Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer Elementary School, Neshaminy School District

Parent and Family Engagement Policy 2024-2025

Albert Schweitzer Elementary School has established a written Parent & Family Engagement Policy that is in alignment with the Neshaminy School District Parent & Family Engagement Policy. It is documented that the policy has been jointly developed, reviewed and updated annually with the help of our families. This policy will be distributed to all families annually and made available on our website.

• Albert Schweitzer Elementary parents will be invited to be involved in the planning, review and improvement of the school's Parent & Family Engagement Policy and the Title I Program at a fall annual meeting. All parents and family members of Albert Schweitzer Elementary School children shall be invited and encouraged to attend. The purpose of the annual meeting is to inform parents of the school's participation in the Title I program, to explain the requirements of the program and parents’ right to be involved.

• To accommodate parents’ busy schedules, Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will offer a flexible number of meetings, including parent conferences, at different times during the day.

• Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the Title 1 program, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s parent and family engagement program. This will be conducted through a parent and family engagement survey and participation at Title 1 fall and spring meetings.

• Emails, school newsletters and a regularly updated Albert Schweitzer Elementary School Title 1 website will provide parents with timely information about the Title I program.

• Parents will be provided with a description and explanation of the curriculum, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet at parent conferences, through regularly scheduled parent workshops, meetings, and school website/newsletters.

• Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will provide opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and to respond to any such suggestions as soon as feasibly possible.

• Parents are invited to participate in the joint development of a Schoolwide Program Plan under Section 1114. Please contact Amy Orlando (principal), at aorlando@neshaminy.org,  if you would like to participate on this team.

·       Parents will have the opportunity to submit comments on the Schoolwide Plan if they find it unsatisfactory. Parents will be invited to submit comments on the plan during meetings or in writing, which will be forwarded to the Local Education Agency (LEA) if necessary.

• A school-parent compact will be jointly developed with parent and family members. The compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and the families will build and develop partnerships to help children achieve the state’s high standards. The compact shall:
  • describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under this part to meet the challenging state academic standards, and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning; volunteering in their child’s classroom; and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children and positive use of extracurricular time
  • address the importance of communication between teachers and parents in an ongoing basis, through, at a minimum:
    • parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools, at least annually, during which the compact shall be discussed as the compact relates to the individual child’s achievement;
    • frequent reports to parents on their children’s progress;
    • reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and observation of classroom activities; ensuring regular, two-way, meaningful communication between family members and school staff, and, to the extent practicable, in a language that family members can understand.

• Parent meetings and workshops will be held to provide assistance to parents in understanding the state's academic content standards and student achievement standards, local academic assessments and how to monitor a child's progress and how to work with teachers to improve each child’s academic achievement.

• Through family workshops and parent-teacher conferences, Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children's achievement in order to foster parent involvement. This may include literacy training, using technology, and education about the harms of copyright piracy, as appropriate.

• Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents and family members, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents and family members as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and family members and the school (ESSA, Section 1116(6)(e)(3)) by sharing SPAC videos annually to Title 1 staff.

• Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate, and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other federal, state, and local programs including public preschool programs and conduct other activities, that encourage and support parents and family members in more fully participating in the education of their children (ESSA, Section 1116(6)(e)(4)). Albert Schweitzer Elementary will invite public preschool families and non-public school families to participate in Parent and Family Engagement opportunities when appropriate. Our school will implement strategies to facilitate effective transitions for students moving from early childhood/preschool to kindergarten and from elementary school to middle school.

• Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents and family members of participating children in a format and to the extent practicable, in a language that parents and family members can understand (ESSA, Section 1116(6)(e)(5)). All pertinent information, documents and newsletters will be translatable through the school and district’s Title 1 website, and translated hard copies of pertinent documents will be sent home and/or kept on file as needed.

• Albert Schweitzer Elementary School will, to the extent practicable, provide opportunities for the informed participation of parent and family members (including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parent and family members of migratory children). Our school will:
  • Provide translated materials and interpretation services during meetings and events.
  • Ensure all engagement activities are accessible to individuals with disabilities, including offering materials in alternative formats and providing accommodations as needed.
  • Schedule meetings at flexible times and offer virtual options to support families with demanding or irregular schedules.
  • Conduct outreach to migratory families and offer personalized support as needed.

These efforts reflect the school’s commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where all families can engage fully in the school community.

• We are dedicated to supporting parents’ participation in our school’s programs. Title I funds may be used to pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parent involvement activities. This may include childcare to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.

This Parent and Family Engagement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced by the Title 1 Annual Meetings held on September 19th and 20^th, 2024. This policy will be in effect for the period of one year. The school will make available this policy to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on or before October 31, 2024.