Title I School-Parent Compacts:
A Tool for Continuous School Improvement
Federal Programs Directors’ Meeting
Stonewall Resort
March 12, 2014
Agenda
• Family Connections
• School-Parent Compacts
– Title I, Part A. Section 1118 (Parent Involvement)
– A Tool for School Improvement
– Quality Indicators
• An opportunity for 8 WV Title I schools
The Impact of School,
Family and Community
Connections on Student
Achievement
available as full-text PDF at
www.sedl.org/connections/resources.
Research Findings
• Programs and interventions that engage
families in supporting their children’s
learning at home are linked to improved
student achievement.
• Family and community involvement that is
linked to student learning has a greater
effect on achievement than more general
forms of involvement.
Research Findings
• Families of all cultural backgrounds, education,
and income levels can, and often do, have a
positive influence on their children’s learning.
• Effective connections embrace a philosophy of
partnership where power is shared—the
responsibility for children’s educational
development is a collaborative enterprise among
parents, school staff, and community members.
How do Your Schools
Engage Families?
Individually: list 5 parent/family engagement
opportunities in your school(s) (3 min)
As a table group: share and discuss(5 min)
Report out
How Important is Parent/Family and
Community Partnerships?
Federal aid for family involvement under Title I
$145 million
Average per state
$2.9 million
Standard 4.0: Student Support Services
and Family/Community Connections
In high quality schools, the staff places student wellbeing at the forefront of all decisions, provides support
services to address student physical,
social/emotional, and academic growth, and forms
positive connections to families and the community.
Function A: Positive Relationships
Positive relationships exist between the school staff
and the students, families and larger communities.
“Partnerships among schools, families, and
community groups are not a luxury—
they are a necessity”
-Anne Henderson
Annenberg Institute for School Reform
School-Parent Compact
• http://ctschoolparentcompact.org/about/bac
kground-reserach-anne-t-henderson/
School-Parent Compact:
 a written agreement of shared
responsibility
 a catalyst for collaboration and
better communication between
school staff and parents by
translating goals for student
achievement into shared action
statements
One of the weakest areas of Title I
Compliance (USDE 2008)
– Compacts are not present
– Compacts are not meaningful
– Compacts are not specific
True or False??
The Compact…..
 must be signed by teachers and parents
 is a good place to teach parenting
 is the place to correct student behavior
School-Parent Compact
Title I, Part A
Section 1118 (Parent Involvement)
What are the Requirements?
Title I, Part A, Section 1118
• Jointly develop with parents a school-parent
compact
• Outline how parents, the entire school staff and
students will share the responsibility for
improved student academic achievement
• Outline the means by which the school and
parents will build and develop a partnership to
help children achieve State’s high standards
What must be included?
Title I, Part A, Section 1118
• Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high
quality curriculum and instruction
• Describe the ways parents will be responsible for
supporting their children’s learning
• Address the importance of communication between
teachers and parents on a continuous basis
–
–
–
–
Annual parent-teacher conference
Frequent reports on academic progress
Reasonable access to staff
Opportunities to volunteer and participate
WV Compacts?
1. Are we in compliance with the federal statute?
2. Are parents and school staff jointly developing
the compact?
3. Are parents provided a copy of the compact to
keep for reference?
4. Are the compacts presented in friendly format
and language?
5. Are compacts being utilized as tool for
increasing student achievement?
Let’s Take a Look
In the center of the table is a
sample compact and a rubric
Let’s Take a Look
7 Quality Indicators
Let’s Take a Look
WV School-Parent Compact
Let’s Take a Look
In the center of the table is a sample
compact and a rubric
1. With your shoulder partner determine the
effectiveness of the school-parent compact
2. Determine 3 strengths of the sample compact
and 3 weaknesses of the sample based on the
rubric completed.
WV Pilot Project:
Title I School-Parent Compact as a
Tool for School Improvement
That was then…..
This is now
Compliance: Focused
on Behavior
• Generic
• Broad, general
statements
• Mirrors language of
the law
• Aimed at “fixing”
parents
• Correct student
behavior
• Developed by the
Title I Director or
Title I Teacher(s)
Collaborative
conversations
Partnership: Linked
to Learning
• Student Data
• School
Improvement
Plan
• Specific
• Developed with
Parents
• Aimed at student
academic
achievement
Schoolparentcompact.org
Sample Grade-Level Compact
Sample Grade-Level Compact
No significant learning occurs
Without a significant relationship
-Dr. James Comer
Application must be emailed to:
Kathy Hypes
khypes@access.k12.wv.us
Thank You!
Kathy Hypes, Coordinator
WVDE Office of Federal Programs
and School Improvement
khypes@access.k12.wv.us