Title I Parent Involvement Policy

Funding

Title I, Part A is the largest federal education funding program for schools meant to improve educational opportunities for educationally deprived children. Title I programs are designed to help children meet the state content and performance standards in reading, language arts, and mathematics. A school that receives Title I dollars and has 40% or more of the students receiving free or reduced price lunches operates a “School-wide Program.” In schools with less than 40% poverty (free and reduced price lunches), programs are designed to help specific children and are “Targeted Assisted Programs.”  Title I services are also provided to eligible students who attend non-public schools.

To learn more about Title I, please visit the following sites:

Pennsylvania Department of Education – Division of Federal Programs

The United States Department of Education

Parent Involvement Policy

Title 1 recognizes the vital role that parents, guardians and community play in the education of their children.  Decades of research have confirmed that students with involved parents are more likely to succeed in school.  In accordance with the Elementary & Secondary Act (ESEA) legislation, the Wilkinsburg School District Federal Programs Title I office has developed a comprehensive parent/community involvement program, in collaboration with Allegheny Intermediate Unit#3.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has recognized that parental involvement is the key to academic achievement and has developed a parent involvement policy.

Parent/School Partnerships

Wilkinsburg School District Title I personnel provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist participating schools in developing effective parent-school partnerships in order to support children’s education at home.

School Districts like Wilkinsburg have developed a written Title I parent involvement policy that outlines what the school district will do for parents using six federal requirements to build parents’ capacity to be involved in school. For more information about school parent involvement policies, please contact the Federal Programs office at 412-871-2101.

Title I Parent Involvement Coordinators at each elementary school offer family/parent workshops to promote the home-school partnership to foster the parents’ role as a child’s first and most important teacher.  Programs and workshops are developed and evaluated based on input, such as surveys, from parents and school staff.

Six Federal Requirements to Build Parents’ Capacity to be Involved in School

1. Assist parents in understanding the State’s academic content standards, student academic achievement standards and academic assessments
2. Provide material and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, to foster parent involvement.
3. Educate school personnel, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, how to reach, communicate and work with parents
4. Coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other organizations such as Head Start, Parents as Teachers, etc.
5. Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings and other activities is sent to parents in a format and language that parents can understand
6. Provide reasonable support for parent involvement activities as parents request

Annual Title 1 Meeting for Parents

Each year, the Wilkinsburg School District Title I program is required to host a meeting for parents to explain what the Title I program is and how Title I students will be assessed. Parents have a right to be involved in the Title I program, and this is explained at the meeting as well as offering suggestions as to how they can be involved. This meeting is documented with a sign-in list, flyers, agendas, etc.

For more information, contact Rick Liberto at [email protected].