Whitstran Elementary School

Parent Involvement Policy and Procedures

2021-2022

Whitstran Elementary believes strongly, that the positive power of parent, school, and community collaboration will best support our student learners.  Based on this belief, we strive to include our students’ parents, families, and community as part of our school culture.  Included in this document, are some of the ways that parents can learn about and be involved in our school.

Whitstran Elementary School recognizes that some students may need the extra assistance available through the Title I program to reach the state’s high academic standards.  At Whitstran, we want to include parents in all aspects of the school’s Title I program, creating a school-home partnership that will help all students to succeed.

PART I-SCHOOL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY REQUIRED COMPONENTS

1. Whitstran Elementary will jointly develop/revise with parents the school parental involvement policy/procedures which is available to parents of participating children and to the local community by placing it on the school’s website.On request there are also hard copies made available in both English and Spanish.

   • Revision of the parent Policy will occur annually through the Whitstran Elementary Leadership Team. This team consists of representatives from all facets of the school including, parent representation.

   • The Parent Involvement Policy will be made available each school year. Parents will be sent an email with an attachment to the plan.

    

2. Whitstran Elementary will convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend.The purpose of the meeting is to inform parents of their school’s participation under Title I, Part A and to explain the requirements of this Title I, Part A and the right of the parents to be involved.

   • The meeting for the 2021-2022 school year will be held on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 from 3:00-4:00 pm and again on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 8:00 am.

    

3. Whitstran Elementary will also offer flexible meetings, such as in the morning or evening, and provide, with funds provided under Title I, Part A, services related to parental involvement.

   • To accommodate for various schedules, two meetings will occur during the 2021-2022 school year on May 31 and June 1.

   • Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the annual meeting. Based on feedback from parents, this meeting time has often been held from 8:00—9:00 a.m. or 3:00-4:00 p.m., which compliments the times that many parents drop off or pick up their children.Input regarding curriculum and program development

     • Input, development, and approval of the Schoolwide and School Improvement Plans

     • Input and planning of the Family Fun Night activities.

     • Development of the Parent Involvement Policy, Parent/Student/School Compact, and the Parent/Student Handbook

    

4. Whitstran Elementary will involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the school plan under Section 1112, schoolwide under Section 1114, and the process of the school review and improvement under Section 1116.

   • Whitstran Elementary Leadership Team, which consists of parent representatives, meets annually to update and edit the SWP/SIP.

    

5. Provide parents of participating children—

   • Timely information about programs under this Title I, Part A

   • As soon as students are identified to receive services, parents are notified at the earliest possible time. This notification includes, but not limited to special education testing, testing and notification of bilingual services, migrant services, SBA results, and/or LAP services.

   • 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 levels students are expected to meet.

    

   • If requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practically possible.

    

   • Setting Up Additional Appointments or Communications:Strong communication between home and school is important to student success.Therefore, the principal and/or staff members are also available to meet with parents throughout the school year.Parents wishing to contact or set up an appointment with a teacher, the principal, or other staff members may do so by contacting the main office at (509) 778-4434.Staff will carefully consider all parent requests and suggestions, and will respond to parents in a timely manner.Alternate forms of communication, including phone contacts and emails are also encouraged.Please see the Whitstran Elementary School webpage (accessed via the district webpage at www.prosserschools.org) for a listing of email addresses and phone numbers.

    

6. If the schoolwide program plan is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the district.

    

   • Whitstran Schoolwide/School Improvement Plans are reviewed annually at a Prosser School District Board Meeting. Parent comments regarding this plan, both positive and negative, can be submitted at this time.

   • The Prosser School District has established protocols for parents to give input to the individual schools.

    

7. Whitstran Elementary School will inform parents and parental organizations of the purpose and existence of the Parental Information and Resources Center (PIRC) in Washington.

• The educational staff at Whitstran Elementary School uses a variety of instructional strategies, tools, and curriculum materials to support students as they work to meet and exceed the state adopted Common Core State Standards in the areas of English Language Arts and Math and the Next Generation Science Standards. A variety of formative assessments, including, but not limited to; Student Observation, student-teacher conferring sessions, running records, unit assessments, verbal and written responses, and summative assessments.

  • Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)

  • iReady Math and Reading Benchmark Assessments

  • Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment

  • WIDA (Formally ELPA)

  • LAS

• Assessment Schedules and Results:Throughout their school career, a child will take part in several assessments required at the state or federal level.Every effort will be made to release the test results to students and their families in a timely manner.When release dates make it possible, test results will be distributed at conferences or with the report card.When test results are sent home by mail or with students, a notice will be placed in the Lion Lines, so that parents will know to look for their child’s individual test results.Whenever testing results are sent home a phone message will also be sent through our Bright Arrow communication system.Testing schedules/timelines are also listed in the Lion Lines Calendar.

• Lion Lines: Lion Lines is published to keep each parent informed of school events. The newsletter will be sent home with students on the third Wednesday of every month and posted on the Prosser School District’s webpage (www.prosserschools.org).Parents are asked to read these notices carefully, as they will contain important information regarding upcoming events, curriculum information, schedule changes, assessment information and schedules, extended school program opportunities, and more.

• Prosser School District Webpage:The Prosser School District webpage located at http://www.prosserschools.org contains information helpful to parents, including staff rosters, schedules, etc.Specific information regarding Whitstran Elementary School’s enrollment and results from state testing are available at http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/.

• Print Materials:Parents are encouraged to read the Whitstran Parent/Student Handbook, the District Rights and Responsibilities Handbook (available on the district webpage), and other fliers that are distributed throughout the school year and that are located on the school’s website.

PIRC exists to provide support and information about other community resources for parents.  The nearest PIRC Resource Center is located in Pasco.

PART II-REQUIRED SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy, each school shall jointly develop with parents for all children served under this part, a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

• Conduct a parent/teacher/student conference in elementary schools, annually (at a minimum), during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement.

• Provide frequent reports to parents on their child’s progress.

• Provide parents with reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class and observation of classroom activities.

Schoolwide Project Parent/Student/School Compacts:  Whitstran Elementary has “Schoolwide” status, which means that all Title I, Part A resources can and should be used to benefit all students in the school, as needed.  The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) lists compacts as one of the program features of Title I funded schools.  Several parents, students, and staff worked together with the building principal to write Whitstran’s original Compact.  This document is revised on a regular basis (at least yearly) with the help of the staff and the Whitstran Leadership Team.  This document, which was designed to promote a positive home/school connection, is reviewed with all parents at fall conferences. 

Conferences:  Parent/teacher/student conferences are scheduled twice during each school year, usually the first week of November and last week of March.  A letter will be sent home to provide more detailed information regarding the conference schedule and directions for making conference appointments.  The staff of Whitstran recognizes the importance of parent involvement for student success and strongly encourages parent and student participation at conference time.

Report Cards and Grades:  Student achievement is one of our school's most important goals.  Because grades are one indication of achievement, students are encouraged to work hard to be sure they are doing their very best.  Report cards are issued every trimester.     

Parent Volunteers:  The students and staff of Whitstran Elementary are very thankful for the outstanding efforts of our volunteers.  Individuals interested in volunteering should contact Whitstran Elementary (778-4434).  To ensure a safe and secure environment for students, volunteers need to follow these guidelines:

1. All volunteers need to complete a background disclosure form.Applications must be processed and cleared prior to the first visit.The form must be resubmitted every two years.

2. Volunteers are asked to sign in/out of the volunteer logbook (located in the office) for each and every visit.

3. Volunteers are asked to wear a volunteer identification badge during every visit (these are available in the office).

Parents can volunteer in a variety of ways, including providing support for special programs, helping in the classrooms, or being involved in special activities such as field trips.  Parents also have the opportunity to be selected to serve as representatives on district decision making and hiring committees. 

Visitors:  We encourage close communication between home and school, and welcome parent visitations/observations in the classroom.  We also stress student safety and the importance of minimizing the disruption to learning.  For these reasons, we insist that all visitors check into the office before stopping in the classroom or on the playground.  Visitors will be given a special name tag to wear while on Whitstran’s campus.  We also encourage parents to prearrange visits with the classroom teachers to help avoid scheduling conflicts.  Visitors who are not being escorted by a Prosser District employee must have completed the same background check as listed above for Volunteers.

BUILDING CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS FOR INVOLVEMENT

To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, each school and district shall:

1. Provide assistance to the parents of children served by the school or district, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the state’s academic content standards and state student academic achievement standards.  State and district assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children.

2. Provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement.

• Family Fun Learning Nights:Whitstran Elementary School staff and the building Leadership Team work together to provide three AVID Family Nights and one Family/Community resource night each year.These learning activities are curriculum based and designed to include fun for the whole family from preschool siblings to grandparents.At Family Fun Learning Nights, parents will receive information that will help them support and extend their child’s learning.

• Other Special Events:Parents and community members are encouraged to attend our special events held throughout the year, including Open House, Fine Arts Performances, the Annual Turkey Trot, Resource Night and Annual Year End Picnic.Parents are also invited to attend our monthly Lion Pride Assemblies when their child is being recognized. Times will be provided to parents and the community through newsletters, phone messages, and the district website.

3. Educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.

The development of positive and effective school-parent-community relationships are a high priority for the Prosser School District.  Evidence of the commitment to creating strong home-school-community partnerships includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

• The Prosser School District has established a board goal that supports the development of positive communication and strong school-parent-community relationships.

• AVID Nights

• Safe School Online Training

• Diversity Training

4. Shall, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with Inspire, Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.

• Whitstran Elementary purposely includes the whole family, including preschooler’s, in all AVID Family Nights and Activities.

• Communication and coordination with community preschool centers

• Coordination and invitations for Prosser School District’s Special Education Preschool

• Coordination with ESD 123 WA KIDS

• Family Resource Night

• PAC Early Literacy Presentation

   

  5. Shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings and other activities are sent to the parents of participating children in a format and in a language, parents can understand. 

   

  • Whenever possible, written communication (including the handbook, compact, parent involvement plans, report cards, et cetera) are made available in both English and Spanish.On those few occasions that we are not able to provide written translation, parents are encouraged to contact the school for verbal translation as needed.

    • Examples:

      • Bi-Monthly School Newsletters

      • Parent Surveys

      • Yearly IEPs

      • Wednesday Folders

   

  6. Shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this part as parents may request.

   

  • As indicated above (please see item E-c), parents are encouraged to contact the school at any time to ask questions, voice concerns, or request support A formal complaint process is also outlined in Prosser School Board policy.Information regarding this process is available at the individual schools as well as the district office.

   

  7. May provide necessary literacy training from funds received under this part if the district has exhausted     all other reasonably available sources of funding for such training.

  • District procedures in place for parent input

  • Whitstran Building Leadership Team

8. May pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities, including transportation and childcare costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.

9. May train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents.

10. May arrange school meetings at a variety of times, or conduct phone conferences between teachers or other educators, who work directly with participating children, with parents who are unable to attend such conferences at school, in order to maximize parental involvement and participation.

11. May adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement.

12. May establish a district parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in programs supported under this section.

13. May develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parent involvement activities.

• One Parent Resource Night each school year

• Community in Schools Coordinator

PART III-ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

In carrying out the parental involvement requirements districts and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with children with limited English proficiency, parents with children with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language such parents can understand.

• The Prosser School District is committed to the belief that all students and their parents should have the opportunity to participate fully in the educational process.  Based on our parent-students needs, the Prosser School District routinely provides Spanish translation support within the school day, as well as at conferences and other school events.   When possible, written notifications and other documents are made available in both English and Spanish.  While not always as readily available, the Prosser School District makes a sincere effort to secure translation into other languages as the needs arise. 

  • 504 Plans when applicable

  • IEPs when applicable

  • Special Education Services

  • Migrant Services

  • Bilingual Services

PART IV-ADOPTION

The Whitstran Elementary Parental Involvement Policy/Procedures have been developed/revised jointly with, and agreed upon with, parents of children participating in Title I program.

The Parent Involvement Policies/Procedures were developed on 10/27/07 and reviewed/revised by the Whitstran Elementary Leadership Team once a year, most recently on 1/7/2020.  The school publishes on the school’s website a summary of these Parent Involvement Policy/Procedures (available in English and Spanish) to all parents of participating Title I children each year as part of the District Handbook and make full copies available to the community on or before December 1 each year.  Full copies of the Parent Involvement Policy/Procedures are available upon request through the Whitstran Elementary School office.  In keeping with the suggested timelines, the Whitstran Leadership Team will revise this policy annually during the fall.