Policy Details Page

Policy No. 4130
Community Relations

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The Board recognizes that family and community partnerships in education have a positive effect on student achievement and is an important strategy in reducing achievement gaps. It is the policy of the Board of Directors of Tacoma School District No. 10 to encourage and support family partnerships in education at home, at school, in our community and in school governance. The Board recognizes the diversity of family structures, circumstances and cultural backgrounds and respects families as important decision-makers for their child’s education. In recognition that some students do not have parents, the words "parents" or "family" are used in this policy to denote any extended family member or concerned adult who is advocating for a student.

The policy ensures Tacoma School District will:

• Help families feel welcome by demonstrating excellent customer service and basic courtesy.
• Timely and respectfully communicate with families and engaged in consistent two-way communication. A variety of communication strategies shall be used to meet the needs of families.
• Implement strategies to partner with families in the educational process, including information about opportunities for volunteering, how to support learning at home and encouraging participation in various school and district activities.
• Develop activities that promote the schools’ and parents’ capacity for strong parent partnerships. Invite parents to regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate in decisions relating to the education of their children.
• Work to eliminate barriers that discourage parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, who are active-duty military or veterans, or are of any racial or ethnic minority from participating in their child’s education and the District’s community partnerships, and to encourage the participation of parents regardless of gender and/or sexual orientation to participate in their child’s education and the District’s community partnerships.
• Coordinate and integrate parent partnership strategies among all programs including, but not limited to; Title 1, Special Education, Highly Capable, Head Start, ECEAP, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program and public preschool.
• Provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist schools in planning and implementing effective parent partnership activities to improve academic achievement and school performance. 
• Partner with community-based organizations to provide learning opportunities and wrap-around services for our students and families.
• Offer professional development opportunities for school and district staff members to enhance their understanding of effective family and community partnership strategies.
• Involve parents in the development of district and school improvement plan implementation and review.
• Design effective family partnership opportunities based on school improvement data (i.e. test scores, parent surveys, attendance rates, climate surveys, etc.)
• Recognize staff, families, and community members who promote school-wide family and community partnerships.
• Involve parents in an annual evaluation of this parent involvement policy in improving the learning environment of schools.

The Board shall adopt and distribute the Parent, Family and Community Partnership Policy, which shall be incorporated into the district’s improvement plan and shall, with the involvement of parents, be reviewed annually.

Legal References:

• RCW 28A.605.020 Parents’ access to classroom or school-sponsored activities
• RCW 28A.225.010 Attendance mandatory – Age – Persons having custody shall cause child to attend public school – When excused
• WAC 180-44 Teachers’ Responsibilities
• 20 USC § 6311 (“No Child Left Behind Act”)

Management Resources:

• Policy News, October 2008 Family Involvement Policy
• Policy News, June 2005 Title I Parental Involvement Policy
• Policy News, August 2003 No Child Left Behind Update

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Adoption Date: 04/27/06
Revised: 07/23/09; 3/22/12