NEPN/NSBA Code: KBF

PARENT PARTNERSHIP POLICY
The Portland School Committee believes that together we shape the future of our community by inspiring and supporting today’s learners. We hold the vision that students, families, and educators
have a unique and personal bond. The Portland School Committee endorses a strong parent/Portland Public Schools partnership and encourages the regular participation by parents/guardians in all aspects of their school system.

For the purpose of this policy, “parents/guardians” includes other family members involved in supervising the student’s schooling.

District-Level Parent Partnership Policy
The Portland Public Schools parent partnership policy reflects our tradition and values, as detailed in our Mission/Vision and Beliefs developed in collaboration with our parents. The written policy
will be distributed to parents and will also be posted on the Portland Public Schools’ web page and on the web page of each Portland Public School. We are explicitly using the term “partnership” as opposed to “involvement” to mark the deep ongoing collaboration between parents and their schools that is a cornerstone of excellence and achievement for all students.

Annually, parents/guardians will have opportunities to participate in the evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the Portland Public Schools parent partnership policy and in using the findings of the evaluation to design strategies for more effective parent partnership and to make revisions to the policy.

School-Parent Partnership Policy

Each school in Portland shall jointly develop with parents/guardians of students a “School-Parent Compact” outlining the manner in which parents, school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting the Maine Learning Results.

The school-parent compact will be distributed to parents/guardians of students and will be posted on the school’s web page.

The “School-Parent Compact” shall:

A.Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment enabling students to meet the Maine Learning Results academic achievement standards;

B.Indicate the ways in which parents will be responsible for supporting their student’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, completing homework, monitoring television watching, volunteering in the classroom, and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their students education and positive use of extracurricular time; and

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C. Address the importance of parent-teacher communication among all school stakeholders (principals, teachers, parents, students) on an ongoing basis, with at a minimum, conferences (student-involved parent-teacher conferences), frequent reports to parents, and reasonable access to staff.

Parent Partnership Meetings
Schools in Portland have a strong history of providing a range of meetings, forums, and opportunities for parents/guardians to learn about school programs and to have input into the school. All schools shall continue this strong record of meetings held at various times of the day and/or evenings to ensure broad access by parents/guardians to their school. In addition, each school receiving Title I funds shall convene an annual meeting to which all parents/guardians of students shall be invited to inform them about the school’s participation in Title I and to involve them in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s Title I programs and the parent partnership policy.

These meetings shall be used to provide parents with:
A. Information about programs the school provides including Title IA programs;

B. A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency level students are expected to meet;

C. Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their student; 

and

D. The opportunity to submit comments to the district level administrator if they are dissatisfied with a school program.

For schools receiving Title IA funds, Title IA funding, if sufficient, may be used to facilitate parent/guardian attendance at meetings through the payment of transportation and childcare costs, as allowed by the school’s status as either a School wide or Targeted Assistance program.

Parent Relations
Parents/guardians of students shall receive notice of changes in program and services. In a Title IA Targeted Assistance, school children identified for participation in a Title I program shall receive from the building principal and Title I staff an explanation of the reasons supporting their child’s selection, a set of objectives to be addressed, and a description of the services to be provided.

Through end of marking period reports, student-involved conferences, and other means, parents

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will receive regular reports on their student’s progress and be provided opportunities to meet with the classroom and Title IA teachers and other school staff. Parents will also receive training, materials, and suggestions as to how they can assist in the education of their students at home.

Delegation of Responsibility 
The Superintendent/designee shall be responsible for ensuring that the Portland Public Schools’ programs and parent involvement policies comply with applicable law and regulations and for developing administrative procedures, as needed, to implement this policy.

Legal Reference:

20 U.S.C. § 6318

Adopted:

March 2, 2005

Revised:

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