ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION - 6020

The following administrative regulation outlines opportunities for parents, guardians and family members to engage with their local schools and school district, and is aligned to the legal requirements for districts and schools receiving federal funding.     

Active Participation:

The District values and incorporates input and suggestions from parents and family members into the district and school improvement plans each year.  Parents are encouraged to provide feedback, share ideas, and offer suggestions in order to assist the district and schools in supporting student learning and wellbeing.  

Examples of utilizing parent leadership in governance and advisory roles include:

• Participation in district/school needs assessment including the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)
• Participation in district and site level parent advisory committees
• Participation in the district annual survey

Effective Communication:

IUSD actively solicits feedback through surveys, parent-teacher student study teams, and through site and district level advisory committees. IUSD utilizes different communication vehicles and translates messaging into multiple languages to reach as many families as possible.  Some of these vehicles include:  Parent Portal, School Messenger, websites, mailings, newsletters, and social media. Interpretation and translation is provided for parents to the extent that is required and practicable.

Accessibility:

To support parental involvement, local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide opportunities for the participation of parents and family members with limited English proficiency, parents and family members with disabilities, and parents and family members of migratory children. Information and school reports required under section 6311 of this title shall be provided to families in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language they can understand.

Professional Learning for Staff: 

IUSD coordinates and provides technical assistance, and other supports as necessary to assist schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities.

1. Training for principals, school staff, and advisory committees includes:
   1. Reviewing the requirements for parent involvement and the inclusion of these requirements in school plans
   2. Planning, implementing, and evaluating parent and family engagement activities
   3. Educating school staff regarding Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and the use of performance indicators, assessment and data analysis
2. Educating teachers, student services personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents and families, involves:
   1. Recognizing and valuing the assets and contributions of parents and families
   2. Reaching out to, inviting, and communicating with parents and families as equal partners, to strengthen the ties between home and school
   3. Implementing and coordinating parent and family programs
3. Extending opportunities for community-based organizations and businesses to participate in parent involvement activities

Parent and Family Engagement Activities:

To establish partnerships with all families, the district and school sites employ engagement strategies addressing the unique needs of our students and the diversity of our families. These strategies are intended to:

1. Provide a welcoming environment that is supportive and safe for all students and their families. Given the diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds of IUSD families, it is crucial that families feel welcome on campus and know that there is a role for them at school.
2. Provide materials and training to help parents and families work with their children to improve their children’s achievement
3. Assist parents and families in understanding
   1. State standards for student achievement and assessments
   2. District curriculum, adoption processes, and program options
   3. Systems to monitor a child’s progress, work completion, and attendance
   4. Strategies for supporting learning, behavior, and social/emotional needs at home
   5. Process and strategies for communicating to schools regarding their expectations and concerns for their children
   6. Volunteerism
4. Make referrals to community agencies and organizations that offer literacy training, parent education programs, and/or other services that help to improve access for parents, guardians, and families

Research and Resources

1. California Department of Education - Family Engagement Framework (2014)
2. Public Policy Institute of California - Family Engagement Practices in California Schools (June 2016)
3. School, Family, and Community Partnerships -  Joyce L. Epstein and Associates (2009)
4. PTA - National Standards, Goals, and Indicators for Family-School Partnerships

Compliance Requirements

IUSD will ensure that school-level policies on parent and family engagement address the role of school site councils and other parents and families as appropriate in the development and review of school plans and provide training and information to members of district and school site councils and advisory committees to help them fulfill their functions and tasks as pursuant to 20 United States Code 6318.

1. Title I programs, activities, and procedures shall be developed and agreed upon with parents/guardians and families of participating students. Local Education Agencies (LEA) are required to:
   1. Involve parents in the joint development of the district’s Title I plan;
   2. Provide the coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance;
   3. Build the capacity of schools, parents, guardians, and families for strong parent involvement;
   4. Coordinate and integrate Title I parent involvement strategies;
   5. Conduct, with families, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent involvement policy in improving the academic quality of the schools served by Title I programs.
2. When the district's Title I, Part A allocation exceeds the amount specified in 20 USC 6318, the Board shall reserve at least one percent of the funding to implement parent/guardian and family engagement activities. Title I sites shall involve parents/guardians and family members of participating students in decisions regarding how the district's Title I funds will be allotted for parent/guardian and family engagement activities.
3. Expenditures of such funds shall include at least one of the following:
4. Support for schools in providing professional development for district and school staff regarding parent/guardian and family engagement strategies
5. Support for programs that reach parents/guardians and family members at home, in the community, and at school
6. Dissemination of information on best practices focused on parent/guardian and family engagement, especially best practices for increasing the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents/guardians and family members
7. Collaboration with community-based or other organizations or employers with a record of success in improving and increasing parent and family engagement
8. Any other activities and strategies that the district determines are appropriate and consistent with this policy
9. Non-Title I Schools -The Superintendent or designee shall develop and implement strategies applicable for schools that do not receive federal Title I funds to encourage the involvement and support of parents/guardians in the education of their children, including, but not limited to, strategies describing how the district and schools will address the purposes and goals described in Education Code 11502.
10. Title III - The LEA must implement outreach activities for parents and families of English Learners that include:
    1. Notification of and facilitation of regular meetings for the purpose of formulating and responding to the parents’ recommendations for programs and services;
    2. Training activities for parents of English Learner students on how they can be involved and become active participants in assisting their children to:
       1. Attain English proficiency
       2. Achieve at high levels in core academic subjects
       3. Meet challenging state academic content and achievement standards expected of all students

Classroom Observations:

As a means to understand the instructional environment and support their student’s learning, parents have the right to observe instruction or other school activities. In order to prevent undue interference with instruction and other activities, the following conditions shall apply to parent observations:

• A written request shall be presented at least two school days in advance of the requested observation
• Parent observers shall be expected to control their movement and their remarks so that no teaching or learning is interrupted
• The duration of any observation shall not exceed one hour
• The frequency of observation by the parents of any individual student shall not exceed three times per year, nor more than once per month unless otherwise authorized by the Superintendent or designee
• Parents observing in the classrooms will maintain confidentiality about the learning environment

Policy Adopted: June 5, 1991
Revised: June 27, 2006
Revised: June 5, 2012
Revised: November 13, 2018