Title 1

Strain-Japan R-XVI

4640 Highway H, Sullivan, Missouri (573) 627-3243 | Email Strain Japan

Parent/family Involvement In Instructional And Other Programs

The Strain-Japan R-16 Board of Education believes that engaging parents/families in the education process is essential to improve 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 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the district, parents/families, and the community.
Missouri school districts are responsible for meeting the educational needs of an increasingly diverse population by providing a wide range of resources and support to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed and be college prepared and career ready. Our school district has programs designed to help meet the unique educational needs of children working to learn the English language, students who are advanced learners, students with disabilities, homeless students, the children of migratory workers, and neglected or delinquent students.

Parent/Family Involvement Goals and Plan

The Board of Education 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: Promote regular, two-way, meaningful communication between home and school.

Promote and support responsible parenting.

Recognize the fact that parents/families play an integral role in assisting their children to learn. Promote a safe and open atmosphere for parents/families to visit the schools their children attend, and actively solicit parent/family support and assistance for school programs.

Include parents as full partners in decisions affecting their children and families.

Use available community resources to strengthen and promote school programs, family practices and the achievement of students.

Title I point of contact - Edie Bombach | Superintendent/Principal point of contact - Kathy Vandegriffe

Strain-Japan R-XVI

4640 Highway H, Sullivan, Missouri | (573) 627-3243 | Email Strain Japan

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, Parents as Teachers, 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: Keeping parents/families informed of opportunities for involvement and encouraging participation in various programs.

Providing access to educational resources for parents/families to use together with their children.
Keeping parents/families informed of the objectives of district educational programs as well as of their child's participation and progress within these programs.

1. 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.

2. Provide professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their understanding of effective parent/family involvement strategies.

3. Perform regular evaluations of parent/family involvement at each school and at the district level.

4. Provide access, upon request, to any instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

5. If practical, provide information in a language understandable to parents.

Title I point of contact - Edie Bombach | Superintendent/Principal point of contact - Kathy Vandegriffe

Strain-Japan R-XVI

4640 Highway H., Sullivan, Missouri | (573) 627-3243 | Email Strain Japan

Title I, Migrant Education (MEP) and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Programs

The Board also recognizes the special importance of parent/family involvement to the success of its Title I, MEP and LEP programs. Pursuant to federal law, the district and parents will jointly develop and agree upon a written parental involvement policy that will be distributed to parents participating in any of these programs.

Title I Program Parent Involvement

The district and parents of children participating in the Title I program will jointly develop and agree upon a written parent involvement policy that will describe how the district will:

1.Involve parents in the joint development of the Title I program plan and in the process of reviewing the implementation of the plan and suggesting improvements.

2. Provide the coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.

3. Build the schools' and parents' capacity for strong parental involvement.

4. Coordinate and integrate Title I parental involvement strategies with those of other educational programs. 5. Conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content of the parental involvement policy and its effectiveness in improving the academic quality of the schools served. This will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by law, particularly by parents who are economically disadvantaged, have disabilities, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background. The district will use the findings of such evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental involvement and to revise, if necessary, the parental involvement policies.

6. Involve parents in the activities of the schools served.

Each school receiving Title I funds will jointly develop with and distribute to parents of children participating in the Title I program a written parental involvement policy agreed upon by such parents in accordance with the requirements of federal law:

1. The policy must be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.

2. The policy shall contain a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff and students will share the responsibility of improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children.

3. Each school participating in the Title I program will convene a meeting annually to inform parents about Title I and to involve parents in the planning, review and improvement of Title I programs, including the planning, review and improvement of the school parental involvement policy.

Title I point of contact - Edie Bombach | Superintendent/Principal point of contact - Kathy Vandegriffe

Strain-Japan R-XVI

4640 Highway H, Sullivan, Missouri | (573) 627-3243 | Email Strain Japan

Migrant Education Program Parent Involvement

Parents of students in the MEP will be involved in and regularly consulted about the development, implementation, operation and evaluation of the Migrant Education Program.

Parents of MEP students will receive instruction regarding their role in improving the academic achievement of their children.

Limited English Proficiency Program Parent Involvement

Pursuant to federal law, parents of LEP students will be provided notification regarding their child's placement in and information about the district's LEP program.

Parents will be notified of their rights regarding program content and participation.

Policy Evaluation

The district, with parent/family involvement, will review and evaluate the content and effectiveness of this policy and each school-level policy at least annually. The district will revise this policy as necessary to improve or create practices that enhance parent/family involvement.

Title I point of contact - Edie Bombach | Superintendent/Principal point of contact - Kathy Vandegriffe

Strain-Japan R-XVI

4640 Highway H, Sullivan, Missouri | (573) 627-3243 | Email Strain Japan

Process for Resolving a concern of Complaint including Federal Programs

1. Concerns or complaints should first be addressed to the teacher or employee directly involved.

2. Unsettled matters form (1) above or concerns or complaints should be presented in writing to the principal/superintendent of the school. If the complaint is regarding a federal program, the complaint must specify the federal law or regulation alleged to have been violated and the facts supporting the allegation. The principal/superintendent will provide a written response to the individual raising the concern within five business days of the receiving the complaint or concern unless additional time is necessary to investigate or extenuating circumstances exist.

3. If the matter cannot be settled satisfactorily by the principal/superintendent, a member of the public may request that the issue be put on the Board agenda, using the process outlined in Board policy. In addition, written comments submitted to the superintendent of the secretary of the Board that were directed to the Board will be provided to the entire Board.

4. For most complaints, the Board's decision is final. However, if the complaint involves one of the federal programs, the individual may appeal the issue to DESE.

Title I point of contact - Edie Bombach | Superintendent/Principal point of contact - Kathy Vandegriffe