Farrell Area School District Parent and Family Engagement Plan

Date reviewed: 11/20/2024

All Local Education Agencies (LEA) receiving Title I funds are required under Section 1116 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to develop a written Parent and Family Engagement Policy for the LEA. ESSA states that the LEA Parent and Family Engagement Policy must be jointly developed with parents and family members, incorporated into the LEA plan (Consolidated Application), and distributed to parents of participating children in a format and language that parents can understand. Such programs, activities, and procedures shall be planned and implemented with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children.

The policy states how the LEA involves parents and family members in the joint development of the Title I Plan (Title I Application) (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(A)).

How will the LEA involve parent and family members in the development of the Consolidated Application?

The Farrell Area School District partners with the Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4 for the completion of the Consolidated Application. The application is completed and submitted by the MIU4. Through the involvement of parents, school administrators, teachers and school board members, and the yearly needs assessment survey, the LEA will involve parents and family members in the joint development of the Title I Consolidated Application and Plan.

The policy states how the LEA involves parents and family members in the process of school review and improvement (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(A)).

How will the LEA involve parents and family members in school review and improvement?

The Farrell Area School District invites parents and family members to participate in school review and improvement in the following ways:

● Members of the committee that writes the Schoolwide Title Plan in each building
● Completion of an annual survey about parent family engagement ● Hosting monthly family engagement activities
● Parent-Teacher Conferences ● Social Media
● Communication through district-approved applications (i.e. ParentSquare)

The policy states how the LEA provides technical assistance and support to schools in

planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(B)).

How will the LEA provide technical assistance to schools?

Technical assistance is provided to both buildings by our Technology Department.

The policy states how the LEA will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies with other federal, state, and local laws and programs (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(C)).

How will the LEA coordinate with other federal, state, and local laws and programs?

The policy states how the LEA conducts, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and the effectiveness of the parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of all schools, including identifying:

∙ barriers to greater participation by parents and family members, 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 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. (ESSA. Section 1116(a)(2)(D)(i iii).

The Farrell Area School District sends an annual survey to all parents to get their feedback on parent family engagement. All district and school-level parent family engagement policies are shared annually with parents and included on the District website.

How does the LEA evaluate parent and family engagement in all schools?

The policy states how the LEA will use the findings of the annual evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family involvement, and revise, if necessary, the Parent and Family Engagement Policy (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(E)).

Parent/guardians are asked annually what programs they would like implemented. Programs are then revised based on the needs of parent/guardians.

The policy states how the LEA involves parents and family members in the activities of the school, which may include establishing a parent advisory board comprised of a sufficient number and representative group of parents or family members to adequately represent the needs to the population; revising; and reviewing the Parent and Family Engagement Policy (ESSA, Section 1116(a)(2)(F)).

Parents/guardians are invited to various school activities throughout the school year. These activities are offered during the school day, as well as evening hours.

Are there any additional ways the LEA involves parent and family members, like a Parent Advisory Council (PAC)?

Please note: this section only needs to be included in the policy if the LEA receives $500,000 or more. For all other LEAs, this section can be deleted.

For those LEAs that receive $500,000 or more in Title I funds, please choose one of the following and describe how it is carried out at the LEA:

∙ Supporting programs that reach parents and family members at home, in the community, and at school. (ESSA, Section 1116(3)(D)(ii)).

The Farrell Area School District plans family engagement activities that are sent home with students to complete with family members. These activities align with the PA Core standards in the academic subjects. The Title 1 staff helps to plan these activities and distribute the materials to the families.