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Spanish Single Plan Achievement
THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL
The school site council plays an important role in decision-making at VHTPA
What the school site council does?
The school site council is a group of teachers, parents, classified employees, and students (at the high school level) that works with the principal to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets. The members of the site council are elected by their peers. For example, parents elect the parent representatives and teachers elect teachers.
The school site councils generally helps make decisions and/or advise the principal on the school budget and the academic or school improvement plan. In addition to academic planning, our site councils are also responsible for making decisions about parent engagement, safety and discipline.
The school site councils generally helps make decisions and/or advise the principal on the school budget and the academic or school improvement plan. In addition to academic planning, our site councils are also responsible for making decisions about parent engagement, safety and discipline.
Over the course of a year, our council considers the goals of the school and the district and then work with the principal to evaluate the school's progress toward those goals. In this evaluation, the council might consider school test scores, attendance and discipline records, parent surveys and input from students.
After looking at the big picture of the school's progress, the council and the principal create a plan for improvement. This plan might involve a new academic program, staff member or parent outreach strategy. For example, one council might use funds to develop a new math program, while another might decide to hire a reading specialist. Another council might decide that hiring an additional teacher to reduce class sizes in a particular grade or a parent liaison to get more parents involved would be the best use of its money. Because school budgets are limited and many funds can only be spent in certain ways, there are always tough decisions to make.
Successful school site councils, regardless of their specific agendas, are more than a "rubber stamp" committee, and always ask thoughtful and challenging questions.
School site council members don't just represent their own interests. They have an obligation to make decisions that will best serve the whole school community. In fact, many site councils are specifically charged with finding ways to close gaps in achievement between groups of students.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
If you are interested in school policy or budgets, you might enjoy serving on HTPA school site council. To find out more about what your school site council does, attend a meeting or talk to the school principal. If you would like to participate on the council, come to our meetings. You can learn more about the official roles of school site councils in your state from the Education Commission of the States.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
VHTPA recognizes that a critical part of effective schooling is parent * involvement. The school and the home cannot be looked at in isolation from one another; families and schools need to collaborate to help children adhere to the responsibilities of being successful students.
Research has shown that involvement by parents as partners in their children’s education contributes greatly to student achievement and conduct.
Research has shown that involvement by parents as partners in their children’s education contributes greatly to student achievement and conduct.
Families provide the primary educational environment. An educational environment is a quiet, positive place at home where your child can complete homework.
Parent involvement in their children’s education improves student achievement.
Parent involvement in their children’s education is more important to student success than family income or education.
Parent involvement with the school is most effect when it is supportive long-lasting and well planned.
The benefits of parent involvement for students are not limited to early childhood or the elementary grades; positive benefits continue on through high school and college.
Parents must be involved in supporting their children’s education at home, and to ensure the quality of schools in serving the community, parents must be involved at all levels in schools.
The staff of VHTPA believes that the education of its students is a responsibility shared with parents. The school’s primary responsibility shall be to provide a high-quality curriculum and instructional program in a supportive and effective learning environment that enable all students to meet the academic expectations set forth in the California Academic Standards.
Parents shall have the responsibility and opportunity to work with the schools in a mutually supportive and respectful partnership with the goal of helping their children succeed in school.
*Parent refers to any caregiver who has responsibility for the caring for a child including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, foster parents, stepparents, older siblings. Etc.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
Parent involvement as described in this policy shall be developed with the assistance of parents, agreed to by parent, incorporated in the school’s Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPFSA), reviewed and updated annually by parents, and readily available to the local community.
All parents are invited and encouraged to attend an annual meeting which shall be held in the fall (i.e. Back to School Night) at a time and date that is convenient for the parent community. A written notice (in English, Spanish, and to the extent possible, other languages as needed) shall be sent to all parents and will include the rights of parents to be actively involved in supporting their children’s academic achievement. Parents will also receive a description of services provided to children participating in the SCE program.
