Middletown Public Schools                                                               No. 1098.3       

MPS Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy: Gaudet Middle School (GMS)

 

 

Middletown Public Schools Parent and Family Engagement Policy MPS Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy: Gaudet Middle School

The Middletown School Department is committed to strong parent engagement and sees this collaboration as essential to improving student achievement. The Middletown School District will actively build relationships with parents and caregivers enrolled in the district and provide opportunities and resources for them to be active participants in their students' education.

The purpose of this policy is to increase parental engagement while building strong relationships with parents and families. The district will ensure that the following family engagement strategies are implemented related to Title 1 as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

In accordance with this policy, the Superintendent shall ensure that all schools:

● Encourage parents and guardians to be involved in their child’s school

● Ensure communication between school and home is accessible to all families in languages that they understand.

● Break down barriers to ensure trust and relationships building

Middletown Public Schools will build positive and respectful relationships between schools and families through trust building, shared responsibility, thoughtful decision making and effective communication to ensure every student will succeed and be provided a high quality education.

In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Middletown Public Schools receives Title I, Part A funds and therefore must develop jointly with, agree upon, and distribute to parents of participating children, a written parent and family engagement policy that contains information required by Section 1116(a)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

This policy explains Middletown's expectations for meaningful parent and family engagement and describes how MPS will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities, and is incorporated into the MPS’s plan submitted to the Rhode Island Department of Education.

MPS agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:

● MPS will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with Section 1116 of ESSA including Forest Ave Elementary, Gaudet Learning

● All families at GMS are invited to participate and join the GMS School Improvement Team. Invitation to join and participate in the team are sent out through the Principal's weekly Newsletter and presented at monthly PTG meetings. Parent feedback will be collected for the following policies: Parent and Family Engagement Policy, Schoolwide or Targeted Assistance Plan, School Improvement Plans for schools

● GMS will present their yearly Targeted Assistance Plan with families, asking for input and feedback at the Title 1 Family annual event in the fall. This will provide family members a voice and engage caregiver input when developing the School Improvement Plan (SIT), Comprehensive Needs Assessment, the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Compact and plans for use of Title I family engagement funding.

● GMS will seek feedback from families on programs within the SIT, offer multiple methods for caregivers to submit comments about programs they may not find satisfactory, and submit any such comments with SIT, central offices.

● GMS will invite family members to help in organizing and executing a variety of school events to build collective ownership, such as Family Open House, Family Game Night, Title 1 Annual Pasta Dinner, Book Fair, and others.

● GMS will provide opportunities for caregivers to volunteer within the school in

various ways.

● GMS will encourage families to take part in the annual evaluation of the district-level Title I parent and family engagement policy in order to identify: barriers to greater family participation, ways to help family members be better able to assist in student learning, and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. Academy and Gaudet Middle School.

○ These programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children.

● Consistent with Section 1116, MPS 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.

● In carrying out the Title I, parent and family engagement requirements, MPS and its schools will provide opportunities for the informed participation of parents and family members

○ including parents and family members who have limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children

○ including providing information and school reports required under Section 1111 of ESSA in an understandable format and, to the extent practical, in a language parents understand.

● If the MPS plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of the ESSA 26, is not satisfactory to parents of participating children, MPS will submit any parent comments with the plan when MPS submits the plan to the Rhode Island Department of Education.

● MPS will involve parents of participating children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement are spent; and , when applicable, will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools, with priority given to “high-need” schools.

● MPS will be governed by the following definition of parent and family engagement, and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with this definition in Section 8101 of ESSA: Parent and family engagement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way,

and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

(A) parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

(B) parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;

(C) 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; and

(D) the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in the parent and family engagement section of ESSA.

Gaudet Middle School (GMS) implementation of the MPS

Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy Components:

Creating a Welcoming Environment for all Families

GMS will work to ensure that all parents/caregivers are welcomed and provided opportunities to actively engage within the school, including the following:

● Create a welcoming atmosphere at the school with courteous faculty and staff, parent-friendly signs, availability of resources in multiple languages, etc.

● Provide interpretation services for parent-teacher conferences, workshops, and meetings.

● Translate or provide interpretation of all school documents and communication to make them accessible in the caregiver’s preferred correspondence language and for those with vision or hearing impairments.

