St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, is committed to the goal of providing quality education for every child in this district. To this end, we want to establish partnerships with parents and with the community. Everyone gains if school and home work together to promote high achievement by our children. Neither home nor school 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 at every step along the way.

PART I. DISTRICT EXPECTATIONS

St. Francis AreaSchools, ISD 15, agrees to implement the following requirements:

1. St. Francis AreaSchools, ISD 15, will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I programs. Those programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

2. Consistent with section 1116, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent and family engagement policies meet the requirements of section 1116(b) of the ESSA, and each include, as a component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1116(d) of the ESSA.

3. In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, limited literacy, disabilities, of migratory children, who are economically disadvantaged, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background, including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.

4. The school district will incorporate this district wide parent and family engagement policy into its district plan developed under section 1112 of the ESSA.

5. If the district plan for Title I, Part A found in the State Educational Record View and Submission (SERVS), developed under section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school district will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the Minnesota Department of Education.

6. The school district with a Title I, Part A allocation of over $500,000, will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent, and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to schools.

7. The school district will be governed by the following definition of the term “parent” which includes legal guardian or other person standing in place of a parent (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare).

8. Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

   1. that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

   2. that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;

   3. that 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;

   4. that other activities are carried out, such as those described in section 1116 of the ESEA.

PART II. Description of How the District Will Implement Required Components

1. St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, will engage parents and families who have Title I students in developing/revising the district policy.

This work will take place annually (fall and spring review and planning) as a part of the Assessment Curriculum and Teaching Committee (ACT) which is composed of stakeholders from the following groups:  parents, community members, administration (school and district level), and teachers.

2. St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, will take the following actions to engage the parents and families in jointly developing the district Title I plan (section 1112) which is in the MEGS application and the development and review of the Schoolwide or Title I Targeted Assistance Plan. If applicable the Comprehensive Support and Improvement and the Targeted Support and Improvement plan in the schools’ identified for improvement plans. [Section 1111(D) (1)(2)]

This work will take place annually (fall and spring review and planning) as a part of the Assessment Curriculum and Teaching Committee (ACT) which is comprised of stakeholders from the following groups:  parents, community members, administration (school and district level), and teachers.

3. St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, will coordinate technical assistance and other support that is necessary to build the capacity of staff in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. This could include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders and philanthropic organizations or individuals with experience in effectively engaging families in education. 

St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, provides support to the administrators of the sites in this area to which Title funds are distributed.  School sites, through the development of their School Parent and Family Engagement Policies with input from stakeholders, identify areas of need.  

4. St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, will coordinate and integrate with federal, state and local programs, including public preschool programs, to implement effective parent and family engagement strategies that improve student achievement and school performance.

The school district offers Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Special Education and School Readiness Preschool Place 15.  These early learning programs include a variety of parental education and involvement opportunities on a weekly or periodic basis.  The school district also offers Just 4 Kids as a child care setting for preschoolers which provides readiness activities.  The school district collaborates with Head Start in providing facilities and parenting education classes.  The school district also offers opportunities to area child care providers in the way of professional development, onsite early childhood screening, and as a resource for accessing early intervention services. 

Parents of students who participated in Head Start are notified of the student’s eligibility for Title I service and are encouraged to participate in planned activities.  The LEA Homeless Liaison provides information to families who are experiencing homelessness and facilities services to the children of the family.  

5. St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, will take the following actions to conduct, with the engagement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policy (programs/activities) in improving the academic achievement of Title I students and the schools.

Reviewing and evaluating the parent and family engagement activities/programs:

1. Identify barriers and the needs of parents and family members that keep them from participating in their child’s education, especially the economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited English proficiency or any racial or ethnic minority.

2. Identify the needs of the Title I parents and family members to assist in the learning of their children including teachers and school staff support.

3. Identify strategies to support successful school and family interactions.

St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, utilizes a Comprehensive Needs Assessment to align work to the Strategic Plan (community level), World’s Best Workforce Plan (district level), and School Plans.  Each of these plans allows for multiple stakeholders’ input including stakeholders such as community members and parents.  

6. St. Francis AreaSchools, ISD 15, will use the findings of the evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family engagement as necessary and to revise the parent and family engagement policy as necessary.

St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, utilizes Networked Improvement Committees (NIC) to evaluate aspects of programming as related to the five goal areas of the World’s Best Workforce.  This work is supervised by the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.  Outcomes allow for all programs and funding sources to be aligned to improve effectiveness.   

The sites, with the assistance of their parent group, will conduct an annual parent involvement evaluation to gauge the effectiveness of the current policy/procedure in the spring. The survey will be completed by parents, students, staff, and administration.

7. St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, will involve parents in activities at the district and school levels. This could be establishing a parent advisory board that represents the population of Title I parents and family members, that develops, evaluates and reviews or revises the parent and family engagement policy.

Identified parent involvement activities include a minimum of one annual building-level meeting for parents of Title I eligible students, increased participation of Title I staff in parent/student/teacher conferences and building activities, and a variety of parent participation activities. 

The parent groups established at the district level and at each school receiving Title funds will discuss appropriate parent involvement activities for each school and the district as part of the process to develop the Parent and Family Engagement Policies at the district and site levels.  The parent group will discuss appropriate parent involvement activities for each school and the district.

Part III. Accessibility

St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, will meet the requirements of parent and family engagement of Title I, to the extent practicable, will 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 Title I staff will work collaboratively with the district staff including special education, EL, and homeless liaison in addressing parent involvement issues for students and their parents. Opportunities may include notification and information in the appropriate home language as well as the arrangements for interpreters for school activities.

Part IV. Adoption

St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, Parent and Family Engagement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I programs, as evidenced by meeting minutes and sign-in sheets or attendance records.

On September 30, 2024 the St. Francis Area Schools, ISD 15, Parent and Family Engagement Policy will be in effect for the period of the school year.

St. Francis ISD 15 will distribute this policy to all parents of participating Title I children and make it available to the community via the district website.

Stacy Peikert
Title I Authorized Representative

October 2024