All parents are invited and encouraged to attend an annual meeting which shall be held in the fall (i.e. Back to School Night) at a time and date that is convenient for the parent community. A written notice (in English, Spanish, and to the extent possible, other languages as needed) shall be sent to all parents and will include the rights of parents to be actively involved in supporting their children’s academic achievement. Parents will also receive a description of services provided to children participating in the SCE program.
Each year parents shall be invited to attend a number of regularly scheduled meetings (such as School Site Council (SSC), Parent Teacher Association (PTA), College Night, Back to School Night, etc., that are planned at times convenient for their participation. The goal of these meetings is to keep parents informed regarding the progress of students in the core academic program, intervention programs and other issues pertaining to HTPA In addition, parents will receive specific information about the SCE program participants and program implementation. Through these meetings, parents will be involved, on an on-going basis, in the planning, review and improvement of programs, including the Parent Involvement Policy and school plan.
The principal and school staff shall provide timely information about curriculum, local and state assessment results, the proficiency level students are expected to meet, the status of the school’s Annual Proficiency Index (API) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and funds received through State Compensatory Education (SCE). Parents will be informed, on an ongoing basis, about student support programs, classroom activities and school events. They will provide suggestions for, and receive information and training on family and education related topics to assist them with their children.
SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES
The school staff and parents shall jointly develop a home-school compact that explains how parents, students and school staff will share responsibility for improved student academic achievement. The compact shall be reviewed annually and modified as needed. The compact shall
Be signed by all parties – parent, student, teacher(s) and principal and a copy given to the parent and student.
Be signed by all parties – parent, student, teacher(s) and principal and a copy given to the parent and student.
Describe how the school staff will be responsible for providing a high-quality instructional program that enables all students to meet the California academic standards and for providing a safe, nurturing learning environment for all students.
Explain how parents will be responsible for supporting their child’s learning by monitoring attendance, homework competition, television viewing, use of electronic devices and participating in decisions relating to the child’s education.
Describe how students will take responsibility for coming to school to work as learners.
Building Parent Involvement
To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school, parents, and community that will improve student achievement, the school shall –
Provide regularly scheduled informational meetings and workshops to address topics requested and needed by parents. To address the requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title 1, Section 1118, the school shall enable parent to gain a better understanding of the following:
State academic content standards and achievement goals all students are expected to meet.
How to monitor their children’s progress through interpreting state and local assessment reports and student progress reports.
Strategies to use at home to support their child’s academic achievement, such as monitoring the completion of homework and school assignments, reading with their child, working with mathematics, literacy training, etc.
Effective use of resources provided on the parent bulletin, located in the Administration building, that support and encourage parental involvement in their children’s education.
School staff shall be educated, with the assistance of parents, in the value of parent contributions, and how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners in their children’s education by using strategies to:
Ensure the information related to school and parent programs, meetings, workshops, and other activities is sent in parent-friendly format, via Teleparent, to the extent practical, in a language parents understand.
Implement and coordinate parent programs that build ties between parents and the school, such as opportunities to support the school through volunteering their time, and when appropriate, offer classroom/teacher support and after school activities such as translating or tutoring.
Become knowledgeable about parent’s rights as specified in California statues and in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title 1, Part A.
To further the goal of effective parent involvement, school staff will:
Examine and adopt model parent involvement programs such as the PTA’s National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement.
Encourage and inform parents of the leadership roles available to effectively serve on the PTA, Safe-School Committee, and the School Site Council.
Organize a parent group (i.e. PTA) for the purpose of supporting parent involvement activities at the school and enhancing the leadership skills of parent in working with other parents.
Reach outside the school through Regional Occupational Program (ROP) to form alliances with community-based agencies and businesses to connect families in need of assistance to appropriate support services.
Consider hiring a parent/community representative to serve as a liaison between school and community to increase parent communication and participation (Funded through SCE).
ACCESSIBILITY
The school, to the extent practical, shall provide parents with limited English proficiency opportunities to fully participate in school sponsored activities by using translation at all meetings and workshops and by sending written notices and reports in language, to the extent possible, that parents understand.
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