● Support two-way communication between families and staff through assistance of a district translator and Director of Family and Community Engagement to be points of contact questions for families.

● Expand access for family participation in informational meetings and learning sessions by offering a variety of meeting times and translated sessions for school events. By outreaching and promoting to ALL families including families.

Parent Input and Engagement

GMS will take the following actions to involve parents and family members of Title I participating students in the joint development and review of the following:

● Parent and Family Engagement Policy- The acting school administrator for GMS will partner with the Title 1 staff member, Director of Family and Community Engagement and title one coordinator to draft policy. This document will be shared with families asking for parents to review and provide feedback.

Effective Communication with Parents

GMS will make efforts to ensure parents/caregivers receive meaningful communication in a timely manner, including the following:

● Use multiple methods of communication to families such as weekly newsletter, Remind "text messages", thrillshare texts home in multiple languages, and regular web page updates of school news, calendars, and parent resource links.

● Encourage all caregivers to virtually attend an annual meeting, to share information about Title I services, explain Title I grant requirements, and inform families of their right to be involved in the school.

● A welcome/introduction letter will be sent home within the first three weeks of school (or first week of Title identification) explaining the program, the goals and means of communication.

● Title I teachers will attend all parent conference meetings to discuss, explain and share progress. The Title I teacher will be available for parents as a liaison between teacher and home upon request.

● Share school and student performance data with families in ways that seek their ideas about how to improve performance toward RI academic standards, such as Title 1 Annual Meeting, PTG Meetings, etc.

● Provide opportunities throughout the year for families to better understand the school’s goals for students and find ways to improve student learning by holding meetings.

● Maintain resources for caregivers to review student assignments and ongoing communication about student work, such as personal emails and weekly teacher messages.

● Hold parent-teacher conferences for all students at least annually in the fall/ winter and more often, as needed

▪ MPS will involve parents of participating children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement are spent; and , when applicable, will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools, with priority given to “high-need” schools.

▪MPS will be governed by the following definition of parent and family engagement, and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with this definition in Section 8101 of ESSA: Parent and family engagement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

(A) parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

(B) parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; (C) 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; and

(D) the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in the parent and family engagement section of ESSA.

School Support and Technical Assistance

MPS will provide the following coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of the GMS Title I school in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.

 

Coordination of Services

MPS will coordinate and integrate Title I parent and family Engagement programs, strategies and activities with other Federal, State and local laws and programs, to the extent feasible and appropriate, including public preschool programs (e.g. Head Start, State pre-Ks) and conduct other activities (e.g. parent resource centers), that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children by:

● Yearly meeting with Title 1 district team to review and plan family engagement policies and activities

● Partnership with the Middletown Public Library to increase access to library cards and resources for families to support literacy

● Partnership with Decoding Dyslexia to come to Title 1 family events to provide additional support for literacy development at home

● Title 1 teacher to work closely with the district's Director of Family and Community Engagement to increase family engagement in Title 1 events

Annual Evaluation

MPS will take the following actions to conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent and family involvement policy in improving the quality of GMS Title I, Part A. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or

ethnic minority background). The evaluation will also include identifying the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers and strategies to support successful school and family interactions.

GMS will use the findings of the evaluation about its parent and family engagement policy and activities to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent involvement, and to revise, if necessary, its parent and family engagement policies.

Reservation of Funds

MPS will involve parents and family members of children served in GMS Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to Title I schools with priority given to “high need” schools. Annually at the GMS Title 1 family meeting, GMS will present their yearly Targeted Assistance Plan with families, asking for input and feedback. Within this presentation, GMS’s budget for parent and family engagement activities and programs will be included. Families will be asked to provide input on how the funds will be used.

Building Parent Capacity to Improve Student Academic Achievement

MPS will, with the assistance of GMS Title I school, build the capacity of parents for strong family engagement to improve their ability to support student academic achievement by:

GMS will post notices in school facilities and public buildings, and provide information via email and text message about parent workshops, meetings, and conferences.

● Meetings will include parent information sessions to help parents understand how to enhance their child’s education.

● Workshops will include a series of family reading/math nights that provide an opportunity for parents and their child to experience the school situation in a positive and helpful manner while school staff may provide any needed assistance or encouragement.

● MPS will offer parents a special workshop/meeting each year to provide an explanation of the statewide assessment systems, standards, and other accountability measures.

