Waverly Elementary School’s Parent Involvement Policy

This Parental Involvement Policy was developed and agreed upon by a committee of Waverly Elementary parents, teachers, educational assistants, community members and administrators.  (Notes from the meetings and members’ names are on file in the principal’s office.)  This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as appropriate to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.  (All negative comments expressed by parents or staff will be forwarded to the State Department in the annual Title I plan.)  This policy will be placed in the student handbook and distributed to each child enrolled at Waverly Elementary.  This policy will be available in each classroom, along with a copy of the Humphreys County Parental Involvement Policy and a pamphlet written for parents explaining the Title I law.

·        In an effort to share the responsibility of high student performance, the school will develop a written compact between the home and school, which insures positive communication and activities helpful for learning. 

·        At the beginning of each year, all parents of children enrolled at Waverly Elementary will be invited and encouraged to attend a meeting to explain the Title I policy, legal requirements and parental rights in a school-wide program.  All information and paperwork handed out at this meeting will be sent home with students whose parents could not attend this meeting.

·        In an effort to meet the needs of all parents, meetings/activities will be offered at different times.

·        It will be the responsibility of the Parent Involvement Committee to make suggestions for activities, to improve student performance as well as ways the staff could better serve parents/students.  All requests for training and/or parental involvement activities will be submitted to the school principal, for review by the Parent Involvement Committee. The Committee will present beneficial activities and suggestions to the teachers and staff.

·        To insure that parents are kept informed of their child’s progress, teachers will send home three week progress reports, six week report cards, graded student work, scores obtained on teacher made and/or textbook designed tests, and standardized achievement test scores.  Upon request, teachers will explain their curriculum, grading and discipline policies.

·        In order to keep lines of communication open between home and school, all notes and/or phone calls received from parents will be answered as soon as possible and when necessary a meeting will be arranged.  A minimum of two parent teacher conferences will be held annually to discuss student progress.  Parents will have the opportunity to visit their child’s classroom to observe and/or participate in school activities.

·        To insure that the parents are equipped to work with their children, the teacher will provide educational materials to take home.  Parents will be made aware of the Family Literacy Program at Waverly Elementary and the availability of Adult Basic Education Classes.

·        Waverly Elementary will host an early registration for entering kindergarten and preschool students to ensure a smooth transition into public school.  All enrolling students will be scheduled for assessment prior to placement and the teachers will make suggestions to the parents on things to work on during the summer. Various transition activities between the elementary and junior high school will be planned for exiting third grade students.

·        Materials will be presented in an alternate method to non-readers, non-English speaking parents, or adults with other conditions requiring interpretation of information.

·        Current issues concerning parental involvement will be addressed in Waverly Elementary’s Southern Association of College and Schools/Tennessee School Improvement Plan.

·        A working relationship will be maintained between Waverly Elementary, community organizations and businesses in an effort to improve services to students and the community.