Title I Program - Family Engagement 6-35.1

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 6-35.1

INSTRUCTION

Title I Program - Family Engagement

1. Virginia Beach City Public Schools agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:
   1. The school division will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the engagement of families in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with families of Title I programs.
   2. Consistent with section 1118, the school division will work with its schools to ensure the required school-level family engagement plans meet the requirements of sections 1118(b) and 1118(d) of the ESEA.
   3. The school division will incorporate this division wide family engagement plan into its LEA plan developed under section 1112 of the ESEA.
   4. In carrying out the Title I, Part A family engagement requirements, to the extent practicable, the school division and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of families with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request. To the extent practicable, the division will provide information in a language families understand.
   5. If the LEA plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school division will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school division submits the plan to the State Department of Education.
   6. The school division will involve the families of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the one percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for family engagement is spent and will ensure no less than 95 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools.
   7. The school division will be governed by the following statutory definition of family engagement, and expects schools receiving Title I funding to carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with this definition:

      Family engagement means the participation of families in regular, two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring -

      1. families play an integral role in assisting their child's learning;
      2. families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education at school;
      3. families 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; and
      4. the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA.
2. The division will implement required division wide family engagement policy components:
   1. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its division wide family engagement plan under section 1112 of the ESEA:
      1. Each school will convene an annual meeting before October 30 of each school year.
      2. Curriculum information will be made available to all parents at the annual meeting.
      3. Assessment information will be made available to all families at the annual meeting.
      4. Each Title I school will establish a School Planning Council and one member of that Council will serve on the Title I Parent Review Committee which will meet quarterly.
      5. Each School Planning Council will hold meetings according to Virginia Beach City Public School Board Policy 2-42.
   2. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will take the following actions to involve families in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESEA:
      1. The Title I Family Review Committee will hold meetings open to all families.
      2. The Title I Family Review Committee will provide ongoing communication and monitoring concerning the progress of the goals and objectives of the Title I program.
      3. The School Planning Council will allow parents to review available data with school staff and to provide input to assist schools in modifying and updating their Plan for Continuous Improvement and Title I schoolwide plan.
   3. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will provide coordination, technical assistance and other support to assist Title I, Part A schools, and each Title I school will receive a budget for family engagement activities using Title I funds.
   4. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will coordinate and integrate family engagement strategies in Title I, Part A with family engagement strategies under the following other programs by:
      1. Working collaboratively with the local Virginia Pre-school Initiative.
      2. Working collaboratively with the local Ready to Learn team.
      3. Developing a series of family activities aligned to school’s needs as outlined in the Title I schoolwide plan that are funded with Title I family engagement funds.
   5. Virginia Beach City Public Schools, with the engagement of families, will conduct an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the family engagement plan in improving the quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by families in family engagement activities (with particular attention to families of different groups represented in the school demographics). The division will use the findings to design strategies for more effective family engagement, and to revise, if necessary (and with the inclusion of families) its family engagement plans. The division will take the following actions to conduct the evaluation:
      1. All Title I schools will conduct an annual school update and an end of the year review in order to determine the level of participation and to identify barriers that have prevented participation.
      2. Each building principal will use the annual update and review as baseline data for the upcoming year and establish a family engagement participation goal for the next school year.
      3. As part of the Plan for Continuous Improvement, each school will develop and implement strategies to increase family engagement based on survey data.
      4. The Title I Family Review Committee will be representative of the following stakeholders such as: economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited English proficiency, limited literacy, or any racial or ethnic minority background.
   6. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will build the schools' and families' capacity for strong family engagement to ensure effective involvement of families, support a partnership among the school involved, families and the community and improve student academic achievement, through the following activities specifically described below:
      1. The school division will, with the assistance of its Title I, Part A schools, provide assistance to families of children served by the school district or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described in this paragraph -
         • the State's academic content standards,
         • the State's student academic achievement standards,
         • the State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments,
         • the requirements of Title I Part A,
         • how to monitor their child's progress, and
         • how to work with educators.
      2. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will establish dates on the school calendar for parent/teacher conferences.
      3. School websites and/or newsletters will provide information to families such as: schedules, academic supports, school events, supply lists, and contact information.
      4. The division's family engagement plan will be available on the division website.
      5. Dates for progress reports and report cards will be included in the student handbook and on the division website.
      6. Information regarding how to access state standards will be available handbook and on the division website through course guides.
   7. The school division will, with the assistance of its schools, provide materials and training to support families work with their children to improve their children's academic achievement, such as literacy training, and using technology, as appropriate, to foster family engagement, by:
      1. Offering family activities/events developed by the Title I staff and aligned to the needs of the school’s outlined in the school’s Title I plan.
   8. The school division will, with the assistance of its schools and families, educate its teachers, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with families as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of families and in how to implement and coordinate effective family engagement, by:
      1. Conducting trainings on family and community outreach with Title I staff.
   9. The school division will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate family engagement programs and activities to support early childhood programs by:
      1. Providing early literacy outreach for parents and children ages 2-5.
      2. Developing a series of family engagement events and activities that are funded by the Title I, Part A grant.
      3. Offering information in accordance with federal guidelines for supplemental education services, if appropriate.
   10. The school division will take the following actions to ensure information related to the school and family programs, meetings and other activities, is sent to families, in alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents can understand:
       1. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will establish dates on the school calendar for parent/teacher conferences. The school calendar will be available on the division website.
       2. Upcoming programs and events will be listed on the division website or in the school’s individual newsletter.
       3. School websites or newsletters will provide information such as: schedules, school events, supply lists, and contact information.
       4. The division's family engagement plan will be available on the division website.
       5. Dates for progress reports and report cards will be included on the division website.
       6. Information regarding curriculum and state standards will be available on the division website.

Legal Reference

Code of Va., § 22.1 253.13:1, as amended, Standard 1. Instructional programs supporting the Standards of Learning and other educational objectives.

Virginia Board of Education Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia, 8 VAC 20-131- et seq., as amended.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Section 1118 Family engagement.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools Website: www.vbschools.com/No Child Left Behind/Standard of Learning/Community Involvement.

Related Links

School Board Policy 2-42

Approved by the Superintendent: December 17, 2007
Amended by Superintendent: March 11, 2024