Stevensville School District

INSTRUCTION

Family Engagement Policy

The Stevensville Public School Board of Trustees believes that engaging parents/families in the education process is essential to improved academic success for students. The Board recognizes that a student’s education is a responsibility shared by the district, parents, families and other members of the community during the entire time a student attends school. The Board believes that the district must create an environment that is conducive to learning and that strong, comprehensive parent/family involvement is an important component. Parent/Family involvement in education requires a cooperative effort with roles for the Office of Public Instruction (OPI), the district, parents/families and the community.

Parent/Family Involvement Goals and Plan

The Board of Trustees recognizes the importance of eliminating barriers that impede parent/family involvement, thereby facilitating an environment that encourages collaboration with parents, families and other members of the community. Therefore, the district will develop and implement a plan to facilitate parent/family involvement that shall include the following six (6) goals:

  1. Promote families to actively participate in the life of the school and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class;
  2. Promote families and school staff to engage in regular, two-way meaningful communication about student learning;
  3. Promote families and school staff to continuously collaborate to support student learning and healthy development both at home and at school and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively;
  4. Encourage parents to be advocates for their own children, to ensure that students are treated equitably and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success;
  5. Encourage families and school staff to be partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs; and
  6. Encourage families and school staff to collaborate with members of the community to connect students, families, and staff to expand learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

The district’s plan for meeting these goals is to:

  1. Provide activities that will educate parents regarding the intellectual and developmental needs of their children at all age levels. This will include promoting cooperation between the district and other agencies or school/community groups (such as parent-teacher groups, Head Start, , etc.) to furnish learning opportunities and disseminate information regarding parenting skills and child/adolescent development.
  2. Implement strategies to involve parents/families in the educational process, including:
    1. Keeping parents/families informed of opportunities for involvement and encouraging participation in various programs.
    2. Providing access to educational resources for parents/families to use together with their children.
    3. Keeping parents/families informed of the objectives of district educational programs as well as of their child’s participation and progress within these programs.
  3. Enable families to participate in the education of their children through a variety of roles. For example, parents/family members should be given opportunities to provide input into district policies and volunteer time within the classrooms and school programs.
  4. Provide professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their understanding of effective parent/family involvement strategies.
  5. Perform regular evaluations of parent/family involvement at each school and at the district level.
  6. Provide access, upon request, to any instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.
  7. If practical, provide information in a language understandable to parents.

Legal Reference:
10.55.701(m), ARM Board of Trustees

Policy History:
Adopted on: December 8, 2015
Reviewed on: August 7, 2015
Revised on: