Morrilton High School Parent and Community Involvement

  

Morrilton High School

Parent Involvement Plan Committee

 

Danny Ketcherside, Principal

Wendy Duff, Parent Facilitator

Patricia Hopkins, Parent

Donna Bird, Parent

Patty Beijen, Parent

Lisa Green, Parent

Lucy Williams, Resource Teacher

 

 

Morrilton High School recognizes that a child’s education is a responsibility shared by the school and family during the entire time the child spends in school. To support the goal of the schools and to educate all students effectively, the schools and parents must work as knowledgeable partners. Parents are an integral component of a school’s ability to provide for the educational success of their children. Morrilton High School acknowledges that engaging parents is essential to improve student achievement and that schools should foster and support active parental involvement.

 

In response to this commitment to active parental involvement, and in compliance with the legal requirements of Act 307 of 2007 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Morrilton High School establishes the following parent involvement plan.

 

1.                                     The school will involve parents in the review, improvement and printing of the school's parental involvement policy annually;

2.                                     Explain to parents and the community the State's content and achievement standards, State and local student assessments and how the school’s curriculum is aligned with the assessments and how parents can work with the school to improve their child’s academic achievement;

3.                                     Provide parents with the materials and training they need to be better able to help their child achieve. The school may use parent resource centers or other community based organizations to foster parental involvement and provide literacy and technology training to parents.

4.                                     Educate school staff, with the assistance of parents, in ways to work and communicate with parents and to know how to implement parent involvement programs that will promote positive partnerships between the school and parents;

5.                                     Keep parents informed about parental involvement programs, meetings, and other activities they could be involved in. Such communication shall be, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand;

6.                                     Find ways to eliminate barriers that work to keep parents from being involved in their child's education. This may include providing transportation and child care to enable parents to participate, arranging meetings at a variety of times, and being creative with parent/teacher conferences;

7.                                     Find and modify other successful parent and community involvement programs to suit the needs of our school;

8.                                     Train parents to enhance and promote the involvement of other parents;

9.                                     Provide, if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their child;

 

Legal References:              20 U.S.C. § 6318 (b)(1) (NCLB Act of 2001, Section 1118), 20 U.S.C. § 6318 (c)(1),(2),(3),(4) (NCLB Act of 2001, Section 1118), 20 U.S.C. § 6318 (d) (NCLB Act of 2001, Section 1118), U.S.C. § 6318 (e)(1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(8),(9),(10),(11),(13),(14) (NCLB Act of 2001, Section 1118)

 

 

The Parent Involvement Plan involves parents of students of all grade levels in a variety of roles. The plan recognizes that communication between home and school should be regular, two-way, and meaningful.

 

To encourage communication with parents, Morrilton High School schedules two parent-teacher conferences per year. These conferences are scheduled near the mid-point of each semester of the school year.

 

To promote and support responsible parenting, Morrilton High School will purchase books, magazines, and other informative material regarding responsible parenting through the school library. These materials will be advertised and parents will have an opportunity to borrow the materials for review.

 

At the end of each school year parents that attend all parent-teacher conferences will be acknowledged in the local newspaper.

 

To welcome parents to Morrilton High School, there is no policy or procedure that would discourage a parent from visiting the school, specifically including:

 

1. Policies requiring parents to pick-up their child outside the school building each day and

 

2. Policies prohibiting parents from visiting a child’s classroom during school events.

 

Morrilton High School will publish a volunteer resource book, listing the interests and availability of volunteers for school staff members’ use. The resource book will help match school needs with volunteer interests. To develop the volunteer resource book, the school will survey parents regarding their interests, so volunteer work will be meaningful.

 

Morrilton High School will support the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of the program to involve parents in the decisions and practices of the school district, using, to the degree possible, the following components:

 

1. The principal will designate one certified staff member that is willing to serve as a parent facilitator to organize meaningful training for staff and promoting and encouraging a welcoming atmosphere to parental involvement in the school. The parent facilitator will also undertake efforts to ensure that parental participation is recognized as an asset to the school.

 

2. The certified staff serving as a parent facilitator will receive supplement pay for the assigned duties as required by law.

 

Staff development opportunities as required by the State Board of Education’s Standards of Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools will be offered each year. Two hours of professional development opportunities for teachers will be offered each year. The professional development will be designed to enhance understanding of effective parental involvement strategies. The two hours may be included in the required thirty hours of staff development. Three hours of professional development opportunities will be offered to school administrators. The three hours will be in addition to the required thirty hours of professional development.

 

Morrilton High School will involve parents in their child's learning process in the following ways:

 

Materials and supplies will be utilized to enhance parent involvement by advertising, informing, and encouraging parent attendance at the high school level.

 

An Orientation Night will be held each year in the fall in H.B. White Auditorium to inform parents about school policies and procedures.

 

The school will schedule two parent-teacher conferences per year. These conferences are scheduled near the mid-point of each semester of the school year.

 

Teachers will receive a minimum of two hours of professional development and administrators will receive three hours of professional development to enhance their understanding of effective parental involvement strategies as evidenced by the PD schedule.

 

Handbooks will be given to all parents that include: the parent involvement plan, a school calendar, information about the school's website, school personnel contact information, the school process for resolving parent concerns, and information on volunteering.

 

A volunteer resource book will be created and made available with opportunities for parent volunteers.

 

A Parent Center will be established in the Media Center to provide parents opportunities to become involved in their child's educational process. The center will contain materials regarding general child development, parenting skills, information specific to the curriculum and instructional policies and will be maintained by the Parent Facilitator.

 

A Parent Center has been created to provide informative materials for the use of the parents/guardians of our students. The Parent Center is located in the library media center and is open during school hours. If you have any questions, contact Wendy Duff, Parent Facilitator at (501) 354-9470.

 

The South Conway County Schools’ Website address is: http://www.sccsd.org/index2.htm

          

           You can find valuable information on the website such as the Pinnacle Parent Grade book Viewer, School Calendar, Daily Announcements, Lunch Menu, and Teacher Contact Information.

 

 

Morrilton High School Parent Volunteer Survey

2011-2012 School Year

 

Parents are very important to the success of their students and our school. Please fill out the information below and return it to the school office.

 

Name: ____________________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

City/Town: _________________________________________________________________________

ZIP/ Postal Code: _____________________________________________________________________

Place of Employment: _________________________________________________________________

 

Name and grade of MHS student(s):

Name(s):___________________________________________________________________________

                 ___________________________________________________________________________

 

Grade(s):___________________________________________________________________________

                 ___________________________________________________________________________

The best way to contact me is (answer all that applies):

Home phone: ________________________________________________

Work Phone: ________________________________________________

Cell Phone: __________________________________________________

E-mail:______________________________________________________

 

It is okay to call in non-emergency situations to my place of employment: (circle one)

 

Yes

 

No

The best time of the day to contact me is:

o  early morning

o  mid- morning

o  afternoon

o  evening

 

I would be willing to volunteer:      

o  Planning/ Chaperoning Project Graduation

o  Providing refreshments

o  Helping out during Teacher Appreciation Week

o  Volunteering in Athletic Booster Clubs

o  Book Fair

o  Donating materials for classroom projects

o  Decorating for Prom/ Homecoming

o  Share about your career or hobby to a group or class