Federal Programs

The purpose of the Federal Programs Department is to foster educational excellence and ensure equal access by removing barriers and closing academic gaps, particularly for historically underserved populations. Our department implements these goals through the following Federal grants/activities:

• Title I services reduce the achievement gap for children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging academic standards.
• Title II improves the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders through training and professional development.
• Title III ensures that English learners attain English proficiency and develop high levels of academic achievement.
• The Title IX, McKinney- Vento, and ARP Homeless programs provide academic and wraparound services for students experiencing homelessness.
• ESSER 1.0, 2.0, & 3.0 grants provide short-term relief funds to address the impact of the pandemic on schools nationwide.
• The Stronger Connections Grant offers mental health and social emotional resources for students and their families to improve school culture and climate.

District Parent and Family Engagement Policy 

Robertson County 

September 18, 2024 

In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Robertson County receives Title I, Part A funds and therefore must jointly develop with, agree on with, and distribute to parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy that contains information required by Section 1116(a)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The policy establishes the district’s expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement and describes how the district will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities.  

The Robertson County School District agrees to implement the following requirements as outlined by Section 1116:   

• The school district will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the engagement of parents and family members in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs. These programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children.  

• Consistent with Section 1116, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent and family engagement policies meet the requirements of Section 1116(b) of the ESSA, and each include as a component a school-parent compact consistent with Section 1116(d) of the ESEA. 

• In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of families with limited English proficiency, limited literacy, disabilities, of migratory children, who are economically disadvantaged, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background, including providing information and school reports required under Section 1111 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language families understand. 

• If the district plan for Title I, Part A, developed under Section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the families of participating children, the school district will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the state department of education.  

• The school district will be governed by the following definition of family engagement and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition in Section 8101 of the ESSA: 

Family engagement means the participation of families in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring: 

(A) families play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning; 

(B) families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; 

(C) families are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and 

(D) other activities are carried out, such as those described in Section 1116 of the ESEA. 

JOINTLY DEVELOPED 

The Robertson County School District will take the following actions to involve parents and family members in jointly developing its LEA plan under Section 1112 and the development of support and improvement plans under paragraphs (1) and (2) of Section 1111(d) of the ESSA: 

The district will take the following actions to involve parents and family members in jointly developing its LEA plan under Section 1112, and the development of support and improvement plans under paragraphs (1) and (2) of Section 1111(d) of the ESEA:   

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 

The Robertson County School District will provide the following coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build capacity of all Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, which may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education:   

The Federal Programs Supervisor and Coordinator meet annually with Title I principals, school-wide chairs, and/or school-level family engagement chairs to review family engagement requirements, and they work closely with the Title I schools to help them develop and review their family engagement plans, school/parent compacts and school improvement plans. They work closely with each Title I school to provide whatever support is needed to plan and implement their family engagement activities and events.  

ANNUAL EVALUATION 

The Robertson County School District will take the following actions to conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by families in activities (with particular attention to families who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The evaluation will also include identifying the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. The school district will use the findings of the evaluation about its parent and family engagement policy to design evidence-based strategies for more effective family engagement, and to revise, if necessary, its parent and family engagement policies. 

The effectiveness of the District Family Engagement Plan is evaluated by reviewing the current plan, discussing survey data and attendance data from the school year, conducting a needs assessment regarding needed topics and event formats, and addressing barriers to attendance and ways to overcome those barriers. This evaluation is done with input from families at each of the Title I schools at an annual meeting to discuss the district family engagement plan, school family engagement plans, and parent/school compacts. These plans and compacts are then posted on the district and school websites in both English and Spanish for review by all parents. Finally, Title I schools evaluate family engagement through their school improvement plan and address strategies and action steps used to implement effective family and community engagement activities that are meaningful and aligned with student academic achievement in the school.  

RESERVATION OF FUNDS 

The Robertson County School District will involve the parents and family members of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to Title I schools. 

Title I schools will inform families at their annual Title I meeting about the family engagement funds.  Families will have input concerning needs and ideas using these funds (i.e., workshops, school events, etc.).  For the 2024-2025 school year, family engagement funds are allocated to each school to fund a family engagement chair stipend and instructional supplies and materials for family engagement events.   

COORDINATION OF SERVICES 

The Robertson County School District will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies, to the extent feasible and appropriate, with other relevant federal, state, and local laws and programs:  Organizations such as Head Start, State Pre-K programs, local daycares, Title I, Title III, the Family Resource Center, Community Partners, the Parent Center and many other community agencies that encourage and support families in more fully participating in the education of their children by: 

 Resources from the community are identified and utilized to strengthen learning and development.  These resources include Title I, McKinney-Vento, Head Start, Title III, State Pre-K programs, local daycares, and many other community agencies.  The district works closely with the Family Resource Center staff, including the district's homeless liaison, who meets monthly with community partners to coordinate services and solicit input. 

BUILDING CAPACITY OF PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS 

The Robertson County School District will, with the assistance of its Title I schools, build families’ capacity for strong family engagement by providing materials and training on such topics as literacy training and using technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy) to help families work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement. Assistance will also be provided to parents and families in understanding the following topics: 

• The challenging state academic standards; 

• The state and local academic assessments including alternate assessments; 

• The requirements of Title I, Part A; 

• How to monitor their child’s progress; and 

• How to work with educators. 

Curriculum standards, pacing guides and assessment schedules are posted on the district website. Schools will notify families of events on their website, send home invitations, flyers and newsletters, School Reach messages, dojo/remind app, and numerous other modes of communication. Each school will host two parent/teacher conferences a year.  Title I schools will host an annual Title I night.  Other opportunities for families to be involved are events such as but not limited to:  Literacy and Math nights, PTO, volunteer opportunities, school programs, sporting events and field days.  Parents will be informed of their child’s progress through progress reports, PowerSchool, report cards, phone calls, emails, Class Dojo and various other ways. For some events, virtual options will be available. All communication with families will be in both English and Spanish (and other languages as necessary).   

BUILDING CAPACITY OF SCHOOL STAFF 

The Robertson County School District will, with the assistance of its schools and families, educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other school leaders, and other staff in the value and utility of contributions of families, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with families as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between families and schools by:  

• Involving families in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of that training. 

• Providing necessary literacy training for families from Title I, Part A funds, if the school district has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for that training. 

• Paying reasonable and necessary expenses associated with family engagement activities, including transportation and childcare costs, to enable families to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions. 

• Training families to enhance the involvement of other families. 

• Maximize family engagement and participation in their children’s education, arranging school meetings at a variety of times or conducting in-home conferences between teachers or other educators who work directly with participating children, with families who are unable to attend those conferences at school. 

• Adopting and implementing model approaches to improving family engagement. 

• Establishing a districtwide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parent and family engagement in Title I, Part A programs. 

• Developing appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based organizations, in family engagement activities.  

ADOPTION 

This district parent and family engagement policy has been developed jointly and agreed on with parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced by meeting invitations, agendas, comments and sign in sheets. 

This policy was updated by the Robertson County School District on 09/18/2024 and will be in effect for the 2024-2025 school year. The updated policy can be located under the “Parents and Students” link on the Robertson County Schools website (www.rcstn.net).