● Teachers will routinely contact parents to communicate about their child’s progress.

● They will share report cards and district benchmark assessment information in reading and mathematics every trimester, with information regarding their child’s academic progress and upcoming classroom and school events.

 ● Letters will be parent–friendly (in preferred language)

● They will offer parents one official parent-teacher conference each year with the option of meeting either in-person or virtually at other points in the year

● The Middletown Multilingual Collaborative will host family gatherings to explain the WIDA testing, MLL teaching and learning in Middletown with our MLL District Coordinator.

● The Collaborative will partner with RIPIN Rhode Island Parents Information Network for parent advocacy classes.

The following data will be shared with parents annually in their home language in accessible format sent home on paper as well as explained in person with a translator.

● Title 1 intervention triannual progress reports

● Report Cards

● DIBELS data sent home to families 3 times per year

● RICAS/ACCESS scores mailed to parents

● Parents notified when students are written a Personalized Literacy Plan

● Branching Minds in various languages

● Parent Teacher Conferences with translator

Shared Responsibilities for High Academic Achievement

GMS will make efforts to ensure parents/caregivers receive materials, training, and benefits from school partnerships with social and academic services, community-based organizations, and businesses, including the following:

● Hold workshops connecting caregivers to tools and resources, with Student Success Coordinator

● Offer regular opportunities for families to learn directly from school staff about the school’s academic, behavioral, and social programming through Family Nights and Open Houses.

● Encourage participation in family learning events where caregivers learn strategies to support their child’s learning at home and have a chance to practice those strategies with their child, such as GMS Open House, Family Game Night, Title 1 Pasta Dinner.

● Provide ongoing access to resources in the school, such as meeting with our counselors and assistance from our parent liaison. The Director of Family and Community Engagement can help facilitate this.

● Provide mentors for students through community-based partnerships.

● Provide opportunities to donate and access supplies donated by others, such as school supplies, food and clothing through our local community partners.

● Leverage partnerships with local businesses and organizations to enhance school programs and events, such as mentoring, Family Math night, and STEAM night.

● Support parents in accessing county and community resources, such as health care, counseling, and tutoring.

● The Multilingual Collaborative partners with local non-profits to come and present the work and resources that they can help provide such as Newport Mental Health, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, EBCAP, Sail Newport, Decoding Dyslexia, Middletown Public Library, Middletown Outreach, Middletown Prevention Coalition. Newport Partnership for Families, Child and Family. Lucy's Hearth. MLK Island Oasis Food Based Pantry at MPS.

● Offer outreach and training for families, such as Middletown Child and Equity Zone by EBCAP, Head Start, Pre-K program information in Middletown. Baby Steps.

 

MPS will, with the assistance of GMS Title I school, build the capacity of Title I educators and staff for strong family engagement to improve their ability to support student academic achievement by:

● Forming a partnership with Rhode Island School for Progressive Education (RISPE) to provide Multilingual Endorsement Training for educators

● Partnering with consultants who help educators understand how to build strong family engagement especially with MLL families

○ Dr. Nick Santavicca will offer training for educators working with MLL students and families

○ Kelly-Ann Cooney from Training EDquity will offer professional development for educators to better understand needs of MLL families

● Online training will be utilized to help educators understand how to best engage parents in activities that provide learning for their children-

○ ECTA- Early Childhood Technical assistance Area https://ectacenter.org/decrp/fcb.asp

PD in these approaches can be used to promote parents' use of any type of early childhood practice, and includes strategies to engage parents in activities to build their competence and confidence in providing learning opportunities for their child.

○ SPAN

https://spanadvocacy.org/capacity-building-for-family-organizations/ Programs: Capacity Building for Family Organizations SPAN provides information, technical assistance, and support to family organizations including Parent Centers and Family to Family Health Information Centers to enhance their capacity to serve children and families, partner with state agencies and professional organizations, and maintain effective non-profit organizations.

McKinney-Vento.ORG Staff Training

https://training.mckinney-vento.org/register/

PD in Creating Awareness--training to support every district, educator, and district staff member to know, recognize and report signs of homelessness, meet the intent of current funding and ensure compliance with McKinney-Vento laws and ensure students receive

the needed support and the educational rights to which they are entitled.

 

 

First and Final Reading: June 26, 2025

Yearly Review: July 16, 2026

Next Reading Due: June 2027