Parent & Family Engagement

Parent and Family Engagement Policy

A district may receive funds under Title I, Part A only if the district conducts outreach to all parents and family members and implements programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents and family members in programs assisted under Title I, Part A, consistent with 20 U.S.C. 6318. The programs, activities, and procedures shall be planned and implemented with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children. 20 U.S.C. 6318(a)(1)

A district that receives Title I, Part A funds shall develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to, parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy. The policy shall be incorporated into a district plan developed under 20 U.S.C. 6312 [TEA-approved plan to receive Title I funds], establish the district's expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family involvement, and describe how the district will:

  1. Involve parents and family members in jointly developing the district plan, and the development of support and improvement plans under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 6311(d);
  2. Provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of all participating schools within the district in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, which may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education;
  3. Coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies under Title I, Part A with parent and family engagement strategies to the extent feasible and appropriate, with other relevant federal, state, and local laws and programs;
  4. Conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of all schools served under Title I, Part A, including identifying:
    1. Barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by section 6318 (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background);
    2. The needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers; and
    3. Strategies to support successful school and family interactions;
  5. Use the findings of the above evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parent and family engagement policies described in section 6318; and
  6. Involve parents in the activities of the schools served under Title I, Part A, which may include establishing a parent advisory board comprised of a sufficient number and representative group of parents or family members served by the local educational agency to adequately represent the needs of the population served by such agency for the purposes of developing, revising, and reviewing the parent and family engagement policy.

20 U.S.C. 6318(a)(2) [See BQ(LOCAL)]

Note:  The following contains basic requirements for districts and schools receiving Title I, Part A funds, but does not represent a complete list of legal obligations of such districts and schools. Those districts and schools that receive Title I, Part A funds should carefully review federal and state requirements concerning use of those funds. [For federal accountability standards, see AID. For requirements regarding federal funding, see CBB.]

School Policy

Each school served under Title I, Part A shall jointly develop with, and distribute to, parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy, agreed on by such parents, that shall describe the means for carrying out the requirements of 20 U.S.C. 6318(c)–(f). Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. Such policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. 20 U.S.C. 6318(b)