AESD is committed to the goal of providing quality education for every child in this district.  We want to establish partnerships with parents and with the community. Everyone benefits if schools and parents work together to promote high achievement by our children.  Neither can do the job alone. Parents play an extremely important role as children’s first teachers.  Their support for their children and for the school is critical to their children’s success. Goals for children in the form of School-Parent Compacts/Contracts along with a School-Parent Policy/Plan will be sent home, with the expectation that all students will work toward these goals.  We recognize that some students may need the extra assistance which available through the Title I program.  Avondale Elementary School District intends to include parents in all aspects of the Title I program.  The goal is a school-home partnership that will help all students in the district to succeed.

According to Title I regulations, each school must work with parents in developing a School-Parent- Student Compact/Contract and will contain all the required components.  This compact/contract must outline how parents, staff and students will share responsibility for promoting high student achievement. With parent input, a Parent Involvement Policy/Plan must also be developed and distributed to parents. 

This shall include:

• Notice of an annual meeting
• School and student performance result
• Explanation of curriculum and student academic expectations 
• Opportunities for meetings with parents to share ideas and concerns regarding student performance and achievement
• Timely response to parental suggestions

Every year, AESD assesses the needs of parents and children in our community through a variety of measures, including questionnaires sent home to parents, so that the Title I program will be tailored to meet those needs. Workshops and other programs will be available to match the expressed needs.  Parents will be notified about meetings by their school via letter or newsletter.  Parents may call their local school or the Title I office to propose workshop topics.

Communication with parents will include a Title I Handbook distributed at the first of the year and a newsletter distributed twice a year.  In addition, each school will distribute to parents, a newsletter covering their own school community notices, activities, workshops and important information regarding educational programs. Parent-teacher conferences will be held in the fall and again in the spring of the school year. Report Cards will be sent home quarterly, progress reports will be sent home four times a year in between report cards. Parents are encouraged to call their child’s teacher when they are concerned about a problem. Translation is available by contacting the school office.  As much as possible, publications and other notices will be made available in the language of choice.

Parents will have an opportunity to participate in a needs assessment process yearly.  The purpose of these questionnaires is to solicit your opinions regarding your child’s educational programs. Information gathered is used together with other data to yearly plan for the educational programs at your local school and the district as a whole.  The evaluation will include an assessment of how much parental involvement is increasing and what barriers to parental participation still need to be overcome. AESD will review this policy periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the schools.

There are many ways in which parents can become involved with their children's education. AESD values both the at-home contributions and those that take place at school and in the community. Reading to children at home and talking with them at a family meal are as important as volunteering at school and serving on advisory committees. Many types of parental involvement are needed in a school-home-community partnership that will help all our children succeed.