Kershaw County School District Title I Parent Involvement Framework

The Kershaw County School District welcomes input and suggestions from our community and from our parents concerning Title I programs and funding. We seek input from parents and community members as we work to make this a document that reflects the climate and needs of our community. Please forward your comments or suggestions to Mr. Dan Matthews, Chief Academic Officer, Kershaw County School District, 2029 West DeKalb Street, Camden, SC, 29020; fax to (803) 432-8416; email him at daniel.matthews@kcsdschools.net or drop your suggestions by the district office to Mr. Matthew's attention.

2022-2023 Kershaw County School District Title I Parent Involvement Framework

Kershaw County School District encourages, supports, and values the participation and involvement of parents and families in the educational experiences of their children. The District recognizes all parents as their children's first teachers and acknowledges the powerful influence of parents on their child's life. The District, therefore, is committed to developing family-friendly schools, offices, and programs to welcome and serve parents and families in positive and supportive environments. Parents are involved in the development of the Lead Education Agency (LEA) plan and the process of school review and improvement by being part of a planning team that develops an overall Parent Involvement Policy. In addition, all parents are surveyed. This plan is distributed to all parents with children participating in Title I schools and to the community at large. An annual evaluation of parent involvement is conducted.

District Office staff provides technical assistance, coordination, and support to participating Title 1 schools. To aid these schools, District Office staff is available to help with the writing of the Title I grant, assist in procurement, attend school improvement/renewal team meetings, and assist the schools in implementing effective parent involvement activities and Parent-Teacher organization meetings. Additional responsibilities include providing assistance in any area requested to bring about school improvement and increase parental involvement. The District assists each school in the development of a school-level Parent Involvement Policy. District Office staff also sees that state and federal guidelines are followed.

The schools and parents build the capacity for strong parental involvement by entering into School-Parent-Compacts with staff and families of students attending Title I schools. Compacts are signed by the principal, teacher, parent, and student. Efforts to increase parental involvement also include annual conferences each fall to accommodate varied family schedules. In addition, an annual meeting (Back to School Night) for parents/families is held to provide information on Title I legislation, instructional programs and the desired outcomes for students of Title I Targeted Assistance schools. Parents are involved in decision- and policy-making via opportunities to serve on School Improvement Councils and Parent-Teacher Organizations as well as by completing parent surveys, previewing Title I plans at each school, and/or serving as mentors or through other volunteer efforts. Schools provide a number of parenting activities during the year, such as Technology, Literacy, Math/Science, STEAM, Fine Arts, Testing, Cultural Celebrations, academic seminars, and other student performance/academic presentations.

The Parenting Program served through Title I coordinates and joins together with other programs by inviting parents to attend classes, Adult Education classes, workshops, and seminars offered by the District and/or state. Additional efforts are made to work with other community programs to provide information and assistance regarding Title I Targeted Assistance programs. Regarding funding, the District reserves not less than one percent (1%) of the total Title I allocation to support parental involvement, including family and parenting literacy skills. In addition, each school reserves at least 5% of its Title I allocation for funding parent activities. All of our eleven (11) Title I elementary schools and two (2) middle schools continually monitor the implementation of their Title I plans and welcome input from parents, school staff, and community members regarding their current and future Title I plans. If you would like to serve on your school's Title I planning team or make comments about the plan, please contact the principal at the school.