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Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Plan

Hernando Elementary School

Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Plan for Shared Student Success 2024-2025 School Year

What is Title I?
Hernando Elementary is identified as a Title I school as part of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to the challenging State academic standards to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support family engagement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with parents and family members a written parent and family engagement policy.

Parent and Family Engagement Events
Hernando Elementary will host the following events to build the capacity for strong family engagement to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement.

  • Open House – August 8, 2024
    • Meet your child’s teacher and our friendly and helpful school staff for the year.
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences – September 25, 2024
    • Scheduled updates on your child’s progress.
  • STREAM Title 1 Parent Night – November 13, 2024
    • Participate in activities that support learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.
    • Review of Florida’s Math BEST Standards.
    • Science Fair: Share out boards
  • Literacy Title 1 Parent Night – March 19, 2024
    • Review Florida’s ELA BEST Standards.
    • Learn literacy strategies to support a love of reading.

    Parent and Family Engagement
    Hernando Elementary believes that family engagement means the participation of parents and family members in regular two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

  • Monthly Parent newsletters, containing information on Title I, and School Advisory Enhancement Council and Parent Teacher organization.
  • Information and links posted on our school website, social media, marquee to keep parents informed.
  • Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.
  • Parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.

Barriers
The most common barrier to engagement is lack of time, with 54% of parents and guardians reporting that their busy schedule is a barrier for becoming involved with their child’s school. Therefore, Citrus County schools offer afterschool activities at different times and shorter durations, so parents are able to attend more often.  Other top barriers include childcare needs. Schools offer activities that allow various age groups to participate in school activities. This enables the entire family opportunities to attend school functions.

2024-25 School Goals
Based upon the Hernando Elementary School’s 2024-2025 Student Improvement Plan:

The focus for reading is:

  • During the 24-25 school year, Hernando Elementary School will increase the percentage of students achieving a level 3 or higher in FAST ELA 3rd grade-5th grade from 52% to 60%.
  • During the 24-25 school year, Hernando Elementary School will increase the percentage of students with disabilities achieving a level 3 or higher in FAST ELA 3rd grade-5th grade to 41%.
  • During the 24-25 school year, Hernando Elementary School will increase the percentage of Black/African-American students achieving a level 3 or higher in FAST ELA 3rd grade-5th grade to 41%.

    The focus for math is:

  • During the 24-25 school year, Hernando Elementary School will increase the percentage of students achieving a level 3 or higher in FAST Math 3rd grade-5th grade from 62% to 70%.

 

School-Parent Compacts
As part of this plan, Hernando Elementary School and our families will develop a school-parent compact. This compact is an agreement developed with parents, teachers, and students to ensure all students reach grade level standards. The compacts will be reviewed and revised annually based on feedback from parents, students, and teachers at SAC meetings. The School-Parent Compacts are shared with parents during open house or at parent-teacher conferences.

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it?
This is a plan that describes how Hernando Elementary will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to help support student learning. For each child we are committed to creating an environment that nurtures a lifelong desire to learn. Through teamwork with parents and our community, we will build a foundation of academic knowledge and skills, for students to become motivated learners and successful members of society. We will provide a continuum of learning experiences that are focused on the needs of the students.

How is it revised?
Hernando Elementary invites all parents to attend our annual SAC Meetings to review and revise this parent and family engagement policy, the schoolwide improvement plan, our school-parent compact, and the family engagement budget. Additionally, parent input and comments regarding this plan are welcome during the school year. The plan is posted on our school website for parents to view and submit feedback throughout the year. All parent feedback received during the year will be used to revise the plan for the next school year. We also distribute an annual survey online to ask parents for their suggestions on the plan and the use of funds for family engagement. Parents and family members can also give feedback during parent meetings and other activities during the school year.

Who is it for?
All students participating in the Title I, Part A program, and their families are encouraged and invited to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. Hernando Elementary will provide the opportunity for the participation of parents and family members with limited English, disabilities, and of migratory children.

Where is it available?
At the beginning of the year, the plan will be emailed to all parents. The Parent and Family Engagement Plan is posted on the school website. Parents can request a copy of the plan from their child’s school.

Curriculum
Parents can contact teachers throughout the year to access grade level standards, as well as core and supplemental curriculum. Title l Literacy Nights will address student achievement, standards, curriculum, and state and local assessments. At Teacher-Parent Conferences held in September, teachers will address the individual needs of students with parents, by providing up-to-date data reports and addressing mastery of grade level standards.

Hernando Elementary is Branching Out!
Hernando Elementary will take the following measures to promote and support parents and family members as an important foundation of the school in order to strengthen the school and reach our school goals. We will:

  • Ensure all information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is available in both English and Spanish and posted on the school website. Skyward, School Messenger callouts, Remind, event flyers and social media are also used for parent communication, in addition to the monthly school newsletter for all families.
  • Provide trainings for staff with strategies to improve communication with parents and ideas to increase family engagement.
  • Partner with early childhood programs, middle and high schools, college and career ready resources or organizations, or other programs (as applicable) to help prepare parents and their children for successful school transitioning.
  • Share information in English and Spanish on the school website and in the school newsletter for parents to understand the school’s academic standards and assessments as well as the ways parents can monitor their child’s progress and work with educators.
  • Communicate with all families and the community on a regular basis regarding schoolwide events and activities, through phone messages, social media, and flyers.
  • Work with our parents to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of parent and family engagement and how to support student learning.
  • Provide necessary materials and handouts for parents at conferences, meetings, and activities to help parents work with their child to improve their child’s achievement.
  • Use our Federal Stakeholders Committee members, SAC and other partners in education to improve awareness of the activities and events listed in the school parent and family engagement policy.
  • Collect feedback from parents and family members at events, provide input cards, and parent surveys to support family engagement activities.
  • A “Parent Right to Know” letter is sent home at the beginning of each school year to all students at the elementary and middle school level. This letter provides the right of parents to request the professional qualifications of their child’s teacher. In the event a student is assigned a teacher that is “Out of Field” for four or more consecutive weeks the school with notify the parents through the school newsletter, school website, or a letter home.

If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this event, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance.

Hernando Elementary is committed to Helping our families attend the family activities listed in this policy. Please call or email us if you need assistance with childcare or transportation in order to participate in our programs. (352) 726-1833.

Parent and Family Engagement Mission
The Family Engagement Committee functions to build relationships between the Citrus County School District, parents, and the community in setting standards of helping families hold high expectations for their children’s education in order to prepare students to be college and career ready. We will enhance these relationships by supporting various forms of communication between home and school, with diverse school activities and the development of appropriate home learning opportunities.

School Advisory Council (SAC)
Hernando Elementary invites all parents to attend SAC meetings to share ideas and ways to involve other parents and family members to build partnerships with school, families, and community. The team will meet four times during the school year, but parents and family members can submit ideas or suggestions at school activities, meetings, parent surveys and the school website. If you would like to learn more about SAC, please contact the principal at (352) 726-1833.

Share Your Thoughts
We want to hear from you. If you have any suggestions or if there is any part of this policy that you feel is not satisfactory with the students’ and the school’s goals for academic achievement, please provide us with your comments in link below for an electronic form.

Parent and Family Engagement Input

  • School Improvement Plan
  • Parent Family Engagement Plan
  • Parent and Family Engagement Funds