Parent
Involvement Policy
Irion County ISD
Vision: Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Research tells us that parent involvement makes a big difference. When school welcome families, establish personal relationships among families and staff, help parents understand how the system works, and encourage family-staff collaboration to improve student achievement, students do better in school—and the schools get better.
Our school is committed to being family-friendly and to working as partners with our families to help ALL students learn at high levels.
Our school encourages families to be:
· Teachers of their children at home
· Supporters of our school and of public education
· Advocates for their own and other children, and
· Decision-makers in school policy and practice
To be fully family-friendly, our school will provide:
A welcoming environment
o Friendly signs welcome visitors and explain how to get around the building
o Standards of welcoming behavior apply to all staff, including front office staff, bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria workers.
o
Visitors and callers are
greeted politely and right away and can get information easily
Programs and activities to engage families in improving student achievement
o Current student work is displayed throughout the building, so that visitors can understand the purpose of the work and the high standards it is to meet.
o Programs and activities help families understand what their children are learning and promote high standards.
o
The school reports to
parent about student progress and how teachers, parent and community members can
work together to make improvements.
Strong relationships between teachers and families
o The school welcomes new families, offers tours, and introduces them to staff and other families. Bilingual speakers are available to help families.
o Teachers and families can meet face-to-face and get to know each other, through class meetings, home visits, class observations and student activities.
o
Teachers make personal
contact with each family at least one time each semester.
Opportunities for family involvement
o Families are involved in planning how they would like to be involved at the school.
o School committees and the PTO reflect the diversity of the school community and actively recruit and welcome families from all backgrounds.
o
The school is open and
accessible – it is easy to meet with the principal, talk to teachers and the
counselor, and bring up issues and concerns.
Professional development for families and staff on how to work together productively
o Families learn how the school system works and how to be effective advocates for their children.
o Teachers learn about successful approaches to working with families of diverse cultural backgrounds.
o Families and staff can learn together how to collaborate to improve student achievement.
o The school reaches out to identify and draw in local community resources that can assist staff and families.