Policy Manual

For access to the Google document, click here.

Policy KBF

The South Portland Board of Education endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I  and encourages the regular participation by parents/guardians in all aspects of the school  system’s Title I programs.  

For the purpose of this policy, “parents/guardians” includes other family members  involved in supervising the child’s schooling.

1. District-Level Parent Involvement Policy  

• In compliance with federal law, the school unit will develop jointly with, agree on  with, and distribute to parents of children participating in the school system’s  Title I programs a written district-level parent involvement policy.  

• Annually, parents/guardians will have opportunities to participate in the  evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the school unit’s parent  involvement policy and in using the findings of the evaluation to design strategies  for more effective parent involvement and to make revisions to the policy.  

2. School-Parent Involvement Policy  

• As required by law, each school in the school unit that receives Title I funds shall  jointly develop with parents/guardians of children served in the program a school  parent/guardian involvement policy, including “School-Parent Compact”  outlining the manner in which parents, school staff, and students will share the  responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting State  standards. The school policy will be distributed to parents/guardians of children  participating in the school’s Title I programs.  

• The “School-Parent Compact” shall:  

  • Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum  and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment enabling children in the Title I program to meet the academic standards of  the Maine State Learning Results;  

  • Indicate the ways in which parents will be responsible for supporting their  children’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion,  monitoring television watching, volunteering in the classroom, and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their children’s education and positive use of extra-curricular time; and  

  • Address the importance of parent-teacher communication on an ongoing  basis, with at a minimum, parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to  parents, and reasonable access to staff.  

3. Parent Involvement Meetings  

• Each school receiving Title I funds shall convene an annual meeting, to which all  parents/guardians of eligible children shall be invited to inform them about the  school’s participation in Title I and to involve them in the planning, review, and  improvement of the school’s Title I programs and the parent involvement policy.  

• Schools shall provide other opportunities for meetings, to be held at various times  of the day and/or evenings, for parents/guardians of students participating in Title  I programs.  

• These meetings shall be used to provide parents with:  

  • Information about programs the school provides under Title I;  

  • A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the  forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the  proficiency level students are expected to meet;  

  • Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate,  in decisions relating to the education of their children; and  

  • The opportunity to submit comments to the district level if they are  dissatisfied with the school-wide Title I program.  

• Title I funding, if sufficient, may be used to facilitate parent/guardian attendance  at meetings through the payment of transportation and childcare costs.  

4. Parent Relations  

• Parents/guardians of children identified for participation in a Title I program shall  receive from the building principal and Title I staff an explanation of the reasons  supporting their child’s selection, a set of objectives to be addressed, and a  description of the services to be provided. Parents will receive regular reports on  their child’s progress and be provided opportunities to meet with the classroom  and Title I teachers. Parents will also receive training, materials, and suggestions  as to how they can assist in the education of their children at home. 

5. Delegation Of Responsibility  

• The Superintendent/designee shall be responsible for ensuring that the school  unit’s Title I plan, programs, and parent involvement policies comply with  applicable law and regulations and for developing administrative procedures, as  needed, to implement this policy.  

Legal References: 20 U.S.C. § 6318  

Adopted: 1995  

Revised: March 8, 2004  

*Please excuse any formatting errors.