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Parent Involvement and Family Engagement

Kent School District Policy 4130 / 4130 P

The Board believes that family engagement is a shared responsibility in which schools and other community agencies and organizations are committed to reaching out to engage families in meaningful ways and in which families are committed to actively supporting their children’s learning and development. It is the policy of the Kent School District Board of Directors to ensure family engagement in our schools and in school governance, and to support family engagement in education at home and in our community.

The Board recognizes the diversity of family structures, circumstances, and cultural backgrounds and respects families as important decision makers for their children’s education, and is committed to the creation and implementation of culturally inclusive, effective, and efficient school-family partnerships throughout the District that are critical to the success of every student.

The Board recognizes that family engagement in education from birth to college has a positive effect on student achievement and is an important strategy in reducing education opportunity gaps and drop-out rates, and directs the superintendent or his designees to create, implement, and maintain a district-wide climate conducive to the engagement of families and to develop and sustain partnerships that support student learning and positive child and youth development in all schools, ensuring that family engagement efforts will be comprehensive, coordinated, systemic and sustainable, and compliant with all state and federal requirements.

To ensure that the best interests of the child are served, the Board directs the Superintendent to develop activities that will enhance home-school collaboration. Such activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting parent-teacher conferences that facilitate two-way communication between home and school.
• Holding open houses that provide parents with the opportunity to see the school facilities, meet the employees, and review the program on a first-hand basis.
• Disseminating school and other publications to parents on a regular basis.
• Conductng meetings of parents and employees to explain and discuss matters of general interest with regard to child-school, child-home, or child-school-home relationships.
• Sponsoring or co-sponsoring special events of a cultural, ethnic, or topical nature, which are initiated by parent groups, involve the cooperative effort of students and parents, and are of general interest to the schools or community.
• Collaborating with parents, students, and employees in school improvement planning, development, and implementation.
• Providing volunteer opportunities for parents to participate either at school or at home.

Learn more about family engagement at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵapp Title I/LAP schools, and