar for Special
Activities and Workshops
Ongoing
Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis)
Advertise Restaurant Nights
Ongoing
Volunteer Orientation
Fall 2015
Issued to Parents/Guardians in
child's Honeybee folders
Issued to Parents/Guardians in
child's Honeybee folders and/or
Parent-Student Handbook
Fliers Issued to
Parents/Guardians in child's
Honeybee folders/ Marquee/
Signs near both entrances to
school
Attendance (Roster)
Academic Booster Meetings:
8/11/2015
Attendance (Roster)
Back to School Blitz
August 1, 2015,
9:00 am-11:00 am
MPMS gym (Rotating Yearly)
Attendance counted by number
of bags distributed
Title I Director (Dechman)
Title I
Promise(Dechman)
& Prevention Coalition
Director
Family Connections
Parent Coordinators
Workshop
Spring 2015
Attendance (Roster)
Parent Coordinators
Resource Coordinators
Title l Director (Dechman)
Classroom Newsletters
Bi-weekly
Issued to Parents/Guardians in
child's Honeybee folders
Teachers
•
Beginning of School
Year Updates as needed
Meet & Greet Cookout
Assistant Principal (Pope)
Parent Coordinator
(M. Dennis)
PR Coordinator (TBA)
Parent Coordinator (M. Dennis)
Principal(Stanaland)
Parent Coordinators
Title I Director (Dechman)
Booster President
(A. Gandy)
Principal (Stanaland)
Parent Coordinator ( Dennis)
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Standard Ill: Volunteering: Recruit and organize parent help and support
Activity/Strategies
BEE Readers
Timeline
Weekly/ Monthly
Intervention Time Volunteers
Ongoing daily
Volunteers for:
Ongoing
•
•
•
•
Workshops
Fundraisers
School Events
Methods/Evaluation
Schedule of visits by E-mail to
EIP Teachers
Evaluation completed by
teachers and volunteers
Attendance (Roster)
and Volunteer hours
Person/Staff Responsible
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Intervention Specialist-2
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Academic Booster
Activities
Volunteer Orientation
Fall 2015
Attendance (Roster)
Title I Director (Dechman)
Principal (Stanaland)
Parent Coordinators
Room Parents
Ongoing
Volunteer Hours
Teachers
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
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Standard IV: Parenting: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students
Activity/Strategies
Timeline
Methods/Evaluation
Person/Staff Responsible
Reading/Math/Test/Project
Preparation and Resources
Workshop
Back to School Blitz
Spring 2016
Attendance (Roster)
August 1, 2015,
9:00 am-11 :00 am
MPMS gym (Rotating yearly)
Attendance counted by number
of bags distributed
Grandparents' Day
September 2015
Attendance (Roster)/ Tickets
Home Visits
Ongoing
Document visit and results of visit
on Home Visit Form
Parent Coordinators
Principal (Stanaland)
Title I Director (Dechman)
Title I Director (Dechman)
Promise & Prevention Coalition
Family Connections
Parent Coordinators
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Parent Volunteers
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
13
Standard V: Learning at Home: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other
curriculum-related activities, conferences, and planning.
Activitv/Strateoies
Academic Booster Meetings/
Meet & Greet Cookout
Parent Resource Room Materials
Parent Conferences
(including EIP, IEP, and SST
Meetings)
Reading/Math/Test/Project
Preparation and Resources
Workshop
Classroom
Newsletters Teacher
Websites
Facebook Page, School Websites
and Teacher Websites
Timeline
August 11, 2015
Methods/Evaluation
Number in Attendance (Roster)
Person/Staff Responsible
Cross Creek Faculty and Staff
Onooino
Ongoing
Check-In/Check-Out Forms
Sign-up for Conference
Document number of and date of
Parent Conferences attended
Attendance (Roster)
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Teachers
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Spring 2016
Bi-Weekly
Signed Honeybee Folder by
Parents
Update Monthly
Parent access to each method of
communication
Parent Coordinators
Principal (Stanaland)
Title I Director (Dechman)
Teachers
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Teachers
Technology Coordinator
I
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Standard VI: Collaborating with the Community: Utilize resources and services from the communities to strengthen school programs,
family practices and student learning.
Activity/Strategies
Back to School Blitz
Timeline
August 1, 2015,
9:00 am-11 :00 am
MPMS gym (Rotating yearly)
Methods/Evaluation
Attendance counted by number of
bags distributed
BEE Partners & Volunteer
Appreciation Luncheon
March/April 2016
Attendance (roster)
BEE Readers
Weekly
Family Connections Meeting
3rd Tuesday in each month @
11:30 am
VOOM
2nd Tuesday in each month @
7:45 am
Restaurant Nights
(Papa Johns, Beef O'Brady's)
Monthly
Evaluation by E-mail to EIP
Teachers
Collect information from
community businesses or
organizations for parents
Collect information from
community businesses or
orQanizations for parents
Percentage of funds raised is
given to the school
Person/Staff Responsible
Title I Director (Dechman)
Promise & Prevention Coalition
Family Connections
Parent Coordinators
Title I Director (Dechman)
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
Parent Coordinator (Dennis)
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Cross Creek Elementary School
Standards and Activities for 2014-2015
Standard I: Planning and Decision Making: Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review and
improvement of programs, and include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.
1. School Improvement Planning Meeting
2. School Council
3. Parent Advisory Committee Meetings
4. Academic Booster Executive Meetings
5. Parent Surveys
6. Room Parents
7. Teacher Appreciation
Standard II: Communication: Provide parents with appropriate information regarding programs and services.
1. Monthly Chatterbox (Newsletter)
2. Room Parents
3. Flyers and Calendar for Special Activities and Workshops
7. Academic Booster Meetings
8. Back to School Blitz
9. Reading/Mathffest/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop
4. Advertise Restaurant Nights
5. School Programs and Policies Workshop/ Meet & Greet Cookout
6. Parent Advisory Committee Meetings
10. Volunteer Orientation
Standard Ill: Volunteering: Recruit and organize parent help and support.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
B.E.E. Readers
Intervention Time Volunteers
Workshops
Volunteer Orientation
School Events
6. Academic Booster Activities
7. Fundraisers
8. Room Parents
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Standard IV: Parenting: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be There Publicity Campaign for Parents
Back to School Blitz
Family Wellness Workshop
Reading/Math/Test/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop
Grandparents' Dav
6. Home Visits
7. School Programs and Policies Workshop/ Meet & Greet Cookout
Standard V: Learning at Home: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other
curriculum-related activities, conferences, and planning.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Academic Booster Meetings
Parent Resource Room Materials
Parent Conferences (including EIP, IEP, and SST Meetings)
Reading/Math/Test/Project Preparation and Resources Workshop
5. School Programs and Policies Workshop/ Meet & Greet Cookout
Standard VI: Collaborating with the Community: Utilize resources and services from the communities to strengthen school programs,
family practices and student learning.
1. Back to School Blitz
2. Business Education Exchange & Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
3. B.E.E. Readers
6. Business After Hours (BAH)
7. Community Support Services Workshop
8. Restaurant Nights
4. Family Connections Meeting
5. VOOM
9. Harvey's School Rewards Program